The Nintendo Change 2 is right here, and which means a complete lot extra folks will ultimately want a brand new microSD card. Whereas the brand new console comes with 256GB of built-in storage — eight occasions greater than the unique Change and 4 occasions greater than the Change OLED — its improved efficiency implies that some video games will chew up a ton of that house. Cyberpunk 2077 is a 59GB obtain, for instance, whereas Break up Fiction checks in at 69GB. Different titles aren’t practically as large (notably these made by Nintendo itself), however chances are high you’ll wish to add extra room in some unspecified time in the future down the street.
Each time that’s, you’ll want a microSD Specific card. That is not the identical because the previous dependable microSD playing cards you could have purchased for the primary Change or different gaming handhelds — they’re newer, sooner and much costlier. However in order for you more room, they’re your solely alternative. In the event you’re seeking to seize one right this moment, we’ve laid out one of the best microSD playing cards for the Change 2 and damaged down what you must know before you purchase.
One of the best microSD playing cards for the Change 2 (aren’t all that necessary)
A set of microSD Specific playing cards sit propped up on a marble desk in opposition to the show of a Nintendo Change 2.
(Jeff Dunn for Engadget)
The Change 2 is the primary mainstream system to require microSD Specific for storage enlargement, so there aren’t many choices available for purchase simply but. Of the six appropriate fashions we’ve seen to date, we’ve examined 5: the SanDisk microSD Specific Card, the Lexar Play Professional, the Samsung microSD Card for Nintendo Change 2, the PNY microSD Specific Card and the GameStop Specific microSD Card for Nintendo Change 2. The primary 4 are made by real storage producers, whereas the GameStop card seems to be a rebadged model of one other mannequin. (This must be the case with one other card offered by Walmart below its Onn sub-brand, which we hope to catch in inventory earlier than our subsequent replace.) We used the 256GB model of each card apart from Lexar Play Professional, which was 1TB.
After timing these microSD Specific playing cards throughout a variety of Change 2 video games, our recommendation is straightforward: Get whichever one is offered for the bottom worth within the capability you need. They aren’t an identical, particularly if you wish to transfer a recreation to the cardboard from the console’s inside storage (or vice versa). However the variations in load occasions and general efficiency inside precise video games are robust to note except you could have a stopwatch useful.
All 5 playing cards loaded up the digital model of Mario Kart World, as an example, between 18 and 20 seconds. Every loaded the primary Grand Prix race in about 6.5 seconds. Attending to the beginning display screen of Cyberpunk 2077 took about 38 seconds in every case. Loading a save in a very asset-heavy space (Jig-Jig Road) then took between 26 and 29 seconds, relying on the cardboard.
With Quick Fusion, a smaller native Change 2 recreation, the preliminary load all the time took six to seven seconds, whereas every card loaded the primary championship race in roughly 4 seconds. It was an analogous state of affairs with the Change 2 improve for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (utilizing a Change 1 cartridge): Every card took simply over six seconds to get to the beginning display screen, between 19 and 20 seconds to load a save simply earlier than the ultimate boss, about 16 seconds to quick journey between Kakariko Village and Korok Forest, and so forth. We noticed no vital points with in-game masses when enjoying every recreation, both.
The SanDisk microSD Specific Card and Lexar Play Professional.
(Jeff Dunn for Engadget)
All of this implies that the Change 2 has a comparatively particular goal for these playing cards to hit, and that there will not be a lot room for one mannequin to leap too far out in entrance of the others. We’ll additionally observe that the console’s built-in storage was persistently sooner than any exterior possibility: The hole wasn’t all the time large, however no card actually outpaced it in any of our checks. Loading that demanding space in Cyberpunk, for instance, took about 22.5 seconds on common. So in order for you absolutely the quickest load occasions, don’t put your recreation on a card in any respect.
In the event you want the psychological consolation of realizing you technically have one of the best card obtainable, get the SanDisk microSD Specific Card. It had no outliers throughout our many recreation loading checks, and it was persistently proper close to the highest when it got here to transferring video games to and from system storage, which suggests it provides sturdy sequential learn and write efficiency. Benchmark testing on PC with instruments like CrystalDiskMark backed this up, as famous in our broader microSD card shopping for information.
Placing Mario Kart (a 21.9GB file) on that card took 4 minutes and 39 seconds on common, which was solely second to the Lexar Play Professional by six seconds. It was the quickest to write down Quick Fusion (3.5GB), taking a median of 27 seconds throughout three runs. Solely PNY’s card was sooner to maneuver video games again to the console’s storage, however that one was far slower at writing video games to the cardboard — getting Mario Kart on there took seven minutes and 11 seconds on common. Simply observe that the 128GB model of SanDisk’s card has slower sequential writes than the bigger variations, together with a lot slower sustained write speeds (100 MB/s vs 210-220 MB/s). So transferring a recreation to that exact mannequin will take for much longer.
Virtually talking, although, pace variations aren’t as necessary on this case as having a lot of house to carry video games at a worth you’ll be able to reside with. To make issues simple, we’ve listed each Specific card we’ve seen at retailers on the time of writing under. Keep in mind: You need microSD Specific, not “Excessive,” just like the branding SanDisk makes use of for some standard microSD playing cards. A microSD Specific card could have a giant “EX” emblem printed on it.
128GB
SanDisk microSD Specific Card ($60 MSRP)
PNY microSD Specific Card ($47 MSRP)
256GB
512GB
1TB
Lexar Play Professional ($220 MSRP)
GameStop Specific microSD Card for Nintendo Change 2 ($190 MSRP)
All microSD Specific playing cards could have this “EX” emblem printed on them.
(Nintendo/Engadget)
As you’ll be able to see, whereas the SanDisk card is quick, it’s additionally the most costly of an already-pricey bunch. Is it value an additional $10-20 to shave a pair seconds off sure masses in sure video games, or a pair minutes when transferring a recreation to exterior storage? Most likely not for most individuals.
However inventory for all of those playing cards has been patchy for the reason that Change 2 landed, particularly for the Walmart Onn mannequin, which is by far the most cost effective alternative. If just one card is definitely obtainable by the point you learn this — and you will need to have it right this moment — it’s secure to only get it. You gained’t lose or acquire all that a lot in the case of real-world efficiency.
Finally, although, we advise holding off on shopping for any microSD Specific card for so long as doable. President Trump’s tariff shenanigans might spike costs a bit larger within the brief time period, however generally, all of those playing cards are about as costly right this moment as they’ll ever be. And in comparison with conventional microSD choices, they are dear: The Samsung Professional Plus, for instance, prices $17 for 128GB, $25 for 256GB, $43 for 512GB and $90 for 1TB as of this writing.
The Change 2 is extraordinarily well-liked, so extra microSD Specific playing cards will should be made and costs will (ultimately) come down. Ideally, we’ll see extra high-capacity choices as properly: Nintendo says the Change 2 technically helps playing cards as much as 2TB, however thus far solely a pair even go as much as 1TB. All of this implies you must attempt to use all 256GB baked into the Change 2 first, even when it means having to delete a recreation or two. However when you completely want more room straight away, the playing cards above must be fantastic.
What are microSD Specific playing cards?
A microSD Specific card just like the one on the proper has a second row of pins on the again.
(Jeff Dunn for Engadget)
Most microSD playing cards are primarily based on a typical referred to as Extremely Excessive Velocity (UHS), of which there are three variations: UHS-I, UHS-II and UHS-III. The overwhelming majority of playing cards you could have purchased previously make the most of UHS-I. These have one row of pins within the again and a theoretical most information switch pace of 104 megabytes per second (MB/s). (Although many playing cards are in a position to surpass that restrict with proprietary tech and card readers.) The unique Change has a UHS-I microSD slot, as do most different gaming handhelds like Valve’s Steam Deck.
UHS-II playing cards add a second row of pins and may attain as much as 312 MB/s. These are pricier and far much less widespread than playing cards primarily based on UHS-I, however they’re supported by some cameras and higher-power handhelds just like the ASUS ROG Ally X. UHS-III, in the meantime, is twice as quick as UHS-II in concept (624 MB/s), however no microSD playing cards have really used it.
UHS-I playing cards have held on over time as a result of they’re low-cost, extensively supported and quick sufficient for the issues most individuals want them to do: document 4K video, stash pictures and so forth. However with the Change 2, Nintendo wants extra. The brand new console is dramatically extra highly effective, which permits it to run demanding video games that will have initially been constructed for stronger {hardware} just like the PlayStation 5, Xbox Sequence X or gaming PCs. The system additionally makes use of UFS 3.1 storage internally, which is far speedier than the eMMC storage utilized by the unique Change. (A customized file decompression engine helps enhance load occasions as properly.) So if the Change 2 goes to simply accept microSD playing cards, it wants ones that gained’t deliver a critical drop-off in efficiency and may maintain up with fashionable video games.
The Nintendo Change 2.
(Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
Therefore, SD Specific. This commonplace has technically been round since 2018 however largely went nowhere till the Change 2 got here alongside. It additionally makes use of a second row of pins, but it surely lets microSD playing cards benefit from the PCI Specific (PCIe)/NVMe interface, which is similar underlying tech utilized by fashionable SSDs. Because of this, it might produce significantly sooner learn and write speeds, with a present theoretical most of 985 MB/s.
As famous above, real-world efficiency gained’t be fairly that quick. Even when it was, one of the best microSD Specific playing cards would nonetheless be a lot slower than the NVMe SSDs utilized by the PS5 and Xbox. (Sony recommends SSDs with sequential learn speeds of at the least 5,500 MB/s.) They usually’ll fall properly under their peak speeds below sustained masses: SanDisk, as an example, says sustained write speeds for its 128GB Specific card can drop as little as 100 MB/s.
However they’re nonetheless a marked enchancment over previous UHS-I playing cards, and in concept, they need to be faster than some older SATA-based SSDs when it comes loading recreation ranges, asset streaming, retrieving saves or copying video games to exterior storage. Whereas SanDisk’s microSD Specific card can produce sequential learn speeds round 900 MB/s, Lexar’s Skilled Silver Plus — the highest UHS-I decide in our normal microSD card information — topped out simply over 200 MB/s, and that’s with a proprietary reader. (On the primary Change, it’d be nearer to 100 MB/s.) Sequential writes and random speeds have been three to 4 occasions higher as properly, and typically much more relying on the benchmark we used.
It stays to be seen how properly these Specific playing cards will maintain up with years of use, and there’s no technique to know precisely when their sky-high costs will drop. Non-Change 2 gadgets that help microSD Specific are nonetheless exceedingly uncommon, and the usual itself isn’t backwards appropriate with UHS-II, so that you’ll be restricted to UHS-I speeds if you wish to use your card with one other system (except you purchase an expensive exterior reader). Nonetheless, whereas the elevated prices and restricted choice are annoying, the tech itself is worthy of a next-gen Change.
How we take a look at microSD Specific playing cards
A person holds a Nintendo Change 2 Pleasure-Con controller with various microSD Specific playing cards positioned on prime of it.
(Jeff Dunn for Engadget)
We put our microSD Specific playing cards via a sequence of checks meant to simulate how folks would use every card on the Change 2 in the true world. We primarily labored with 4 video games: a mid-sized title in Mario Kart World, a small one in Quick Fusion, a comparatively massive one in Cyberpunk 2077 and a hybrid in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which ran off a Change 1 cartridge however used a roughly 10GB Change 2 improve pack that was downloaded and put in digitally.
We first timed how lengthy it took to maneuver every recreation from the system’s inside storage to the cardboard in query, and vice versa. We then timed how lengthy it took to load every recreation when put in to a given card. After that, we measured how rapidly the playing cards might load sure in-game situations: the primary Grand Prix race in Mario Kart; the primary championship race in Quick Fusion; quick touring between the Jig-Jig Road, Embers and Downtown Central areas in Cyberpunk and quick touring between the Kakariko Village, Korok Forest and the Hyrule Citadel City Ruins areas in Zelda. (We selected these locations within the latter two video games as a result of they’re extra taxing than different areas.) With Cyberpunk and Zelda, we additionally timed how lengthy it took to load up totally different save recordsdata in these areas.
With every take a look at, we accomplished three to 5 runs to account for any irregularities and marked down the common time taken between them. We did every take a look at in airplane mode, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, to attenuate any efficiency drain that might come up from background downloads. Between every take a look at, we additionally spent at the least an hour enjoying the video games off every card to make sure there have been no vital drop-offs in comparison with the console’s built-in storage.
