Nintendo raises prices on Switch 2 microSD Express cards amidst growing storage demand

Nintendo’s official store has increased the price of the required 256GB microSD Express Card for the Switch 2, highlighting the rising demand for high-speed storage options as the console’s launch accelerates and third-party offerings multiply.

Nintendo’s official store has raised the price of the 256GB microSD Express Card for the Switch 2, lifting it from ¥6,980 to ¥8,980 without a formal announcement on the day the change was noticed. The official Nintendo Support pages confirm that Switch 2 uses microSD Express rather than standard microSD, making these cards the console’s required expandable storage format.

The licensed cards are sold under the SanDisk and Samsung names, and the Nintendo Store was showing the Samsung version as the only one in stock. Nintendo’s own support material says the Switch 2 is compatible only with microSD Express cards, which are designed for faster data transfer than standard microSD cards, and that ordinary microSD, microSDHC and microSDXC cards cannot be used in the new machine.

The move comes as demand for high-speed removable storage has risen around the Switch 2 launch, with other manufacturers also bringing compatible products to market. Tom’s Hardware recently reported a limited-time discount on Samsung’s 512GB microSD Express card, while separate coverage from the same publication and TechRadar noted new entries from PNY in 128GB, 256GB and higher-capacity versions. Nintendo Insider has also highlighted wider options, including larger third-party cards such as 1TB models.

For Switch 2 owners, the practical result is that storage upgrades remain necessary for anyone planning to install multiple digital titles or keep a large game library on the console. Nintendo says the system supports microSD Express cards up to 2TB, leaving buyers with a narrow but growing set of choices at the top end of the market.