If you’re prepping for the Nintendo Switch 2, or simply searching for a quick, future-proof reminiscence card, that is one deal to concentrate to. The Lexar 512GB Play PRO MicroSD Express Card is lastly again in inventory and has dropped to $89.92 on Amazon, down from its ordinary $99.99.
This is without doubt one of the few MicroSD Express playing cards presently accessible in bigger capacities, and it’s formally suitable with the upcoming Switch 2. That issues, as a result of Nintendo confirmed its next-gen console will solely assist MicroSD Express for expandable storage. That guidelines out all of your older playing cards from the unique Switch, irrespective of how a lot area that they had left.
Lexar 512GB Play PRO microSDXC Express Card
Why the shift? Speed. MicroSD Express playing cards use the identical PCIe interface because the blazing-fast NVMe SSDs present in fashionable gaming PCs. That means the Lexar Play PRO can hit learn speeds as much as 985MB/s—practically ten instances sooner than the UHS-I playing cards used within the present Switch. Faster storage equals sooner load instances, and ensures you gained’t bottleneck efficiency when loading bigger, extra demanding video games off your growth card.
At 512GB, this Lexar card additionally strikes a terrific steadiness between storage and worth. With some confirmed Switch 2 video games weighing in at over 20GB, that inside 256GB isn’t going to final lengthy. And whereas a 1TB Express card will run you nearly $200, this 512GB choice is wanting like the present candy spot—if you will discover it in inventory. There’s additionally the 256GB option, down to $47.67 at Amazon as well.
Availability’s been shaky, with many MicroSD Express playing cards promoting out quick after the Switch 2 reveal. If you are planning on selecting up the brand new console at launch, now’s the time to seize one in every of these playing cards earlier than inventory dries up once more. Speed isn’t optionally available on the subsequent technology of moveable consoles—and for now, this Lexar deal is the quickest and most reasonably priced technique to prepare.
Switch 2 Game Storage Sizes:
Nintendo has confirmed a few of its Switch 2 recreation sizes, and a few are surprisingly small. The Japanese My Nintendo Store lists plenty of Switch 2 video games alongside their file sizes. But, based mostly on the file sizes revealed on the Japanese retailer, that 256 GB of inside storage does seem to be a extra important replace than we initially thought.
The largest file dimension right here is, as you’d anticipate, Mario Kart World, however at 23.4 GB it solely takes up round 10% of the Switch 2’s complete inside storage. Mario Kart World is comparatively slim in comparison with the beefy Cyberpunk 2077, which weighs in at 64 GB on Nintendo Switch 2. That’s a chunky 25% of the Switch 2’s inside storage.
Robert Anderson is a offers professional and Senior Editor, Commerce, for IGN. You can comply with him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.
