SanDisk microSD Express Card 256GB for Nintendo Switch 2 – Up to 880MB/s Read, 650MB/s Write (SDSQXFN-256G)

Our Verdict

This is the accessory most Switch 2 owners end up needing first. The console has 256GB built in, but Switch 2 games are large and Game-Key Cards download the whole game to storage, so space goes quickly. The Switch 2 can only install games to a microSD Express card, not an ordinary microSD card, and this 256GB SanDisk card doubles the built-in storage. The headline 880MB/s read speed is SanDisk’s figure with its own PRO-READER, and the console sets its own pace, so treat it as a sign of the standard rather than a speed you will see in-game. It also works in ordinary microSD devices at normal UHS-I speeds. SanDisk makes a 512GB version too, for households that buy almost everything digitally.

Key Features & Irish Specs

• microSD Express card that SanDisk says works with Nintendo Switch 2
• Up to 880MB/s read and 650MB/s write (SanDisk figures, measured with its PRO-READER SD Express reader)
• Falls back to UHS-I speeds in ordinary microSD UHS-I and UHS-II devices
• SanDisk ThermAdapt thermal management to help keep the card and device from overheating