PNY has just launched a brand-new 1TB Switch 2 microSD Express Card, and it's already available to grab online. Unlike other storage manufacturers who listed their 1,000GB cards around the $219.99 price mark when they dropped at US retailers last year, the brand-new card is instead available from today for $199.99.
It's still not cheap by any means, especially when older Switch-compatible cards of that size can pop up for as low as $100 at other retailers, but I'll take $20 off the full MSRP of other brands for sure. At a time when the prices for M.2 SSDs are so bleak that I'm spotting top-performing storage up in the thousands, it's a relief to know that one of the first new Switch 2 SD card releases of the year is sticking to a more reasonable price point.
PNY isn't new to the Nintendo Switch 2 SD card game. Until today, the company had 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options available starting from $45.99 at Amazon and available directly from their online storefront. Today just marks the first time the brand has dropped a card with 1,000GB worth of storage, adding more options for those looking to future-proof their handheld.
Like other Express Cards on the market, PNY states that its "4.4x faster than standard UHS-I microSDs" and it achieves this thanks to its "blazing" up to 890MB/s read & up to 850MB/s write speeds. Last year, I tested the 256GB Samsung Switch 2 microSD Express Card, and it was able to load up titles like Mario Kart World in just 22 seconds with its up to 800 MB/s read and write speeds. The on-the-box speeds aren't fully indicative of what a card can achieve, but with read and write speeds of up to 890MB/s and 850MB/s in its back pocket, this PNY option should be able to handle those 22 seconds and then some.
This brand-new PNY card has arrived at the perfect time, especially as the new year has just begun, and there's likely a ton of Switch 2 games on the horizon where it came from. Already, Pokemon Pokopia is launching on March 5, and as a game-key card release so players will need to have at least 10GB spare to run the Animal Crossing meets Pokemon cozy life sim.
You can definitely get away with just using the 256GB built-in storage of the Switch 2 to handle 10GB, but I'm glad there's yet another 1TB option out there for those who need it. Both my older Switch OLED and Steam Deck OLED had 1TB cards, as I hated worrying about deleting games to make way for new ones, especially as DLC and later updates made my onboard storage fill up fast.
So far, I've only got a 256GB card in my Switch 2, but it might just be this PNY version that finally convinces me to make the $199.99 investment. The new PNY 1TB microSD Express Card is available for $199.99 at Amazon or straight from the PNY storefront.
- PNY 512GB microSD Express Card |
$119.99$107.83 at Amazon - View all Switch 2 microSD Express Cards at Amazon
Our team has also rounded up the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, including some of the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers and the best Nintendo Switch 2 cases available for your new Ninty setup.
