The day the Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed onto us those nine months ago, I was pretty annoyed at the 256GB onboard storage. Switch games by that point weren't notoriously storage-demanding, and this was still a marginally bigger sum than the 64GB of the Switch OLED, but I expected more from the next-gen handheld.
At least brands like PNY have been churning out the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards to provide that missing storage in its wake. While Nintendo does have officially licensed Switch 2 SD cards of its own to help, these only bring an extra 256GB to the table. Meanwhile, PNY's latest Switch 2 card has a whopping 1TB worth of additional space, and I've been testing it over the past week. In that time I've barely managed to fill up the card, and its huge capacity has helped make me forget about the handheld's annoying storage drawbacks.
I've wanted 1TB to play around with on the Switch 2 since the console launched, so I feel particularly privileged to be able to test PNY's card. When it first arrived at my door, my first protocol was to move my 2,700+ screenshots and game clips over onto the card, and it did so in just 33 seconds in total. My next step? Set this new card as the destination for all screenshots going forward, especially as Pokemon Pokopia has arrived.
I can't wait to press that game capture button as much as my heart desires without the fear of going overboard. As I like to have large online games like the 43.9GB of Fortnite, and the 21.9GB of Mario Kart World on my handheld at all times, the remaining base storage was looking bleak each time I took a new screenshot. Now, I've been able to move over all my favorite Switch 2 games and set the PNY as the one-stop shop location for all future screenshots and game clips, and I'm still nowhere near that 1TB limit.
128 PNY microSD Express Card | $45.99 at Amazon
256GB Samsung microSD Express Card | $59 at Amazon
512GB SanDisk microSD Express Card | $99.99 at Amazon
It's not just the fact that this PNY card provides 1,000GB that has made me a fan in the short week I've been putting it through its paces, but that it provides 1TB at a cheaper cost than other brands.
Right now, you can grab Lexar's 1TB Play PRO microSD Express Card for $219.99 at Amazon, which is $20 more. Even Gigastone, a brand known for providing budget-friendly SD cards, has its 1TB version up at the US retailer for a staggering $349.99 (Amazon), which is not far off the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 itself.
That version does come with a card reader, but that doesn't merit its extortionate price range. Since it launched earlier this year, the 1TB PNY card has remained at its $199.99 MSRP, which is much easier on the eyes and easier to recommend. I do worry that this is an introductory launch deal price, particularly as the official PNY US store has it listed for $237.99 instead. However, I have my fingers crossed that it'll stay below that $200 price range going forward.
There's still a while yet until I've spent enough time with the 1TB PNY Switch 2 card to write up my full review. However, for now, it's become exactly what my Switch 2 needs to take on the 10GB of Pokemon Pokopia, its incoming screenshots, and my huge digital Switch game library.
- View all PNY Switch 2 microSD Express Cards at Amazon
- View all Switch 2 microSD Express Cards at Amazon
On the hunt for more future-proofing accessories? Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch headsets, the best Nintendo Switch 2 cases, and the best Nintendo Switch 2
