Nintendo Switch 2-compatible microSD Express cards are on sale for the first time thanks to Prime Day

It’s safe to say the Nintendo Switch 2 is the game console to get this year, and if you already got your hands on one, you’ve probably loaded it up with all your old Switch games and new Switch 2 games. If you haven’t thought about adding more storage to the console, now’s the time to do so. The Switch 2, unfortunately and inconveniently, cannot work with just any old microSD card — it only works with newer microSD Express cards. But thanks to Prime Day, you can actually pick up one of these new cards on sale. The most affordable of the bunch is this 128GB PNY microSD Express card, which is 15 percent off for Prime members and down to $38.

Engadget’s Jeff Dunn has been testing microSD Express cards since the Switch 2 launched. The best microSD Express card for Switch 2 at the moment is really the one you can most easily afford. While the cards he’s tried out so far didn’t perform identically in our benchmark tests, the differences in overall performance and load times will be tough for most people to notice. Thankfully, the ones he’s tested so far have been good — there isn’t a bad one in the bunch, and while the most consistent performer was the SanDisk microSD Express card, you won’t really sacrifice by getting a different one. In fact, at least in the case of Prime Day deals, you’ll be gaining by saving some cash.

PNY’s card in particular was actually slightly faster than SanDisk’s in our testing when it came to moving games from the card back to the Switch 2’s internal storage. However, it was a bit slower in writing games to the card itself. That just means you may wait a few extra minutes before you can open Mario Kart World and get to racing, but for most people, the difference will be negligible.

Also on sale for Prime Day are two configurations of Lexar’s Play Pro microSD card. The 256GB version is down to $50, while the 512GB model is on sale for $100. That’s 17 percent off each and the lowest they’ve been. If you’re hoping to make a one-and-done purchase and you already plan on packing your console with the best Switch 2 games, we’d recommend getting the card with the highest capacity that’s still within your budget.