Samsung’s new Switch 2-compatible microSD Express card is already on sale

The Nintendo Switch 2 is backwards compatible with most original Switch games, which is a nice feature to tide over early adopters (like me!) until new Switch 2 exclusives launch. The console comes with 256GB of internal storage, but that probably won’t be enough for your entire digital game library. Fortunately, however, Samsung Express P9 512GB microSD Card is already on sale for $94.99 ($5 off) on Amazon, you clip the coupon on the page. The 256GB model is also available on Amazon, but only for the suggested retail price of $54.99.

The current discount may seem small, but the P9 is already about $20 less than most other 512GB Express microSD cards. The only cheaper option is a card from Onn, Walmart’s in-house brand, which is available for about $85 but is often out of stock. Additionally, while the Switch 2 is one of the first consumer gadgets to use a microSD Express card for additional storage, you can insert them into select cameras, tablets, and drones that have a USH-I microSD slot. The P9 offers sequential read speeds of up to 800MB/s, but only gadgets with a microSD Express card slot can take full advantage of the highest speeds.

As for how far 512GB of storage gets you, well, that depends. The number of digital games that can be installed on the P9 depends on their size; Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment requires 43.4 GB of space, while Song of Silk takes up just 4.1 GB. If having a total of 768 GB of storage for games seems excessive, consider that the Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade requires a 93 GB download.

Even collectors of physical games may need a microSD Express card, as many publishers have chosen to release their games on game key cards. These titles use a physical cartridge to authenticate your copy of the game, but require that you download a digital copy to your system’s internal memory. There are also many indie games that are only released digitally or only on cartridge long after their initial launch. However, no matter what type of games you choose, it’s better to have more space than you need rather than having to decide which games to take with you while traveling.