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(Image credit: Future) The performance gains in microSD tech have jumped a level, and thanks to the popularity of Nintendo's recently released Switch 2 handheld games console, the prevalence of microSD Express cards has grown. Being one of the fastest formats and a requirement of the Switch 2 for added storage, the price is high when compared to standard microSD cards, with the larger capacities normally well over $200. These little cards now perform as fast as SSDs, with comparable PCIe performance, and complement the Switch 2 with lightning-fast load times for games that run off of the card.
At Costco, you can pick up the 1TB Lexar Play Pro microSD Express card for just $179.99 , a massive $40 cheaper than Amazon & B&H Photo. The usual price for this 1TB card is $219.99. If you're looking to beef up the maximum games storage for your console, then picking up this speedy 1TB monster should tide you over for some time. You can purchase this microSD Express card online without the need for a current Costco membership. However, if you also want to pick up a Costco membership, you can grab this Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership, plus a $40 digital Costco shop card for $65 .
The Lexar Play Pro 1TB is the best 1TB microSD Express card for the Switch 2, and it was also one of the first to launch. It's an excellent choice if you seek the highest capacity currently available and good transfer speeds. We tested this microSD Express card along with the other most popular cards. In our testing, the 1TB Lexar Play Pro came out on top as the best microSD Express card for the Nintendo Switch 2 . See our results and how we tested in our best list.
With quadruple the internal storage capacity of the Nintendo Switch 2 games console, this microSD Express card from Lexar can add 1TB of extra storage for installing your game library. This microSD card can deliver read speeds of up to 900 MB/s and write speeds of up to 600 MB/s.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) The Lexar microSD card can deliver impressive read speeds of up to 900 MB/s and write speeds of up to 600 MB/s. The new microSD Express cards are required for the Nintendo Switch 2 console, due to the much faster transfer speeds over standard microSDXC cards. This enables games to install, load, and stream data much faster, resulting in better gameplay and user experience.
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Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/microsd-cards/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/microsd-cards/save-usd40-on-1tb-of-switch-2-storage-at-costco-lexars-play-pro-microsd-express-card-drops-to-usd179-99#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.