What is SD Express and what makes it different than a regular SD Card?

Summary

SD Cards are a popular flash storage medium, known for their compact size and high data capacities.
SD Cards and their smaller microSD counterparts are available in a number of configurations, including in the relatively new ‘Express’ format.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 embracing the SD Express format, here’s a breakdown of how the memory standard compares with the more common non-Express flavor of SD.

As far as external storage solutions go, the SD Card format is among the most impressive and versatile of them all. Available in both standard and micro-sized variants, SD Cards pack a potent punch. Modern cards are capable of offering storage capacities of well over a terabyte (TB), while maintaining speedy read and write speeds due to their flash-based inner workings.

While SD card compatibility is a lot less common on smartphones than it once was, you’ll still find SD slots on many PCs, digital cameras, camcorders, portable gadgets, handheld gaming consoles, and more.

Speaking of game consoles, Nintendo’s recent Switch 2 Direct presentationhas brought to light an interesting tidbit of information: the upcoming hybrid system will be compatible exclusively with a (relatively new) form of SD Card known as Express, dropping its predecessor’s support for standard SD Card storage expansion in the process.

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What is SD Express?

A more powerful standard for flash memory cards

Pocket-lint / SD Association

SD and microSD Cards are manufactured according to a number of different specifications, each of which influences the memory card’s storage size, read and write speed, and other relevant capabilities. Every SD card contains certifications relating to compatibility and capacity, bus interface for large-size data transfers, speed class for video recording, and app performance class for random and sequential performance speeds.

For a more detailed breakdown of SD Card certifications and choices, the SD Association
has a dedicated explainer
on its official website.

SD Express, which is indicated by either a full ‘EXPRESS’ logo or a condensed ‘EX’ emblem on the physical card itself, is a new type of SD card that you’ll find in both standard and micro form factors. According to the SD Association, SD Express “adds the popular PCI Express and NVMe interfaces to the legacy SD interface.”

While the technological underpinnings are complex, all you need to know is that these Express SD Cards are capable of significantly faster data transfer rates. Using the PCIe Gen 4 Interface along with the NVMe Protocol, these cards are capable of a theoretical 3,940MB per second of data transfer.

Physically speaking, SD Express cards are the same basic size and footprint as all other SD cards. Aside from the logo on the front label, the only external difference is the addition of extra contact pins on the rear which are needed for the additional bandwidth throughput.

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Why is Nintendo Embracing SD Express on the Switch 2?

The Switch 2’s bolstered power profile demands faster read speeds

Pocket-lint / Nintendo

This brings us to the Nintendo Switch 2, which we now know will utilize the microSD Express Card format for storage expansion. While Nintendo hasn’t commented on the matter directly, we can infer that the company’s decision comes down to the desire to make use of faster read and write data speeds.

The Switch 2’s new proprietary game card format appears to also use more powerful internal storage tech for faster transfer speeds, so this is likely a case of needing the extra speed to keep up with the technical demands of next-generation Nintendo gaming.

For a more detailed breakdown of microSD Express Card compatibility on the Nintendo Switch 2 console, check out Nintendo’s
official Customer Support page
.

The SD Express format has been around for a little while now, but the Nintendo Switch 2 is one of the first mass-market consumer devices to support the tech in a meaningful capacity. If Nintendo’s new console proves as successful as its predecessor, then we might see SD Express experience widespread adoption at an accelerated pace.

In the meantime, Nintendo has confirmed that licensed microSD Express cards will be available for purchase on the My Nintendo Store, though it’s unclear if these will launch day-and-date with the Switch 2 on June 5.