Huge Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade already revealed & it’s a game-changer

A third-party upgrade coming for the Nintendo Switch 2 gives an intriguing hint to the console’s potential power.

The Switch 2 feels closer than ever after Nintendo mercifully dropped the reveal trailer for the console, though the unveiling itself showed us next to nothing about the console aside from its appearance and was ultimately considered a little disappointing.

The most we really know about the Nintendo Switch 2’s performance capability is that it might be able to support 24-player Mario Kart. Unofficially, however, a new product advertised as an upgrade for the Switch 2 is a big hint about the sort of software it will be trying to run.

Initially discussed on Famiboards, Lexar’s Chinese division has revealed a new 1TB Express microSD card that it has declared an “NS 2 must-have”. The announcement looks to confirm previous rumors that the Nintendo Switch 2 will support microSD Express.

Lexar/Nintendo

New Nintendo Switch 2 microSD hints at console’s inner workings

The core difference between standard microSDs and microSD Express cards is their faster read and write speeds. A microSD Express can transfer data close to 10 times faster than the standard microSDs employed by the original Nintendo Switch and they approach performance levels close to those of SSDs.

Being specifically advertised for the Nintendo Switch 2, Lexar’s incoming 1 TB microSD Express suggests that the system will require these faster speeds to run games coming to the platform. The larger storage space afforded by microSD Express could also hint at a need to store larger game files.

Players would understandably hope that the Switch 2 was capable of playing larger games using more advanced internal components. Although, with no official confirmation from Nintendo coming until a Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct in April, it’s worth tempering expectations.

Lexar’s microSD Express hits shelves in February, well ahead of any expected release date for the Switch 2. If you’re wondering when that might be, another leak has nailed down a launch window.