People who upgraded from a Nintendo Switch to a Nintendo Switch 2 quickly learned (if they didn't already know) that the MicroSD cards they used on the original Switch would not work with the Nintendo Switch 2. Instead, the Switch 2 requires MicroSD Express cards to expand the system's 256 GB of internal storage. Finding those Express cards could, however, become more difficult and more expensive if a current shortage of non-Express MicroSD cards continues.
Why would a shortage of MicroSD cards impact MicroSD Express cards? The answer lies with AI companies. According to an interview with Japanese publication IT Media (spotted and translated by Tom's Hardware), while consumers seemingly moving towards using large-capacity MicroSD cards for their storage requirements is part of the issue, the bigger part is how AI companies are swallowing up huge amounts of storage products, including HDDs, SSDs, and MicroSD cards.
"It looks like large-capacity models are getting sucked up for AI use, so we aren't getting any stock at all," one tech shop owner told IT Media. "Everyone knows what's going on, so even if the price goes up, the drives sell out immediately...and the cycle repeats."
It was already difficult to grab a MicroSD Express card when the Switch 2 was first revealed. Now, with AI companies swallowing up storage stock, paired with a consumer move to MicroSD and MicroSD Express cards as the more common storage option, as Nintendo Life points out, a shortage and price hike of the only kind of storage cards the Nintendo Switch 2 uses feels inevitable.
Essentially, if you were already looking at grabbing a new game for your Switch 2, or if you were looking to grab a Switch 2 console as part of ongoing Black Friday sales, then you would be wise to include a MicroSD Express card in your shopping cart while you can still get one.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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