With only 32 GB of flash memory, we can say that storage – or its capacity – was not Nintendo’s priority when designing the Switch. However, the system arrived with a MicroSD input, allowing cards up to 2TB. But in an era of increasing loading times, we wonder: does the choice of MicroSD affect loading times? And how does your performance compare to internal storage and even cartridges? The results may surprise you.
If you want to invest in eShop purchases, sooner or later you will need a MicroSD. There are only 25.9GB available to users, space that will quickly be filled; a game like Zelda: Breath of the Wild occupies 13GB without updates, and Nintendo offers Switch developers cartridges with a maximum of 32GB. Unless you buy only physical games, you will need more storage space.
According to the Japanese website, Switch supports UHS-1 cards, which in theory gives us speeds up to 104MB / s. To test this, we bought a 16GB Sandisk Ultra, a UHS-1 card that offers transfers up to 80MB / s. It is probably not the card you would buy (we only bought to transfer files before the SDXC update arrives), but it is a cheap SDHC card – format that does not exceed 32GB. However, give us an example of the Switch’s support for UHS-1 speeds.
On the other hand, we chose a € 50 SanDisk Extreme Plus, a 64GB SDXC card, designed to read and write 4K video and rated as one of the fastest MicroSDs on the market. You need to update your Switch to be compatible with these cards but once it is updated, the console can even accept cards with 2TB, but at the moment 256GB was the largest we could find. This Extreme Plus is in a faster UHS-3 flash category, with 90MB / s read and 60MB / s write. These top speeds are not supported by the Switch but a better performance than a UHS1 SanDisk Ultra is to be expected – at least in theory.
Games that use a lot of data are still scarce, so The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the main target of tests for load times, and the results are fascinating. Look at a Switch cartridge and you will see many pins, suggesting an interface capable of very fast transfers. With our Extreme Plus MicroSD, we believe it would be the winner. However, the results are dramatically conclusive – it’s the Switch’s 32GB internal memory that is the system’s fastest storage interface.
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The first test was near the Temple of Time, an area full of goods to carry. We measure loading times by capturing the loading process in the game, cutting each loading to the exact frame – where in this case the internal storage of the console takes just 30 seconds before you start playing. It’s a long wait, but 14% faster than the cartridge, minus 5 seconds. It even hits the 34 seconds achieved by the two MicroSDs, including the 64GB model. Another curious point is that both MicroSDs are mere seconds from each other.
This happens in more cases. We loaded another complex area, like the Kakariko Village, and Switch’s internal storage came in first again. The 16GB MicroSD is always second, the 64GB MicroSD is third, and then Zelda in the cartridge always last. Whether in the giant tower in Greath Plateau or in a small shrine with a much shorter load time, Switch’s internal memory always wins in load times.
The same is true for areas with smaller data in terms of geometry and textures; Owa Daim Shrine is like many others, it takes about 10 seconds to load regardless of where the game is installed. However, the internal storage expires for a second. Loading a recorded game is one thing, but what about instant journeys between towers and shrines? It is a crucial part of the game’s design considering its scale, large enough to be divided by regions. Opening the map and traveling instantly again takes 27 seconds from internal storage to take us to the tower on the Great Plateau. 5 seconds less than in the cartridge, it takes 32 seconds, and the MicroSDs, which are in the middle of the other two. Basically, on the instant trip you have the same speed difference as when loading a save.
It’s a solid victory for Switch’s internal storage. These results appear several times but were not expected, considering that this NAND partition is fixed and is not expandable. You only have 32GB but at least Nintendo has ensured that the connection with the chipset reaches decent speeds. Less impressive is the fact that the cartridges are always behind. At worst we have a difference of 5 seconds in Zelda, we wonder how in the future games with the Skyrim scale can be affected.
| Zelda / Switch Charging Times | Card | Internal memory | Sandisk 16GB Ultra UHS-1 | Sandisk 64GB Extreme Plus UHS-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple of Time (Initial load) | 35.7 | 30.7 | 34.1 | 34.4 |
| Kakariko Village (Initial load) | 27.0 | 24.1 | 26.3 | 26.6 |
| Owa Daim Shrine (Initial load) | 9.5 | 8.7 | 9.3 | 9.3 |
| Great Plateau Tower (Travel) | 32.6 | 27.7 | 30.9 | 31.2 |
| Dueling Peaks Tower (Travel) | 20.5 | 18.8 | 19.8 | 20.1 |
| Shrine of Resurrection (Travel) | 24.2 | 21.8 | 23.0 | 23.8 |
We also have to talk about the speeds of SD cards. None of these Sandisk SDs go beyond console storage, which suggests a speed block. No matter what the bandwidth on the SD, whether 80MB / s on the 16GB model or 90MB / s on the 64GB model, Switch does not take advantage of any. As long as it is a UHS-1 at least, you get the same loading times, or slightly better, than a faster card.
In general, if you want to buy a MicroSD, we advise you to invest in a UHS-1 with the largest capacity you can. You can buy a 128GB for just € 42 and a 200GB for double that price. It is not the fastest method but you will have better speeds than in a cartridge, and with plenty of space for future downloads. But you need to be careful when buying a card.
First, if you have already downloaded games to the console’s memory, it is currently impossible to transfer those games to a MicroSD – a major flaw by Nintendo. As soon as you insert an SD, you have to download all data again to the new destination. It is strange that there is no copy function on the Switch, and for game data, everything you can do and delete. Alternatively, there is the option to archive, which also erases the data, but keeps an icon on the main screen with a link to download it again. It’s a bizarre system that doesn’t make sense, and we hope that Nintendo will add more ways to move games between different locations.
It is also worth saying that as soon as you install a MicroSD on the Switch, all games will be automatically downloaded to that location. Unlike the pictures, you cannot decide where the games are installed – another point that irritates after these results. Only when the SD card is full does the Switch begin to use the internal space. Imagine that you only want one game on the internal NAND memory – to enjoy faster loading times. In this case, you will have to remove the MicroSD first, install the game on NAND, and insert the SD again. It is strange and the warning remains.
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Nintendo Switch – MicroSD Recommendations:
- Best value per space: Sandisk Ultra 200GB MicroSDXC UHS-1
- Increased storage space: Samsung 256GB Evo MicroSDXC UHS-1
- Best value for 128GB of space: Sandisk Ultra 128GB MicroSDXC UHS-1
- Best overall value (€ per GB): Sandisk Ultra 64GB MicroSDXC UHS-1
Fortunately, anyone who already uses a MicroSD but wants to purchase a model with more space does not need to download everything again. You can transfer data between the two MicroSDs using a PC. Game file names are displayed using long sets of numbers and letters, but you can get an idea of what the game is by highlighting the folder, selecting properties and checking file sizes.
This way, you can simply drag the contents from one MicroSD to the other, all games will work on the new card – as long as you use it on the same Switch console. It is also very useful as it offers a way to save all your Switch data; SD cards can sometimes fail.
In terms of better performance, it is a shame that the fastest interface is internal storage – which cannot be improved. In addition, the potential for cutting load times is limited. Investing in a super expensive MicroSD will not improve loading times, but at least you won’t have any more penalties compared to cartridges.
If you want to increase the space on your Switch, the decision is easy. Taking into account the quantity of lower quality products and imitations, it is recommended to buy from a reputable and well-known brand. However, the biggest conclusion of these tests is that investing your money in capacity instead of faster speeds is the best option.
