Samsung P9 MicroSD Express Review: Fastest Budget Switch 2 Storage
▼ Summary
– The Nintendo Switch 2’s requirement for microSD Express cards has rapidly made the storage standard robust and affordable.
– The new Samsung P9 microSD Express card is the fastest tested, offering superior write speeds and competitive read speeds compared to peers like PNY and Onn.
– For gaming, random read/write performance (IOPS) is more critical than sequential speeds, and the P9 boasts high IOPS ratings for faster handling of game files.
– In practical tests, the Samsung P9 matched or slightly outperformed competitors in game load times and showed significantly faster and more consistent write speeds during file transfers.
– At $54.99 for 256GB, the Samsung P9 is recommended as the best value among budget cards, especially for users who frequently transfer large files.
The recent launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 has single-handedly transformed the microSD Express market, pushing this once-niche storage standard into the mainstream with a wave of new, affordable options. Samsung’s new P9 microSD Express card emerges as a compelling choice, offering impressive performance that makes it a top contender for expanding your console’s library without breaking the bank.
Available in 256GB and 512GB capacities for $54.99 and $99.99 respectively, the P9 sits at a strategic price point. It undercuts the official Nintendo-branded card while providing a significant speed advantage over other budget alternatives like those from PNY and Onn. This card delivers where it counts for gamers, particularly with its excellent write speeds that streamline the process of moving large game files.
Understanding the performance requires looking beyond simple sequential read specs. While Samsung advertises speeds up to 800MB/s, real-world game loading and file transfers operate differently. Games are composed of thousands of small, non-contiguous files, which is why the critical metric is random read/write performance, measured in IOPS. Samsung claims the P9 can hit up to 65,000 IOPS for random reads, a massive leap over traditional microSD cards. In practical tests, this translates to tangible benefits for the player.
When it comes to loading games, the differences are often subtle. In side-by-side testing, the 256GB Samsung P9 and a comparable PNY card performed nearly identically. Titles like Donkey Kong Bananza and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom loaded in virtually the same time on both cards. The sole minor exception was Mario Kart World, where the P9 was marginally slower by about two seconds, a variance that could easily be attributed to the game’s dynamic loading routines. Both cards consistently outperformed the more affordable Onn card by several seconds in most loading scenarios.
The P9 truly distinguishes itself in write throughput. Transferring games to the card is noticeably faster. While read speeds during transfers from card to console were excellent and comparable to the PNY card, write operations were consistently superior. The Samsung card maintained a steady transfer rate between 71MB/s and 73MB/s across multiple tests. In contrast, the PNY and Onn cards were slower and more variable, typically ranging between 52MB/s and 62MB/s.
This speed advantage has a real impact on convenience. Copying a 17.2GB game like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to the P9 took just four minutes, compared to nearly five minutes for the Onn card and close to six for the PNY. For gamers who frequently manage a large library or swap titles between internal and expanded storage, these saved minutes add up.
Choosing between these budget cards ultimately comes down to usage patterns and priorities. The Samsung P9 offers the best blend of consistent high performance and trusted brand reliability at its price. If you rarely move large files and every dollar counts, the more basic Onn card remains a functional, money-saving option. However, for players who value faster installations and robust performance, the Samsung P9 represents a clear and worthwhile upgrade, establishing itself as the fastest and most reliable budget-friendly storage solution currently available for the Switch 2.
(Source: IGN)
