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How to Move Nintendo Switch Games to a microSD Express Card

On Switch 2, move software data through System Settings > Data Management. You need a microSD Express card, and game save data remains in system memory.
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On Nintendo Switch 2, open System Settings > Data Management > Move Data Between System / SD Express Card. Choose whether to move software data to the card or back to system memory, select the software, and follow the prompts. This moves software data—not save data. Save data stays in system memory.

Move software data on Nintendo Switch 2

  1. Insert a compatible microSD Express card. If the console is on when you insert it, Nintendo advises restarting the console; see its microSD Express setup guidance.
  2. From the HOME Menu, open System Settings.
  3. Select Data Management, then Move Data Between System / SD Express Card.
  4. Choose Move to SD Express Card to move software data from system memory to the card, or Move to System Memory to move it back.
  5. Select the software you want to move and follow the on-screen instructions.

Menu wording can vary with system language or software version. If the displayed labels differ, use the matching data-management option on your console.

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Use a compatible card

Switch 2 requires a microSD Express card for software storage. Check for the microSD Express logo; an ordinary microSD card used in the original Switch is not a compatible Switch 2 storage card. Nintendo Support Japan lists supported capacity up to 2 TB; the page does not state a publication year. See Nintendo’s microSD Express card guidance.

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What moves—and what does not

  • Software data can move between system memory and the SD Express card using the Data Management command.
  • Save data does not move to the card. Game progress remains in system memory.
  • Some update data cannot be moved. Nintendo also notes that after software updates, data may be stored somewhere other than the chosen destination.

If you have the original Nintendo Switch

The original Switch has a similar command, but its menu and card context are different: open System Settings > Data Management > Move Data Between System / microSD Card to move software data between system memory and a microSD card. Nintendo’s instructions are available on its original Switch data-management page. This does not make a non-Express card usable for software storage on Switch 2.

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  • Nintendo Switch 2 uses a new standard of expandable memory card called microSD Express (sold separately). This kind of memory card is needed for faster access speeds and to ensure games will run smoothly.
  • Please note: Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards. If the microSD cards you have used for Nintendo Switch do not support microSD Express standards, you cannot use them with Nintendo Switch 2.

Importing screenshots from an old card is separate

Nintendo describes a separate Switch 2 process for importing screenshots and videos from a non-Express card previously used in a Switch. That media import is not a way to move installed game software onto Switch 2. See Nintendo Support Singapore’s System Transfer guidance.

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  • NEXT GEN GAMING: Works with Nintendo Switch 2.
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  • READY FOR TOMORROW. Ready for future products with a PCIe-NVMe interface; performs at UHS-I speeds with microSD UHS-I and UHS-II devices.
  • EXPONENTIALLY FASTER PERFORMANCE. Up to 4.4 times faster transfer speeds than our fastest microSD UHS-I cards [9]. Transfer a 2-hour HD movie in less than 3.5 seconds [1]; save up to 2.8 minutes transferring 60 minutes of 4K UHD video [4] shot at 30 fps when paired with the SanDisk PRO-READER SD Express Dual Card (sold separately) [9]
  • DURABILITY YOU CAN COUNT ON: Cards are waterproof, temperature-proof, humidity-proof, drop-proof, shock-proof, magnetic-proof, x-ray proof, and wear-out proof [5].
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  • NEXT GEN GAMING: Works with Nintendo Switch 2.
  • READY FOR TOMORROW. Ready for future products with a PCIe-NVMe interface; performs at UHS-I speeds with microSD UHS-I and UHS-II devices.
  • EXPONENTIALLY FASTER PERFORMANCE. Up to 4.4 times faster transfer speeds than our fastest microSD UHS-I cards [9]. Transfer a 2-hour HD movie in less than 3.5 seconds [1]; save up to 2.8 minutes transferring 60 minutes of 4K UHD video [4] shot at 30 fps when paired with the SanDisk PRO-READER SD Express Dual Card (sold separately) [9]
  • DURABILITY YOU CAN COUNT ON: Cards are waterproof, temperature-proof, humidity-proof, drop-proof, shock-proof, magnetic-proof, x-ray proof, and wear-out proof [5].
  • HEAT MANAGEMENT REIMAGINED. SanDisk ThermAdapt helps keep devices from overheating with a specially designed enclosure and controller that uses dynamic adaptive thermal management.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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