In a bizarre situation that is fairly reminiscent of the Wii U, it has been confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 will require a system update to make use of microSD Express cards. Why is that so strange, you may be asking? Well, microSD Express cards are the only form of SD cards compatible with the console, meaning if you don’t update your system when taking it out of the box, you cannot expand its storage.
With Switch 2 units being spotted at retail outlets across the US and Europe, people have been able to take snapshots of the boxes and have noticed some specific wording on them. As Nintendo Insider notes, the boxes read, “A system update is required to use microSD Express memory card.” Strangely, this echoes the current Switch console, which required an update to use SDXC cards on day one. Still, the Switch was compatible with regular SD cards out of the box, so this system update being mandatory makes it seem as if the system is being rushed to retail before being finalized.
I drew the comparison with the Wii U earlier because that console had a similar update on day one. Nintendo sold the console as being backward compatible with the original Wii, and it certainly was… only after you spent an exorbitant amount of time downloading an update that added the functionality. Nintendo platforms used to traditionally offer out-of-the-box convenience as their defining characteristics, but it seems the realities of modern development have finally caught up to The Big N. With an update now mandatory to use microSD Express cards, it could be that Nintendo still hasn’t finalized the system software that the console will use. It could also be some stupid stipulation put in place by the SD Association.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
