Hacker tries to plug SSD into Switch 2. No success so far, but he doesn't lose hope

One of the biggest concerns regarding the Switch 2 is Nintendo’s decision to use microSD Express cards as the standard for expanding the console’s memory. The issue lies in the price - while a standard 256 GB microSD card is about 20-30 dollars, a microSD Express card of the same capacity is priced at around 60. Players are already exploring ways to swap out pricey microSD Express cards for SSDs ( vide Tom’s Hardware).

The Switch 2 doesn’t support SSD drives

Yu from the Better Gaming channel took on the challenge of building a custom attachment for the Switch 2. In theory, the idea was simple: solder an M.2 SSD connector to a PCB board and plug it into the Switch 2’s microSD Express slot. As part of the experiment, Yu used a 1TB Corsair MP600 Mini NVMe SSD, which can be bought for about $130.

For comparison, a 1TB microSD Express card costs over twice as much, so there's plenty of money to save here. In the video, everything seemed to be going smoothly - until the moment the attachment was inserted into the console. Once connected, the Switch 2 refused to work with the Corsair drive - though the issue wasn't on the creator's end.

It turns out that the problem lies with the console itself, which throws up error 2016-0641 saying it can’t detect the microSD card. Yu discovered that the console can't connect with the SSD and fails to recognize it. Switch 2 requires memory with a controller compatible with the SD Express 7.1 standard, which is supported by microSD Express cards - but not by SSDs like the Corsair MP600 Mini.

For now, Yu can't do much more - but it looks like all he needs is a bit of patience. There are already community-led projects aiming to build fully functional adapters that would allow players to swap the expensive microSD Express cards for standard M.2 SSD drives. And, of course, all of this in the shadow of the likely price rises.

• gaming
• Switch 2
• Nintendo Switch 2