Western Digital debuts new line of Nintendo Switch-branded memory cards

By Gabe Gurwin Published September 1, 2017

nintendo switch cards western digital 0036 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Nintendo Switch is a great piece of hardware, but it has one glaring flaw carried over from the older Wii U: A tiny amount of built-in storage space. To fix this, players have to purchase a MicroSDXC memory card with their system, and Nintendo has announced a new line of licensed cards for the most dedicated fans.

Produced by Western Digital, the SanDisk MicroSDXC cards come in 64GB and 128GB sizes, and feature the Nintendo Switch logo on the front. Nintendo aims to have them near Switch systems on retailers’ shelves to encourage customers to buy them at the same time. They’ll be available in store this October.

Recommended Videos

“Nintendo Switch has generated tremendous momentum, and we are thrilled to partner with Nintendo to offer consumers a trusted card for their system,” said Western Digital vice president Sven Rathjen in the official announcement.

So, what benefit does the Nintendo Switch get when using one of these licensed cards? Absolutely nothing. The 100MB/s transfer speed is also available on the newest SanDisk cards, so there is no reason to go out of your way to purchase the licensed version. It’s going in your Switch anyway, so you’re never going to look at it again.

You will certainly need a MicroSDXC card if you plan on owning any digital Switch games, and there are quite a few games to play at the moment. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle are all fantastic, and the highly awaited Super Mario Odyssey releases at the end of October.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen an electronics company brand a storage device as if it were only compatible with one system. Seagate released a special “Game Drive for Xbox,” advertising that it worked “flawlessly for Xbox One and Xbox 360.” It costs about $20 more than the standard Seagate 2TB external drive, and it’s internally identical. Don’t be fooled by the pretty design and branding — you’re just throwing away your money. Instead, spend the extra cash on a game to store on the external drive, or invest in a subscription to Xbox Live Gold.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

Do old Joy-Cons work with the new Nintendo Switch OLED?

Original Switch next to Switch OLED.

While it wasn't the rumored Switch Pro, Nintendo did release a new version of their latest hardware in 2021. The Nintendo Switch OLED is the latest iteration on their handheld/home console hybrid machine, but it isn't bringing much of any new power. What it does bring is the titular OLED screen for when you play it in handheld mode. OLED screens are seen as the superior screen type thanks to how they make colors look so much more vibrant and deep. Even though the system can't push games to actual higher resolutions, the OLED screen still makes every game on the Switch look that much sharper.

Unlike the Switch Lite, which has the controls connected to the device itself, this new Switch OLED is another version of the standard Switch. That means it can be docked and played in handheld mode just like the original. For Nintendo fans who are looking to upgrade their original units, the new OLED screen could be very tempting, but if you've had the Switch for a couple years now and have collected some of the many colorful Joy-Con controllers, you may be hesitant to buy this new one if they aren't compatible. Now that we've gotten our hands on the new system, we can share for certain if your old Joy-Cons will work with the new Nintendo Switch OLED.

Gaming

The Nintendo Switch OLED’s new dock can be purchased separately

OLED Nintendo Switch

Players will be able to purchase the new dock that comes with the Nintendo Switch OLED separately, according to Nintendo. The company says that the stand-alone dock will be available to buy exclusively through its website.

The newly announced Nintendo Switch OLED comes packaged with a redesigned TV dock, which includes a wired LAN port and rounded corners. It comes in either black or white, depending on which OLED model players buy. In a statement to Digital Trends, Nintendo confirmed that people who don't want to buy the new system will be able to pick up the stand-alone dock.

Gaming

New Nintendo Switch model features an OLED screen, releases October 8

Nintendo Switch OLED model

Nintendo announced a new model for its mobile console, the Nintendo Switch this morning. Titled the Switch OLED, the console will release on October 8 for $350.

Revealed in an announcement trailer this morning, the Switch OLED's biggest difference from the original Switch model is in its name. The original Switch sported a 6.2 inch LCD screen capable of hitting a max resolution of 720p. The Switch OLED won't be improving on that handheld resolution, but will instead sport a 7-inch OLED screen.