TF338 MicroSD Express 256GB review — A capable contender for Switch 2 storage

Nintendo’s decision to move to virtual game cards for the Nintendo Switch 2 was met with mixed reactions from gamers. On the one side, you have those who celebrated the move, as storing physical copies of games becomes a hassle when you’re running out of physical space. On the other side, we heard those who love collecting physical media groan in agony over the seemingly inevitable future demise of physical media. Regardless, with the Switch 1 maxing out at a meager 32GB of internal storage, it was pleasing to see that number being multiplied 8x up to 256GB for the Switch 2. However, it’s taking next to no time at all to hit that number with how big games continue to get.

AGI Gear, makers of various memory and storage devices, unveiled their response to the Switch 2’s expandable storage needs with the TF338 MicroSD Express. Available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities, the TF338 boasts speeds of up to 800MB/s reads and 700MB/s writes. They’re shockproof, waterproof, and x-ray proof, keeping anything you put on them (including your Switch 2 games) safe wherever you go. I’ve been playing with the 256GB option for a while now, playing games like Mario Kart World and Wild Hearts S without an issue, but I wanted to see how that compares with loading them from the internal drive.

To better understand how the TF338 performs, I did some digging on the Switch 2’s internal storage. The Switch 2 uses a 256GB UFS 3.1 storage device, something that is typically seen in mobile devices and VR headsets. UFS 3.1 reaches speeds of up to 2.1GB/s on sequential reads and 1.2GB/s on writes, which outpaces the TF338 on both tasks. However it’s important to note the 2.1GB/s is on sequential reads, going from A to Z in the data, in order. The Switch 2 uses something more like random reads, where data is accessed based on what is needed to perform a task, which can be anywhere in the storage stack.

But what does all that gibberish mean? All you need to take away from this is that the Switch 2’s internal storage is a little bit faster than the TF338. For example, when launching Mario Kart World from the Switch 2’s internal storage, it takes about 17 seconds to hit the title screen, whereas it took a second longer when launching from the TF338. Wild Hearts S took 5 seconds longer to launch from the TF338 than it did from the Switch 2’s internal storage. There’s not really anything that can be assumed from comparing the game sizes versus their load times (there’s only a 12GB difference between Mario Kart World and Wild Hearts S), it will depend more on each game’s needs and launch processes.

The biggest concerns I had with the TF338 MicroSD Express 256GB are that it doesn’t appear to be easy to purchase, particularly in North America, and the pricing for what I did find it much higher than comparable alternatives. I was only able to find one listing on Amazon, and it was priced around $144, more than double what I’ve seen with other 256GB options that also offered a little more speed. The 128GB was priced around $107. Unfortunately, I didn’t see a listing for the 512GB option. I’m not sure what would be causing the substantial price difference, but I hope it’s something AGI looks into and adjusts to meet market pricing, otherwise I could see the TF338 getting passed over quite a lot for its competitors.