Analysis Including Switch 2 Cartridge
- Switch 2 (microSD Express vs. Cartridge): The microSD Express at 800-900 MB/s and the cartridge at an estimated 800-985 MB/s are likely very close in performance. If the cartridge hits the upper end (985 MB/s), it could edge out microSD Express by ~85 MB/s, but in practice, the difference might be negligible (e.g., a second or less in load times). Nintendo’s design suggests cartridges are the baseline, with microSD Express as a compatible expansion, so they’re probably tuned to similar speeds to ensure parity in game performance.
- PS5/PS5 Pro: At 5,500-6,500 MB/s raw and up to 9,000+ MB/s compressed, both Sony consoles vastly outpace the Switch 2’s cartridge (800-985 MB/s). The PS5’s compression gives it an effective speed 9-10x higher, making load times (e.g., Spider-Man: Miles Morales at ~2 seconds) far quicker than what the Switch 2’s cartridge could achieve for similar-scale games.
- Xbox Series S/X: With 2,400 MB/s raw and 4,800 MB/s compressed, the Xbox consoles double the Switch 2 cartridge’s raw speed and quintuple it with compression. The Switch 2’s cartridge is faster than the original Switch’s but doesn’t close the gap with Xbox’s internal SSDs.
- PC (Samsung 970 EVO Plus): At 3,500 MB/s, the 970 EVO Plus is ~3.5-4x faster than the Switch 2 cartridge’s estimated range. Without compression, it’s a straightforward win for the PC in raw throughput.
- Steam Deck 1TB OLED: At 3,300-3,500 MB/s, the Steam Deck’s SSD is also ~3.5-4x faster than the Switch 2 cartridge. Both are handheld devices, but the Deck’s PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD outclasses the Switch 2’s cartridge (and microSD Express) by a significant margin.
Switch 2 Cartridge vs. Others
- Versus Switch 2 microSD Express: Nearly identical, with cartridges possibly slightly faster (e.g., 985 MB/s vs. 900 MB/s), but the difference is likely imperceptible in real-world gaming (e.g., <1 second in load time variance).
- Versus PS5/Pro: The Switch 2 cartridge is outmatched by 5-8x in raw speed and 9-11x in effective speed. A game loading in 5 seconds on PS5 might take 20-30 seconds on Switch 2, assuming no other bottlenecks.
- Versus Xbox Series S/X: The cartridge is ~2.5-3x slower raw and 5-6x slower compressed. Xbox load times (e.g., Forza Horizon 5 at ~10 seconds) would be noticeably faster than Switch 2 equivalents.
- Versus PC (970 EVO Plus): The PC’s 3,500 MB/s is ~3.5-4x faster, meaning a 10-second PC load could take 35-40 seconds on the Switch 2 cartridge.
- Versus Steam Deck OLED: Similarly, the Deck’s 3,300-3,500 MB/s is ~3.5-4x faster. For a game like Elden Ring, the Deck’s ~15-second load might stretch to 50-60 seconds on the Switch 2 cartridge.
Conclusion
The Switch 2’s cartridge, estimated at 800-985 MB/s, is a massive leap from the original Switch’s ~100 MB/s, aligning it closely with its microSD Express (800-900 MB/s) and making it competitive for a handheld. However, it’s still significantly slower than the internal SSDs of the PS5 (5,500-9,000 MB/s), PS5 Pro (5,500-9,000+ MB/s), Xbox Series S/X (2,400-4,800 MB/s), PC with 970 EVO Plus (3,500 MB/s), and Steam Deck OLED (3,300-3,500 MB/s). For portable gaming, it’s a strong performer, but it can’t match the raw power of home consoles or high-end handhelds/PC SSDs, especially those with compression. Load times on Switch 2 cartridges should be “night and day” better than Switch 1 (e.g., 30 seconds dropping to 5-10 seconds), but they’ll lag behind the others by 2-10x depending on the system and game complexity.
