Samsung P9 microSD Express Review: Budget Storage That Delivers

The Samsung P9 microSD Express is Samsung’s answer to a sensibly priced card that trades coffee-break load times for something much brisker. The headline change is microSD Express. On paper the P9 advertises up to ~800MB/s reads via a PCIe 3.0 x1 link, roughly four times faster than UHS-I cards. That translates to snappier transfers, shorter “Preparing…” bars, and fewer tea breaks between titles. There’s full backwards compatibility with older devices, but you won’t see Express speeds unless the host supports it. Samsung sells 256GB and 512GB capacities, and has paired the speed claims with temperature, drop, water, magnet and X-ray resistance, plus Dynamic Thermal Guard to keep throttling at bay in long moves. A three-year limited warranty rounds out the spec, longer than many budget rivals. Real-world pace vs the pack Where it falls behind is sustained write speed: long copies land in the “good, not best” bracket compared with a few peers. If you migrate libraries often, you’ll notice that. If you mostly play once installed, you’ll care far more about reads, where the Samsung holds its own. The usable capacity on the 512GB model is among the most generous in its class, which means more actual games before you hit the wall. During my own shuffle, that extra headroom spared me a delete-and-install juggle. Drop the P9 into a compatible device like a Switch 2 and the difference is immediate in the mundane places: system copies, patch installs, and those asset-heavy first boots. The in-game uplift varies by title, but opening cinematic stutters and level transitions felt noticeably shorter in my rotation. It’s simply giving the console the throughput it was designed for. Two caveats from living with it: Writes can be the bottleneck when you’re moving a whole back catalogue at once. Still firmly “budget fast”, just not the absolute quickest in long-copy races. Use it in older UHS-I gear, and you won’t see those glorious Express speeds. Price and value We’ve seen the 256GB dip as low as SGD$89, with the 512GB often around SGD$179, undercutting several “gaming”-badged competitors while matching or beating them for reads. Verdict: the right kind of fast for the money The Samsung P9 microSD Express is exactly what enthusiasts need: Express-class read speeds, rugged build, and sane pricing. Yes, a few rivals edge it on sustained writes, but for the day-to-day reality of installing, patching and playing, Samsung’s card hits the target and stays there. If your goal is to expand storage without slowing the fun, this is the budget pick I’d buy first and recommend without caveat to anyone who’d rather spend Saturday playing.