Tag:

Express

Coinbase to launch Bitcoin rewards card powered by American Express

by admin June 13, 2025

Coinbase is set to launch the Coinbase One Card this fall, offering up to 4% back in Bitcoin on every purchase.

Developed in partnership with American Express, the Coinbase One Card is designed to reward users in Bitcoin (BTC), starting at 2% and increasing based on the amount of assets held on the platform. The card will available exclusively to Coinbase One members in the United States (excl. U.S. Territories).

In addition to earning Bitcoin on everyday spending, Coinbase One members will benefit from features such as fiat spending, integrated crypto access, and a mobile app that supports both Android and iOS.

Coinbase is also rolling out a new Basic tier of its membership program at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, giving users access to the card, zero trading fees on the first $500/month in trades, up to 4.5% APY on USD Coin (USDC) holdings, and $10/month in sponsored smart wallet gas on Base.

The move adds to a growing trend in the crypto industry, where crypto exchanges are developing branded payment cards that allow users to spend fiat.

Earlier this year, Kraken announced that it will launch Mastercard-powered physical and digital debit cards for users in the U.K. and Europe, enabling crypto payments at over 150 million merchants through its Kraken Pay platform.

OKX exchange has also recently partnered with Mastercard to launch the OKX Card, a debit card enabling users to spend stablecoins and other crypto via the Mastercard network.

These new launches further broaden the range of crypto cards already available from major exchanges. Crypto.com provides the widely used Crypto.com Visa Card accessible across multiple regions including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, Singapore, and Latin America. Bybit offers a rewards crypto card to select users, featuring up to 10% cashback on everyday purchases. MEXC also offers a prepaid Mastercard that enables users in select European countries to spend their digital assets worldwide.

Source link

June 13, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

What Is MicroSD Express? Everything You Need To Know

by admin June 8, 2025

I just got my Nintendo Switch 2, and my internal storage is already filling up with all my old games and saves! If you’re in the same boat, you may have also noticed you can’t just jam in the SD card from your original Switch and keep rocking. Instead, you’ll need a new MicroSD Express card.

This Express standard was introduced in late 2023, and it enables write speeds in the hundreds of megabytes, but until now it was used only for high-end digital cameras and niche use cases. As a result, the cards are few and far between, and they carry a significant price premium over the more common MicroSD cards. Before I get too caught up in the price and availability though, let’s just go over what the difference is between Express and standard MicroSD cards and what it means for your Switch 2.

Express Lane

Photograph: Brad Bourque

As you might have guessed from the name, MicroSD Express cards are faster, but to understand exactly what that means, we need to break down what we mean by speed and how it’s measured and displayed on MicroSD cards.

Normal, non-express cards use three metrics with some overlap in performance. We’ve got an in-depth technical guide if you want to know more about the non-express cards, but I’ll give the short version here. There are three ranges: Speed Class, denoted with a C, UHS Speed Class, as marked by a U for Ultra High Speed Class, and Video Speed Class, with a V.

Regardless of how it’s displayed, the number indicates that the card is able to read and write at least that fast. For the Circle and the V, it’s a direct comparison, so a circle with a “10” in it has a 10MB/s sustained write speed. There are two U variants, 1 and 3, which correspond to 10MB/s and 30MB/s respectively. Cards are almost always compatible with slower devices, so you may see multiple symbols and numbers on each card.

The indicator for Express cards is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a stylized EX or E, sometimes with a number next to it. Once again, this represents the card’s sustained write speed, with officially supported ranges from 150MB/s up to 600MB/s. Remember that these are minimum speeds, so you may see manufacturers quote even higher numbers, but whether you’ll be able to support those speeds will depend on the device reading and writing to the card.

Source link

June 8, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Walmart Has 512GB Switch 2 MicroSD Express Card For $65, 256GB For $35

by admin June 2, 2025

Walmart has restocked the 512GB and 256GB Onn microSD Express Cards for Nintendo Switch 2, which are substantially more affordable than cards from any other manufacturer. The 512GB model is $65.77, roughly $35 less than the other two sold-out options in this capacity. The 256GB model is $35.77, which is close to $25 less than the Samsung microSD Express Card that’s officially licensed by Nintendo.

Onn is a Walmart-owned brand geared toward budget tech. These cards have already sold out multiple times since they first became available, and we imagine this restock won’t be available for long either.

The officially licensed Samsung microSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2 is in stock at multiple retailers, including Best Buy and Target, ahead of the console’s release in a few days. The Switch 2 is only compatible with Express cards, and since it’s a newer technology, there aren’t very many options in stores at the moment–and most of them are sold out. Samsung’s 256GB Nintendo-themed card costs $60 and releases alongside the Switch 2 on June 5.

Outside of the Mario-themed card from Samsung, the only other options currently in stock are the aforementioned pair of Onn cards at Walmart, SanDisk’s microSD Express 128GB for $54 or 256GB for $72 at Amazon, and PNY’s 256GB card for $60 at Walmart.

Nintendo – Samsung microSD Express 256GB Card (Updated: June 2)

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a massive upgrade in terms of storage space. The 256GB onboard SSD is four times larger than the Switch OLED (64GB) and eight times the size of the original Switch and Switch Lite (32GB). That said, the Switch 2’s performance upgrades will inevitably lead to larger game file sizes, which could compel you to expand your console’s storage capacity with one of the ultra-fast microSD Express Cards.

The Express format is a recent advancement in the semiconductor industry that hasn’t been widely adopted by manufacturers yet. The Nintendo Switch 2 will certainly increase its adoption rate by both manufacturers and consumers in a hurry. Officially licensed, Nintendo-themed cards from SanDisk are slated to release this year, too, but they aren’t available to order yet

At this time, the upcoming Nintendo-licensed models max out at 256GB, but you can find 512GB and 1TB options elsewhere if you’re worried about future-proofing your Switch 2 storage space. We’ve put together a brief list and explainer detailing the microSD Express options from Samsung, SanDisk, PNY, Lexar, Onn, and GameStop.

All microSD Express Cards for Nintendo Switch 2

Note: Products that were in stock at the time of writing are in bold.

For more on upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 products, check out GameSpot’s roundups of Switch 2 accessories and games you can preorder now.

$60 | Releases June 5

Samsung’s officially licensed microSD Express Card is capable of reaching speeds of up to 800MB/s.

The $60 price point is honestly a bit of a surprise considering how expensive branded microSD cards for gaming tend to be listed for in comparison to regular editions.

It’s still possible that Samsung’s regular 256GB microSD Express Card will retail for less than $60, but this branded option actually has a lower MSRP than the SanDisk 256GB microSD Express Card that’s already available.

As of May 31, the Samsung microSD Express is in stock at Best Buy, Target, and GameStop.

Available in 256GB and 512GB models

The Walmart-owned tech brand Onn is staying true to its budget-friendly identity by offering by far the lowest prices for microSD Express Cards for Nintendo Switch 2.

Walmart says Onn’s microSD Express Cards are graded for read speeds of to 800MB/s and write speeds of up to 600MB/s. The cards are “water, shock, temperature, and magnet proof.”

Available in 128GB and 256GB models

SanDisk currently manufactures 128GB and 256GB models of its microSD Express Cards.

The Nintendo-branded versions of SanDisk’s microSD Express Cards aren’t listed online yet, so it’s unclear if they will retail for the same prices. When we initially published this story, we theorized that the branded cards would cost more. SanDisk’s Nintendo-themed cards for the original Switch carry higher prices than non-branded editions. But this might change with Switch 2, as shown by the price point of Samsung’s Super Mario-themed 256GB card.

At the moment, it appears SanDisk will release Nintendo-themed versions of its two microSD Express offerings. It remains to be seen if SanDisk cards with more (or less) storage space will get the Nintendo treatment.

SanDisk microSD Express Cards are substantially faster than its Ultra and Extreme Cards, which are popular picks for expanding storage on the original Switch.

With Express technology, SanDisk’s cards offer read speeds of up to 880MB/s, write speeds of 650MB/s, and sustained write speeds of 210MB/s. For comparison, the SanDisk Ultra is rated for 150MB/s read speeds, and the Extreme can hit 190MB/s.

Express cards are essentially solid-state drives that can fit on your fingertip. In fact, this card is actually faster than the average SATA SSD.

Available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models

If you want to future-proof your Switch 2’s storage space, Lexar is the only major manufacturer with microSD Express Cards exceeding 256GB.

Lexar’s Express Play Pro Cards launched in March in three different capacities: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The 256GB retails for $50, the 512GB is $100, and the 1TB will typically set you back $200, but all three models are sold out as of May 31.

Like the SanDisk Express that debuted last year, Lexar’s cards offer blistering speeds. Lexar says its microSD Express Play Pro can reach 900MB/s read speeds and 600MB/s write speeds.

Available in 128GB and 256GB models

PNY’s microSD Express Card is a brand-new release seemingly spurred by the Switch 2. PNY says the card is capable of read speeds up to 890MB/s and write speeds of 550MB/s.

The 256GB card is currently going for the same price as the official Samsung card ($60). Meanwhile, the 128GB model is $45, though it’s strangely listed as shipping from Amazon Germany with a wait time of 6-7 months.

Available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models

GameStop has its own range of accessories for Nintendo Switch 2, including microSD Express Cards capable of reaching speeds of 800MB/s, according to GameStop.

GameStop’s Switch 2 accessories are not officially licensed by Nintendo, and it’s unknown which memory manufacturer built these cards.

Prices for GameStop-branded accessories have bounced around since preorders opened in early April. The 256GB version changed from $50 to $70 before falling back down to $55, which is rather unfortunate considering you can get the Nintendo-licensed Samsung card for $60.

The 512GB edition started at $85 before climbing to $100. Lastly, the 1TB model, which was only $150 out of the gate, now goes for $190–very close to the price Lexar charges. The 512GB and 1TB models are sold out.

When it comes to storage and memory, it’s generally a good idea to opt for brands known for reliability, and since it’s unclear which storage brand manufactured these cards, it’s pretty challenging to compare GameStop’s cards to the well-known brands above.

Here’s a closer look at the official Samsung and SanDisk microSD Express Cards:

Samsung and SanDisk official Mario-themed 256GB microSD Express Cards

Source link

June 2, 2025 0 comments