In late 2024 some Famiboards sleuths already sussed out that Switch 2 would adopt microSD Express, one of the evidences being a new microSD connector part from Japan Aviation Electronics. Today a joint patent by JAE and Nintendo is published, detailing the connector’s thermal management.
Due to the heat generated from the Express card’s high data rate, conventional connector just won’t do. The solution is to add a metal bracket (#60 in img below) that hugs the connector shell (42); it stops EMI leakage and conducts heat to the heat sink (18) and board (12).
However, this is over-engineered for Switch 2, and a simpler version is actually used (img 1 below). The bracket is omitted, but the connector shell is enhanced to contain EMI, and conduct heat to the board and also the main shield plate via a thermally conductive tape (imgs 2-3; source in alt text).
[Originally posted on 2026-07-23 Pacific Time]
