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One of the best microSD playing cards in 2026

Most microSD playing cards are quick sufficient for stashing images, recording video and transferring recordsdata, however some will get you a bit extra bang on your buck than others. When you’re seeking to increase the storage of your Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, GoPro or every other machine that also accepts microSD playing cards, we may help. We’ve completely researched the market and several other playing cards by a collection of benchmark assessments. Listed below are the very best that we’ve examined, together with some basic recommendation on what to search for when shopping for a brand new card.

Desk of contents

Greatest microSD playing cards of 2026

Lexar

Storage capability: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Pace lessons: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 | Guarantee: Lifetime restricted

A superb UHS-I card is fast sufficient for most individuals’s wants, and the Lexar Professional Silver Plus is the very best worth of those we’ve examined. Paired with Lexar’s USB card reader, it persistently delivered sooner sequential reads and writes than every other UHS-I mannequin throughout our benchmark assessments. It’s rated for learn speeds as much as 205 MB/s and write speeds as much as 150 MB/s, each of that are comparatively excessive to start with, however we discovered the latter to succeed in into the 180-190 MB/s vary in artificial benchmarks like CrystalDiskMark, ATTO and AJA.

Our 12GB take a look at folder wrote to the cardboard in 76 seconds on common, which was roughly 30 seconds faster than the Samsung Professional Plus and Samsung Professional Final, our two earlier prime picks. It successfully tied the Professional Final to steer all UHS-I playing cards we’ve tried in studying that take a look at file again to our PC. (That one averaged about 67 seconds, for those who’re maintaining rating at house.) Each Samsung playing cards and some others beat the Silver Plus in some random efficiency benchmarks, although it was nonetheless a lot aggressive in that regard. Both approach, it has all of the requisite rankings — U3, V30, A2 — and it’s greater than speedy sufficient for working with 4K movies or transferring recordsdata between units with out main delays (as long as you will have a reader and/or host machine that may allow these max speeds).

The cardboard itself is waterproof with an IPX7 score, and Lexar backs it with a lifetime guarantee. Sizes vary from 128GB to a spacious 1TB. The optional reader — which you should buy individually or as a part of a bundle — is a bit massive, however it conveniently contains each USB-A and USB-C ports, so that you shouldn’t want any dongles to attach it to a telephone or PC.

The Silver Plus’ pricing has normally been the factor that is put it excessive. For a lot of the previous a number of months, the 128GB model bought for round $15, whereas the 256GB, 512GB and 1TB variants have gone for about $23, $40 and $80, respectively. These aren’t the most affordable costs we’ve ever seen, and the mathematics will change a bit if it’s essential to consider a card reader, however they’ve both undercut or matched rivals just like the Professional Plus, Professional Final or SanDisk Excessive regardless of the Silver Plus being the extra performant card general. So, to recap: It’s quick, it’s sturdy and it’s usually fairly reasonably priced. That’s the recipe for a straightforward suggestion.

Execs

  • Quickest sequential learn/write efficiency of any UHS-I card we have examined
  • Has been cheaper than many slower options
  • Has a 1TB choice
  • Lifetime restricted guarantee
Cons

  • Wants USB reader to succeed in most speeds (as anticipated)

$40 at Amazon (512GB)

Image for the large product module

Picture by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capability: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Pace lessons: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 | Guarantee: 10-year restricted

Storage costs are inclined to fluctuate, nevertheless, particularly with the driving reminiscence and storage demand extra towards knowledge facilities . As of our most up-to-date replace, the — our former “finest for many” choose — is now out there for lower than the Silver Plus in most capacities, and it’s nonetheless properly price contemplating when that’s the case. 

Its sequential learn and (particularly) write efficiency was slower than Lexar’s card throughout the board however nonetheless on par with or higher than almost each different UHS-I card we’ve examined. Its random reads and writes had been typically second to the pricier , however solely by a bit, so it’s well-suited for a conveyable recreation console or every other setup the place it’d be requested to entry tiny bits of information scattered all through a tool. It’s held up completely advantageous in our long-term testing as properly. That mentioned, the Silver Plus is the higher card when it’s in the identical value vary, plus Samsung’s has a shorter 10-year guarantee.

When you do find yourself grabbing one, although, ensure you get the latest mannequin with learn speeds rated at 180MB/s. An older-generation mannequin with slower sequential reads and random efficiency should still be hanging round at some on-line retailers, so keep away from that one. Samsung additionally sells a Sonic the Hedgehog-themed version of the Professional Plus with equivalent efficiency rankings, however that normally prices a couple of bucks further. 

Execs

  • Fast sequential and random speeds
  • Available at trusted retailers
  • Has a 1TB choice
Cons

  • Slower than our prime choose, particularly with sequential write efficiency
  • 10-year guarantee is not the longest

$17 at Amazon

Image for the large product module

Picture by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capability: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (“new era” mannequin solely) | Pace lessons: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 / (64GB) U1, V10, A1, Class 10 | Guarantee: 10-year restricted

The Samsung Evo Select is a transparent step behind our prime picks, notably with regards to sequential write speeds (just below 70 MB/s on CrystalDiskMark). So we don’t suggest it for any type of digital camera. Nonetheless, it’s completely usable for easy storage enlargement, and its sequential and random learn speeds had been nonetheless respectable in our benchmarks.

Most significantly, it’s normally cheap: We have beforehand seen the 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB fashions fall as little as $13, $18, $33 and $67, respectively. The latter two capacities might be notably advantageous values for those who simply desire a large chunk of house from a good model on a budget. That mentioned, it’s best to nonetheless seize the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus or Samsung Professional Plus as an alternative if both one is wherever shut in value.

Execs

  • Typically discounted
  • Acceptable efficiency if value is chief concern
  • Has a 1TB choice
Cons

  • Slower than different prime picks, notably in sequential write and random efficiency benchmarks
  • 10-year guarantee is not the longest

$15 at Amazon

Greatest microSD Specific playing cards for the Nintendo Change 2

A collection of microSD Express cards rest on the back of a Nintendo Switch 2 gaming console.

Jeff Dunn for Engadget

Learn our full information to the best microSD Express cards for the Nintendo Switch 2

Let’s be clear about this: Except you propose to personal a Nintendo Switch 2 within the close to future, you don’t want a high-speed microSD Specific card simply but. Nintendo’s gaming handheld is the one well-liked machine that natively helps this commonplace proper now, and microSD Specific playing cards themselves are extremely costly in comparison with extra conventional choices.

Nonetheless, for those who do wish to enhance a Change 2’s storage, they’re your solely alternative. Happily, figuring out precisely which mannequin to purchase for the console is fairly simple: Get whichever one you’ll find in inventory, within the capability you need, at a value you’ll be able to abdomen.

We benchmarked a number of microSD Specific playing cards for a separate Switch 2 guide, and for essentially the most half, the efficiency variations between them weren’t nice sufficient to justify paying further for any specific mannequin. Loading instances weren’t fairly equivalent with each take a look at we ran, however the playing cards had been extraordinarily shut in most video games and customary eventualities. The few instances when there was a notable hole — fast-traveling to a very resource-heavy area in Cyberpunk 2077, for example — the gulf between the slowest and quickest card was solely ever about 4 or 5 seconds at most. That’s not nothing, however it’s additionally not one thing most individuals are prone to fret over except they’ve a stopwatch helpful.

Two microSD cards, one mostly black and one mostly red, rest on top of a brown wooden stand above a white window ledge.

The SanDisk microSD Specific Card and Lexar Play Professional. (Jeff Dunn for Engadget)

The one time you’d discover a significant velocity distinction is for those who switch video games to your Specific card from the Change 2’s inner storage (and vice versa). In that case, the SanDisk microSD Express Card and Lexar Play Pro had been typically the quickest, whereas PNY’s microSD Express Flash Memory Card had notably sluggish write speeds.

Shifting Mario Kart World to the SanDisk and Lexar fashions, for instance, took round 4 minutes and 35 seconds on common; with the PNY card, it took a bit over seven minutes. That mentioned, the PNY mannequin was the quickest when it got here to transferring video games again to the system storage. Walmart’s Onn microSD Express Card was considerably slower to maneuver video games from the cardboard to system storage, however it’s additionally essentially the most reasonably priced card we’ve seen by a good way. Both approach, most individuals aren’t continually shuffling their video games backwards and forwards like this. Efficiency in precise video games is extra essential, and in that regard the outcomes had been persistently a lot tighter.

What issues most is getting essentially the most house on your finances. Sadly, inventory for all microSD Specific playing cards has been spotty for the reason that Change 2’s launch. To your comfort, we’ll record out all the fashions we’ve examined so far and their respective record costs under. Be aware that some lower-capacity variations — the 128GB SanDisk card, for one — promote slower speeds than their extra spacious counterparts.

  • SanDisk microSD Specific Card: 128GB ($64), 256GB ($78), 512GB ($128)

  • Lexar Play Professional: 256GB ($60), 512GB ($120), 1TB ($220)

  • PNY microSD Specific Flash Reminiscence Card: 128GB ($48), 256GB ($62), 512GB ($124)

  • Samsung microSD Specific Card for Nintendo Change 2: 256GB ($60)

  • Samsung P9 Specific: 256GB ($55), 512GB ($100)

  • GameStop Specific microSD Card for Nintendo Change 2: 256GB ($60), 512GB ($100), 1TB ($190)

  • Walmart Onn microSDXC Specific Card: 256GB ($47), 512GB ($85)

A red microSD Express card sits on top of a small black microSD card reader, on top of a brown wooden table, next to a white stone drink coaster.

The Lexar Play Professional on prime of Lexar’s RW540 microSD Specific card reader. (Jeff Dunn for Engadget)

Broadly talking, we suggest getting at the least 256GB of storage, as Change 2 video games are inclined to have a lot bigger file sizes than video games for Nintendo’s earlier handheld. However we additionally suggest holding off upgrading for so long as you’ll be able to, if solely as a result of all of those playing cards ought to (tariff shenanigans apart) come down in value as time goes on.

There’s no level in shopping for a microSD Specific card for something in addition to the Change 2, however we did run the fashions above by our traditional PC benchmarks as properly. Unsurprisingly, they’re miles sooner than any conventional card in the marketplace.

With the 256GB SanDisk card, for example, sequential learn speeds checked in just below 900 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and ATTO, whereas sequential writes topped out round 650 MB/s. Sustained writes speeds had been slower (round 210 MB/s), however that was nonetheless quick sufficient to maneuver our 12GB take a look at file to the cardboard in 52 seconds on common. It took a mere 20 seconds to learn the file again to our PC. The write take a look at with our smaller 1.15GB take a look at folder, in the meantime, averaged simply 4.5 seconds.

All of it provides as much as efficiency that is at the least twice as quick as the very best UHS-I fashions we’ve examined when it comes to sequential reads and writes, with three or 4 instances the speeds in some instances. The gulf in random reads and writes is comparable, and in some benchmarks even higher. However you want a dear SD card reader to even see these will increase on a PC, so solely these with a Change 2 in hand or critical money to burn ought to take into account considered one of this stuff.

Different notable microSD playing cards

Samsung Professional Final

The Samsung Pro Ultimate was the closest competitor to the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus throughout our benchmark assessments, however it’s tangibly worse when it comes to sequential write speeds, sometimes prices extra and doesn’t provide a 1TB choice. The Samsung Professional Plus is a bit slower for sequential reads, however it’s shut sufficient in any other case and normally simpler to search out at a cheaper price.

Lexar Skilled Gold

We’ve not used it ourselves, however for those who’re keen to pay for a extra highly effective UHS-II card constructed for heavy-duty video recording, the Lexar Professional Gold has tested well elsewhere and may ship considerably sooner sequential write speeds than our UHS-I picks above. It’s one of many few UHS-II playing cards we might really discover in inventory, however it’s expensive, with a 128GB mannequin usually priced within the $35 to $40 vary.

SanDisk Excessive

The SanDisk Extreme successfully matched the Professional Plus in a couple of of our sequential assessments, however that was partly because of us solely with the ability to safe the 256GB mannequin, which is higher-rated than the 128GB model. It’s a advantageous alternative for those who see it on sale at a good vendor, however it’s broadly slower than our prime choose and infrequently prices extra.

SanDisk GamePlay

The SanDisk GamePlay performs equally to the SanDisk Excessive however prices a very good bit further as of our newest replace. We couldn’t get it to succeed in its marketed speeds with the corporate’s personal “Professional” card reader or different third-party choices, so it fell wanting our prime picks.

SanDisk Pokémon

The SanDisk Pokémon does outperform its marketed learn and write speeds, however not by sufficient to outpace the Lexar Silver Plus or Samsung Professional Plus. It basically costs further for having an image of Pikachu (or Gengar, or Snorlax) on a product you’ll by no means take a look at.

SanDisk Excessive Professional

The SanDisk Extreme Pro is an in depth analog to the Samsung Professional Final however, as of this writing, is both unavailable at most trusted retailers or priced too excessive by comparability. The Lexar Skilled Silver Plus has sooner sequential write speeds as properly.

PNY XLR8 Gaming

The PNY XLR8 is an reasonably priced card that comes with as much as 512GB of house. Its sequential and random writes speeds checked in a bit bit above these of Samsung’s Evo Choose, plus it comes with a lifetime guarantee. However its sequential reads had been a lot, a lot slower, placing it out of rivalry.

PNY Elite-X

The PNY Elite-X usually goes for affordable and wasn’t too far off the random learn/write efficiency of Samsung’s Professional Plus in CrystalDiskMark. Just like the XLR8, it’s additionally barely above the Evo Choose in write speeds. However its sequential reads had been too far behind all of our prime picks, and it not seems to be out there in capacities above 256GB.

What to search for in a microSD card

Capability

The very first thing to determine when shopping for a microSD card is how a lot cupboard space you want. Trendy playing cards are generally out there in sizes starting from 32GB to 512GB, with a number of fashions now out there in 1TB or 1.5TB capacities as properly. The primary 2TB cards from major brands have began to reach as properly, which is thrilling, however these are nonetheless pretty uncommon (and really costly) by comparability.

For a lot of, a 128GB or 256GB mannequin ought to be a candy spot between value and cupboard space. However for those who want extra room — say, for stashing a bunch of video games on a Steam Deck — a 512GB card or higher might make extra sense and infrequently offers a greater cost-per-GB ratio.

Pricing and inventory ranges are in all places as of our most up-to-date replace due to ongoing AI-driven shortages, however you’ll be able to sometimes nonetheless discover a first rate 128GB card for round $15, a very good 256GB card for lower than $30 and a stable 512GB card for round $40 (with sooner fashions priced a bit increased). There’s a starker enhance while you go as much as 1TB playing cards, which regularly value nearer to $100, although we’ve seen some fall into the $70 to $80 vary over the past yr. The primary 2TB playing cards are an even bigger leap: the 2TB SanDisk Extreme, for instance, at the moment has an inventory value round $290, which is approach up from what we noticed in 2025.

Be aware {that a} microSD card’s efficiency could differ relying on what capability you purchase. SanDisk says its 128GB Extreme card delivers sequential write speeds as much as 90 MB/s, for instance, whereas the higher-capacity fashions in the identical line provide as much as 130 MB/s.

After we discuss microSD playing cards immediately, we largely discuss with playing cards that use the microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard, which have a capability between 32GB and 2TB. Your machine must assist this for it to work with a microSDXC card. This may virtually by no means be a difficulty nowadays, however some older units (a Nintendo 3DS, for example) are solely appropriate with microSDHC (Excessive Capability) playing cards, which vary from 2GB to 32GB.

Learn and write speeds

MicroSD playing cards are primarily judged on their learn and write speeds, that are normally measured in megabytes per second (MB/s). Usually, most microSD playing cards have sooner learn speeds than write speeds.

These metrics can then be damaged down into sequential and random efficiency. Sequential learn and write speeds matter while you’re making an attempt to entry (learn) or save (write) lengthy, fixed streams of information, similar to opening a big video or copying an enormous batch of recordsdata from a PC. If you wish to use a microSD card for media storage, that is notably essential. Random efficiency, in the meantime, is about how shortly a card can learn and write small recordsdata scattered all through the machine.

Since random learn/write speeds are a lot decrease than sequential ones, storage machine makers have a tendency to not promote them as loudly. However they’re essential for those who use a card with a gaming machine or a single-board laptop just like the Raspberry Pi, the place it usually has to quickly save and entry small bits of information in random places.

Pace rankings

When you take a look at a microSD card, you’ll see a buffet of numbers, letters and symbols. Most of those discuss with the cardboard’s speed class and efficiency rankings, that are decided by the SD Association.

A card’s Video Pace Class, or V-rating, particulars its minimal sequential write velocity, which is very essential when recording video from a digital camera. It ranges from V6 to V90. A lot of the playing cards we examined had a V30 score, in order that they have a sequential write velocity of at the least 30 MB/s. This ought to be sufficient to assist as much as 4K video at decrease bitrates. Greater-rated V60 and V90 playing cards are normally higher for capturing 8K, however they arrive at a a lot increased value.

The UHS Pace Class, or U-rating, additionally refers to a card’s minimal sequential write velocity. It is available in two varieties: U3, which mandates a minimal of 30 MB/s, and U1, which is rated for 10 MB/s.

The older Pace Class score overlaps with the opposite two programs. It’s signified by a C image and goes from Class 2 to Class 10, with the quantity (once more) indicating minimal sequential write velocity. This score is much less related these days, however you should still see a “C10” emblem on some playing cards.

The Software Efficiency spec, marked by an An emblem, is an indicator of random learn/write speeds. That is measured in IOPS, or enter/output operations per second, quite than MB/s. There are two classes right here: A1 playing cards provide a minimal random learn velocity of 1,500 IOPS and a minimal random write velocity of 500 IOPS, whereas A2 playing cards bump these as much as 4,000 IOPS and a couple of,000 IOPS, respectively. Each rankings additionally assure sequential write speeds of at the least 10 MB/s.

To maintain it easy, most individuals ought to search for a card with V30, U3 and A2 rankings. It’s completely potential to get a stable card with out these: A U1 card is likely to be price it for those who simply want an affordable, high-capacity choice, for instance. V60 and V90 playing cards are price a glance for those who’re critical about taking pictures high-resolution images and video as properly. However general, playing cards with the certifications above ought to present the very best mix of value and efficiency immediately.

It’s essential to emphasise that these rankings are baselines. Most V30 playing cards provide considerably increased write speeds than 30 MB/s, for example, and a few A1 playing cards can outperform some A2 fashions in apply. The speeds marketed by producers aren’t at all times one hundred pc correct, both: Generally the cardboard might be slower in real-world use, different instances it could really be a bit sooner.

The Samsung Pro Plus microSD card.

Samsung

UHS bus speeds

The opposite spec to notice is the cardboard’s bus interface. Most microSD playing cards out there immediately are UHS-I, which has a theoretical most velocity of 104 MB/s. There are additionally UHS-II playing cards, which have an additional row of pins on the again and might attain as much as 312 MB/s. (A UHS-III commonplace technically exists as properly however hasn’t seen vast adoption.) These are labeled on the cardboard with a Roman numeral I or II.

UHS-II playing cards are sometimes those with these increased V60 or V90 rankings. When you shoot numerous 4K to 8K video or regularly use burst mode to seize extremely high-res images, the efficiency good points of a very good UHS-II card can prevent time.

Nevertheless, these are sometimes rather more costly than UHS-I playing cards: This 128GB Lexar Professional Gold mannequin, for example, is a relative discount at $35. Whereas that is lower than many UHS-II fashions we’ve seen prior to now, it is nonetheless greater than double the widespread road value of our prime choose above. You want a tool that’s appropriate with the UHS-II interface to see any advantages, too, and inventory for UHS-II playing cards is commonly spottier. For now, the upper speeds aren’t well worth the value premium for most individuals, so we caught largely to UHS-I playing cards with our suggestions.

Unlike traditional UHS-I cards, a microSD Express card like the SanDisk model on the right comes with a second row of pins to enable its improved performance.

In contrast to conventional UHS-I playing cards, a microSD Specific card just like the SanDisk mannequin on the fitting comes with a second row of pins to allow its improved efficiency. (Jeff Dunn for Engadget)

microSD Specific and the Nintendo Change 2

Absolutely the quickest microSD playing cards you should buy, nevertheless, are based mostly on a distinct interface referred to as SD Express. This has technically been around for a number of years and now includes its personal subset of speed classes, however the gist is that it is a lot sooner than UHS-I or UHS-II: SanDisk’s not too long ago launched microSD Express card, one of many first commercially out there fashions, advertises sequential learn speeds as much as 880MB/s. That’s faster than some older SSDs.

It’s a considerable improve that has largely held up in our testing, however only a few well-liked units natively assist SD Specific immediately. The primary main exception is the Nintendo Switch 2, which is only compatible with the newer commonplace, because it’s wanted to maintain up with the efficiency calls for of recent handheld video games.

Moreover SanDisk, producers like Samsung, Lexar and PNY have already launched microSD Specific playing cards to go together with the console. The presumption is that having such a well-liked machine embrace the tech will solely additional its adoption and drive costs down.

However it’s nonetheless early days, and proper now all microSD Specific playing cards value rather more than the very best UHS-I and even UHS-II choices. Past the Change 2, it’s potential to make the most of these playing cards’ superior speeds with a devoted SD Specific card reader, however that provides much more to the ultimate value. It’s additionally price noting that SD Specific playing cards aren’t backwards appropriate with UHS-II (or UHS-III), so for those who attempt to plug one into a tool with a UHS-II slot, it’ll be restricted to UHS-I speeds. Nonetheless, they’re a should for Nintendo followers going ahead, and the tech ought to have loads of enchantment if extra devices that assist the interface do arrive.

For extra on how the primary wave of Specific playing cards carry out on the Change 2, we have put collectively a dedicated buying guide only for Nintendo’s console.

A be aware on card readers and reaching marketed speeds

Whereas the UHS-I interface has a theoretical most of 104 MB/s, some UHS-I playing cards can exceed that velocity by proprietary extensions. Nevertheless, you want a appropriate card reader and host machine to make the most of that further efficiency. When you discover a UHS-I card promoting speeds increased than 104 MB/s, that is what’s occurring. You possibly can see these limits in motion with an authentic Nintendo Change or Steam Deck: Both of those gaming units assist the UHS-I interface however don’t transcend its official velocity, flattening any sequential good points some playing cards could have elsewhere. (Variations in random learn and write speeds can nonetheless matter, although.) The identical factor will occur for those who plug a extra highly effective UHS-II or SD Specific card into a tool that doesn’t settle for these interfaces.

The takeaway: Your microSD card will solely be as quick because the slowest hyperlink in your chain.

Guarantee

Many microSD playing cards are designed to be sturdy, with safety from water, excessive temperatures, X-rays and drops. Nonetheless, in case of disaster, an extended guarantee is at all times good to have. Many producers provide lifetime or 10-year restricted warranties, although we’ve observed that “endurance” playing cards marketed to resist extra hours of writing are normally coated for a shorter time period. For instance, Samsung’s Pro Endurance, a mannequin aimed toward safety cameras and different monitoring units, comes with a five-year guarantee.

Avoiding counterfeits

The reminiscence card market has had a selected downside with scammers promoting faux merchandise. To protect towards this, solely purchase from a recognized model and a good retailer similar to Greatest Purchase, B&H Picture or Adorama. When you store at Amazon, solely purchase if the shipper and vendor is Amazon.com. (That mentioned, a handful of customers have reported receiving counterfeits even from Amazon instantly prior to now, so train warning.) Keep in mind: If a value appears too good to be true, it most likely is. Be cautious of any retailer providing a considerably cheaper price than everybody else.

When you obtain a card, test its packaging for any irregularities. You possibly can run benchmark assessments like CrystalDiskMark or BlackMagic Disk Speed Test to confirm its speeds aren’t drastically decrease than what’s marketed (or potential, given its specs). You too can use software program that’s designed to confirm the true capability and efficiency of your card, similar to H2testw and FakeFlashTest.

A few of the microSD card readers we've used for testing.

Just a few of the microSD card readers we have used for testing. (Jeff Dunn for Engadget)

How we take a look at microSD playing cards

We have put about 20 microSD playing cards by a sequence of assessments to confirm their sequential and random efficiency. These included benchmarks like CrystalDiskMark, BlackMagic Disk Speed Test, ATTO Disk Benchmark and AJA System Test, in addition to a couple of “real-world” assessments. We copied and pasted a small folder of images about 1.15GB in dimension to and from every card, then did the identical with a bigger 12.2GB folder containing a number of file varieties and subfolders, timing the method every time. We additionally checked how every card carried out on the Steam Deck, downloading video games of various sizes — together with Stardew Valley, Aperture Desk Job, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Apex Legends — then timing how lengthy it took to launch every recreation and cargo save recordsdata. We do a number of runs of every take a look at to confirm our findings and account for potential outliers.

The place relevant, we used a Kingston USB 3.2 UHS-II reader to check every card on each Home windows 11 and macOS Sequoia. Nevertheless, if a card might be bundled with (or is particularly marketed to make use of) a proprietary reader, we primarily examined with that, since we determine that’s the one most consumers will find yourself utilizing. For Home windows testing, we used an Alienware gaming PC with an Intel Core i9-10900F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. For macOS, we used a 2021 16-inch MacBook Professional with an Apple M1 Professional chip, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. If a reader couldn’t join over USB-C, we used CalDigit’s TS4 dock to check the corresponding card on the MacBook.

We examined the 128GB model of every card at any time when we might, although we had been solely in a position to take a look at higher-capacity fashions for a couple of choices. We additionally reformatted every card earlier than testing with the SD Affiliation’s Memory Card Formatter tool.

For microSD Specific playing cards, we ran every mannequin by a sequence of assessments particular to the Change 2, since that’s the solely well-liked machine that truly helps the tech. You possibly can learn extra about that course of in our separate shopping for information linked above.

Latest updates

December 2025: We’ve examined the Samsung P9 Specific microSD Specific card and famous it in our Change 2 part above. We’ve additionally made a couple of edits to spotlight current value will increase and inventory shortages pushed by the continuing AI growth.

November 2025: We’ve examined Walmart’s Onn microSD Specific Card and edited our notes on the very best playing cards for the Nintendo Change 2 accordingly.

September 2025: We’ve fleshed out our recommendation on shopping for a microSD Specific card for the Nintendo Change 2.

Could 2025: We’ve up to date this information to make sure our recommendation is correct and to mirror the brand new Nintendo Change 2’s use of microSD Specific playing cards. We’ve additionally added testing notes for the Lexar Play Professional microSD Specific card and the extra commonplace PNY XLR8. We’ve eliminated mentions of some playing cards which have seemingly been discontinued, together with the unique Kingston Canvas Go Plus, the Lexar Skilled 1066x and the 2021 Samsung Evo Choose. We plan to check extra new microSD Specific playing cards for a future replace.

February 2025: We’ve up to date this information with a brand new prime choose: the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus. The Samsung Professional Plus, our earlier suggestion, stays as a runner-up. We’ve additionally added SanDisk’s not too long ago launched microSD Specific card as a choose for many who need absolutely the quickest card potential, albeit with heavy caveats. This is without doubt one of the first microSD playing cards to make use of the SD Specific bus interface, so we’ve included extra particulars on what that entails in our “what to search for in a microSD card” part. Lastly, we’ve eliminated our write-up for SanDisk’s Apex Legends card, because it seems to have been discontinued, and included testing notes for a few the corporate’s newer releases.

November 2024: We have checked again with this information to make sure our suggestions are nonetheless correct and made gentle edits for readability.

August 2024: We’ve up to date this information to notice the not too long ago launched 1TB fashions for 3 of our prime picks: the Samsung Professional Plus, the Kingston Canvas Go Plus and the Samsung Evo Choose. We’ve additionally made certain all pricing particulars are as updated as they are often.

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Original price was: $321.99.Current price is: $299.99.

Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R7VH Slim La...

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- 40% Logitech Signature MK650 Combo for ...
Original price was: $116.88.Current price is: $69.99.

Logitech Signature MK650 Combo for ...

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- 41% Lenovo V15 Series Laptop, 16GB RAM,...
Original price was: $679.98.Current price is: $399.99.

Lenovo V15 Series Laptop, 16GB RAM,...

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