The very best microSD playing cards in 2026

Most microSD playing cards are quick sufficient for stashing photographs, recording video and transferring recordsdata, however some will get you a bit extra bang in your buck than others. In case you’re seeking to increase the storage of your Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, GoPro or another system that also accepts microSD playing cards, we may also help. We’ve totally researched the market and several other playing cards by means of a collection of benchmark checks. Listed here are one of the 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

Finest microSD playing cards of 2026

Picture by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

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

Storage costs are likely 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” decide — is now obtainable for lower than the Silver Plus in most capacities, and it’s nonetheless properly value 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 practically each different UHS-I card we’ve examined. Its random reads and writes have been typically second to the pricier , however solely by a bit, so it’s well-suited for a conveyable recreation console or another setup the place it’d be requested to entry tiny bits of information scattered all through a tool. It’s held up completely high-quality in our long-term testing as properly. That mentioned, the Silver Plus is the higher card when it’s in the identical worth vary, plus Samsung’s has a shorter 10-year guarantee.

In case you do find yourself grabbing one, although, ensure you get the most recent mannequin with learn speeds rated at 180MB/s. An older-generation mannequin with slower sequential reads and random efficiency should 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 scores, 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 decide, particularly with sequential write efficiency
• 10-year guarantee is not the longest

$17 at Amazon

Picture by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capability: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (“new era” mannequin solely) | Velocity courses: 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 in terms of sequential write speeds (slightly 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 have 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 could possibly be notably high-quality values in case you simply need a big chunk of house from a good model on a budget. That mentioned, you must nonetheless seize the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus or Samsung Professional Plus as an alternative if both one is wherever shut in worth.

Execs

• Usually discounted
• Acceptable efficiency if worth 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

Finest microSD Specific playing cards for the Nintendo Swap 2

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

Let’s be clear about this: Except you intend 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 standard system that natively helps this customary proper now, and microSD Specific playing cards themselves are extremely costly in comparison with extra conventional choices.

Nonetheless, in case you do wish to enhance a Swap 2’s storage, they’re your solely selection. Thankfully, 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 worth you may abdomen.

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

The one time you’d discover a serious velocity distinction is in case you switch video games to your Specific card from the Swap 2’s inside storage (and vice versa). In that case, the SanDisk microSD Express Card and Lexar Play Pro have been typically the quickest, whereas PNY’s microSD Express Flash Memory Card had notably gradual write speeds.

Transferring 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, but it surely’s additionally probably the most reasonably priced card we’ve seen by a long way. Both means, most individuals aren’t always shuffling their video games backwards and forwards like this. Efficiency in precise video games is extra vital, and in that regard the outcomes have been constantly a lot tighter.

What issues most is getting probably the most house in your price range. Sadly, inventory for all microSD Specific playing cards has been spotty for the reason that Swap 2’s launch. In your comfort, we’ll listing out all the fashions we’ve examined to date and their respective listing costs under. Observe 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 Swap 2: 256GB ($60)

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

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

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

Broadly talking, we suggest getting at the least 256GB of storage, as Swap 2 video games are likely 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 may, if solely as a result of all of those playing cards ought to (tariff shenanigans apart) come down in worth as time goes on.

There’s no level in shopping for a microSD Specific card for something apart from the Swap 2, however we did run the fashions above by means of our typical PC benchmarks as properly. Unsurprisingly, they’re miles quicker than any conventional card in the marketplace.

With the 256GB SanDisk card, as an example, sequential learn speeds checked in slightly below 900 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and ATTO, whereas sequential writes topped out round 650 MB/s. Sustained writes speeds have been slower (round 210 MB/s), however that was nonetheless quick sufficient to maneuver our 12GB check 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 check with our smaller 1.15GB check 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 one of the 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 analogous, and in some benchmarks even larger. However you want an expensive SD card reader to even see these will increase on a PC, so solely these with a Swap 2 in hand or critical money to burn ought to contemplate one among 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 checks, but it surely’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, but it surely’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 in case you’re prepared 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 quicker sequential write speeds than our UHS-I picks above. It’s one of many few UHS-II playing cards we might truly discover in inventory, but it surely’s dear, with a 128GB mannequin usually priced within the $35 to $40 vary.

SanDisk Excessive

The SanDisk Extreme successfully matched the Professional Plus in a number of of our sequential checks, however that was partly as a consequence of us solely having the ability to safe the 256GB mannequin, which is higher-rated than the 128GB model. It’s a high-quality selection in case you see it on sale at a good vendor, but it surely’s broadly slower than our prime decide and infrequently prices extra.

SanDisk GamePlay

The SanDisk GamePlay performs equally to the SanDisk Excessive however prices 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 in need of 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 primarily 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 quicker 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 have 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 have been too far behind all of our prime picks, and it not seems to be obtainable 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 space for storing you want. Fashionable playing cards are generally obtainable in sizes starting from 32GB to 512GB, with a number of fashions now obtainable 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 worth and space for storing. However in case you want extra room — say, for stashing a bunch of video games on a Steam Deck — a 512GB card or larger might make extra sense and infrequently gives a greater cost-per-GB ratio.

Pricing and inventory ranges are in every single place as of our most up-to-date replace because of ongoing AI-driven shortages, however you may sometimes nonetheless discover a first rate 128GB card for round $15, 256GB card for lower than $30 and a stable 512GB card for round $40 (with quicker fashions priced a bit larger). There’s a starker enhance while you go as much as 1TB playing cards, which frequently value nearer to $100, although we’ve seen some fall into the $70 to $80 vary during the last yr. The primary 2TB playing cards are a much bigger leap: the 2TB SanDisk Extreme, for instance, presently has an inventory worth round $290, which is means up from what we noticed in 2025.

Observe {that a} microSD card’s efficiency might 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.

Once we speak about microSD playing cards at this time, we principally seek advice from playing cards that use the microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard, which have a capability between 32GB and 2TB. Your system must help this for it to work with a microSDXC card. This can nearly by no means be a difficulty nowadays, however some older units (a Nintendo 3DS, as an 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). Typically, most microSD playing cards have quicker 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 attempting to entry (learn) or save (write) lengthy, fixed streams of information, corresponding 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 vital. Random efficiency, in the meantime, is about how shortly a card can learn and write small recordsdata scattered all through the system.

Since random learn/write speeds are a lot decrease than sequential ones, storage system makers have a tendency to not promote them as loudly. However they’re vital in case you use a card with a gaming system 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.

Velocity scores

In case you take a look at a microSD card, you’ll see a buffet of numbers, letters and symbols. Most of those seek advice from the cardboard’s speed class and efficiency scores, that are decided by the SD Association.

A card’s Video Velocity Class, or V-rating, particulars its minimal sequential write velocity, which is particularly vital 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, so that they have a sequential write velocity of at the least 30 MB/s. This ought to be sufficient to help 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 larger value.

The UHS Velocity 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 Velocity 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, reasonably 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 scores 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 scores. It’s completely doable to get a stable card with out these: A U1 card may be value it in case you simply want an inexpensive, high-capacity choice, for instance. V60 and V90 playing cards are value a glance in case you’re critical about capturing high-resolution photographs and video as properly. However general, playing cards with the certifications above ought to present one of the best mix of worth and efficiency at this time.

It’s vital to emphasise that these scores are baselines. Most V30 playing cards provide considerably larger write speeds than 30 MB/s, as an example, and a few A1 playing cards can outperform some A2 fashions in apply. The speeds marketed by producers aren’t all the time one hundred pc correct, both: Typically the cardboard can be slower in real-world use, different instances it might truly be a bit quicker.

UHS bus speeds

The opposite spec to notice is the cardboard’s bus interface. Most microSD playing cards obtainable at this time 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 customary technically exists as properly however hasn’t seen large adoption.) These are labeled on the cardboard with a Roman numeral I or II.

UHS-II playing cards are sometimes those with these larger V60 or V90 scores. In case you shoot numerous 4K to 8K video or incessantly use burst mode to seize extremely high-res photographs, the efficiency positive factors of UHS-II card can prevent time.

Nevertheless, these are sometimes rather more costly than UHS-I playing cards: This 128GB Lexar Professional Gold mannequin, as an 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 worth of our prime decide 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 worth premium for most individuals, so we caught principally to UHS-I playing cards with our suggestions.

microSD Specific and the Nintendo Swap 2

Absolutely the quickest microSD playing cards you should buy, nevertheless, are based mostly on a special 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 quicker than UHS-I or UHS-II: SanDisk’s lately launched microSD Express card, one of many first commercially obtainable 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 standard units natively help SD Specific at this time. The primary main exception is the Nintendo Switch 2, which is only compatible with the newer customary, because it’s wanted to maintain up with the efficiency calls for of latest handheld video games.

In addition to SanDisk, producers like Samsung, Lexar and PNY have already launched microSD Specific playing cards to go along with the console. The presumption is that having such a well-liked system 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 one of the best UHS-I and even UHS-II choices. Past the Swap 2, it’s doable to reap the benefits 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 value noting that SD Specific playing cards aren’t backwards appropriate with UHS-II (or UHS-III), so in case you 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 attraction if extra devices that help the interface do arrive.

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

A notice 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 means of proprietary extensions. Nevertheless, you want a appropriate card reader and host system to reap the benefits of that further efficiency. In case you discover a UHS-I card promoting speeds larger than 104 MB/s, that is what’s happening. You’ll be able to see these limits in motion with an authentic Nintendo Swap or Steam Deck: Both of those gaming units help the UHS-I interface however don’t transcend its official velocity, flattening any sequential positive factors some playing cards might have elsewhere. (Variations in random learn and write speeds can nonetheless matter, although.) The identical factor will occur in case you 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 all the time 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 drawback with scammers promoting faux merchandise. To protect towards this, solely purchase from a identified model and a good retailer corresponding to Finest Purchase, B&H Picture or Adorama. In case 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 worth 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, verify its packaging for any irregularities. You’ll be able to run benchmark checks like CrystalDiskMark or BlackMagic Disk Speed Test to confirm its speeds aren’t drastically decrease than what’s marketed (or doable, given its specs). You can even use software program that’s designed to confirm the true capability and efficiency of your card, corresponding to H2testw and FakeFlashTest.

How we check microSD playing cards

We have put about 20 microSD playing cards by means of a collection of checks 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 number of “real-world” checks. We copied and pasted a small folder of photographs about 1.15GB in measurement 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 check 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 could possibly 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 have been solely in a position to check higher-capacity fashions for a number 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 means of a collection of checks particular to the Swap 2, since that’s the solely standard system that truly helps the tech. You’ll be able to 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 Swap 2 part above. We’ve additionally made a number of edits to spotlight latest worth will increase and inventory shortages pushed by the continued AI growth.

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

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

Might 2025: We’ve up to date this information to make sure our recommendation is correct and to replicate the brand new Nintendo Swap 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 customary 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 decide: the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus. The Samsung Professional Plus, our earlier suggestion, stays as a runner-up. We’ve additionally added SanDisk’s lately launched microSD Specific card as a decide for individuals who need absolutely the quickest card doable, albeit with heavy caveats. This is likely 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 lately 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.