So you bought a brand new Nintendo Switch but have found yourself running out of memory to store your games eh? Well, this is not surprising since Nintendo only included 32GB of internal storage space on their excellent portable system. And with people more often than not buying most games digitally, you’re going to want to boost the storage on your Nintendo Switch. How else are you going to load up Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS, and Super Mario; Odyssey with room to spare for whatever future awesome releases are on their way? Well, Nintendo was smart to include a micro SD expansion slot hidden right under the kick-stand on the back of the unit. And that, my friend, is what we are talking about today. But what are the best micro SD cards for the Nintendo Switch? We’ll go into that below and recommend our top ten micro SD cards for the Nintendo Switch based on different storage sizes and read/write speeds.
The Nintendo Switch supports both MicroSDHC and the newer MicroSDXC protocols. This means that you can buy cards all the way to 256GB right now that will work on your Switch. But how much room do you actually need? Well, most games downloaded from the Nintendo eShop are within 2-3 GB in size. But you do have exceptions. For example, Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a whopping 13.4 GB due to its sprawling map and super detailed textures and various other additions. We will likely see more these larger games coming out as the Switch matures into a 3rd party game powerhouse. So that means that even a 32GB micro SD card will fill up very quick. That’s why we wholeheartedly recommend going for at least a 128GB card if you are going fully digital. If you are doing just a bit of gaming or using the Switch as solely a Zelda and Mario Kart machine then you should be fine with smaller.
Moving on to speed. We recommend looking for cards that have a UHS speed grade on them. This means that the card can read and write at at least 10MB/second. This is really what you want here. Failing that, look for a “Class 10” speed SD card. Either of these options will fully take advantage of the loading speed of the Switch.
Now, you don’t want to just pick any old SD card that satisfies the above requirements. There are some truly terrible memory card companies out there that make products that simply don’t last. You want a micro SD card from a company that has a proven track record like Samsung, Sandisk or Lexar. Even within these companies there are models that are better than others. So below we rounded out our top ten best micro SD cards for the Nintendo Switch. All of these are UHS speed compatible and we tried to have a bit of a mix of different sizes.
If we had to pick our favorites, we probably go with the following:
- Samsung EVO+ 256GB
- SanDisk Ultra 200GB Micro SDXC
- Lexar High-Performance microSDXC 633x 128GB UHS-I
- PNY Elite 128GB, up to 85MB/Sec, Microsdxc Card -UHS-I
Each of these has been proven by thousands of buyers to be super durable and very fast. You can also look at the lower memory size version of several of these if you are on a tighter budget. But remember, if you are trying to buy a quality micro SD card for the Switch just make sure you look at (1) a good, proven brand, (2) 128-256GB in size if you are going all digital download, (3) a fast card with UHS compatibility.
Now, without further ado, here is the full top ten list.
The top ten best micro SD cards for Nintendo Switch
Samsung EVO+ 256GB UHS-I microSDXC U3 Memory Card with Adapter (MB-MC256DA/AM)
1 used from $22.99
Features
- Compatible with most devices that support microSDXC cards For wide-ranging use
- 256GB storage capacity Allows you to capture and store plenty of pictures and videos
- Read speeds up to 95MB/sec, write speeds up to 90MB/sec So you can quickly transfer files
- Includes microSDXC to SD adapter Allows you to use this card with SD adapter slots. Rugged construction Resists damage due to X-rays
SanDisk Ultra 200GB Micro SDXC Memory Card (SDSDQUAN-200G-G4A)
$54.13 in stock
Features
- Ideal for premium Android-based smartphones and tablets
- Transfer up to 1200 photos a minute with premium transfer speed of up to 90MB/s
- Holds up to 20 hours of Full HD video
- Class 10 for Full HD video recording and playback
- Water proof, temperature proof, shock proof, X-ray proof and magnet proof
SanDisk Extreme PLUS 128GB Micro SDXC UHS-1 Card with Adapter - SDSQXWG-128G-GN6MAMA
Features
- Built for extreme conditions4; temperature proof, water proof, shock proof, and x-ray proof
- Delivers 4K Ultra HD and Full HD video recording and playback
- Meets the new UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and UHS Video Speed Class 30 (V30) for 4K UHD
- Up to 95MB/s read speed and up to 90MB/s write speed
- Available in 16GB - 128GB3 capacities for more space to catch the thrill
Lexar High-Performance microSDXC 633x 128GB UHS-I Card w/SD Adapter - LSDMI128BBNL633A
Features
- Premium memory solution for smartphones, tablets, or action cameras
- Quickly captures, plays back, and transfers media files, including 1080p full-HD, 3D, and 4K video
- Leverages UHS-I technology for a transfer speed up to 95MB/s
- Includes high-speed, Class 10 card and SD adapter
- Limited lifetime product support for card and one-year limited support for adapter
Samsung Micro SD EVO+ 128GB Memory Card with Adapter
Features
- IDEAL FOR RECORDING 4K UHD VIDEO: Samsung microSD EVO Plus is perfect for high res photos, gaming, music, tablets, laptops, action cameras, DSLR's, drones, smartphones (Galaxy S20 5G, S20+ 5G, S20 Ultra 5G, S10, S10+, S10e, S9, S9+, Note9, S8, S8+, Note8, S7, S7 Edge, etc.), Android devices and more
- ULTRA FAST READ WRITE SPEEDS: Fast Read Write Speeds: Up to 100MB/S Read and 90MB/S Write Speeds; UHS I Speed Class U3 and Speed Class 10 (Performance May Vary Based on Host Device, Interface, Usage Conditions, and Other Factors)
- BUILT TO LAST RELIABILITY: to Last Reliability: Memory Card Is Also Water Proof, Temperature Proof, X Ray Proof and Magnetic Proof
- EXTENDED COMPATIBILITY: Compatibility: Includes Full Size Adapter for Use in Cameras, Laptops and Desktop Computers 10 Year Limited Warranty: 10 Year Limited Warranty Does Not Extend to
- 10-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY: Limited Warranty: 10 Year Limited Warranty Does Not Extend to Dashcam , CCTV, Surveillance Camera and Other Write Intensive Uses
SanDisk Ultra 128GB microSDXC UHS-I Card with Adapter, Black, Standard Packaging (SDSQUNC-128G-GN6MA)
$13.52 in stock
Features
- Class 10 for Full HD video recording and playback
- Memory Zone app lets you auto-manage media and memory for peak phone performance
- Designed for Android smartphones, tablets and other microSDXC compatible devices. Fast transfer speeds of up to 80MB/s
- Add up to 128GB of storage to your device
PNY Elite 128GB, up to 85MB/Sec, Microsdxc Card -UHS-I, U1 (P-SDU128U185EL-GE)
Features
- Upto 85mb/s read speed
- Class 10 UHS I, U1 speed class performance allows for fast and smooth continuous shooting and full HD video recording
- Perfect for android smartphones & tablets, action cameras, drones, computers, and more
- Record and transfer videos, photos, music, files and more at amazing fast speeds
- Great for full HD video content, HD photography and more.
ADATA Premier 64GB microSDHC/SDXC UHS-I U1 Class 10 Memory Card with Adapter (AUSDX64GUICL10-RA1)
$7.97 in stock
Features
- Increased speed, no increase in cost
- Durability
- Wide Range of Capacities
- R/W Speed:30/10
SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC UHS-I Card with Adapter, Grey/Red, Standard Packaging (SDSQUNC-064G-GN6MA)
Features
- Ideal for premium Android based smartphones and tablets
- Up to 80 MB/s transfer speed
- Class 10 for Full HD video recording and playback. Storage temperature: -40ºF to 185ºF (-40ºC to 85ºC)
- Water proof, temperature proof, shock proof, X-ray proof and magnet proof
- Memory Zone app lets you auto-manage media and memory for peak phone performance
Kingston Digital 32GB Microsdhc Class U3 UHS-I 90R/45W + SD Adapter (SDCG/32GB)
Features
- Great performance to keep up with your adventures
- Compatible with microSDHC and Micro SDXC host devices
- Rugged: tested to be waterproof*, shock and vibration proof**, x-ray proof***, and temperature proof****
- Available in multiple capacities to suit your needs
