The best microSD cards in 2026

Most microSD cards are fast enough for stashing photos, recording video and transferring files, but some will get you a little more bang for your buck than others. If you’re looking to boost the storage of your Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, GoPro or any other device that still accepts microSD cards, we can help. We’ve thoroughly researched the market and several cards through a suite of benchmark tests. Here are the best that we’ve tested, along with some general advice on what to look for when buying a new card.

Best microSD cards of 2026

Best microSD Express cards for the Nintendo Switch 2

A collection of microSD Express cards rest on the back of a Nintendo Switch 2 gaming pos:1 — The SanDisk microSD Express Card and Lexar Play Pro.

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 Express Card and Lexar Play Pro.

Broadly speaking, we recommend getting at least 256GB of storage, as Switch 2 games tend to have much larger file sizes than games for Nintendo’s previous handheld. But we also recommend holding off upgrading for as long as you can, if only because all of these cards should (tariff shenanigans aside) come down in price as time goes on.

There’s no point in buying a microSD Express card for anything besides the Switch 2, but we did run the models above through our usual PC benchmarks as well. Unsurprisingly, they are miles faster than any traditional card on the market.

With the 256GB SanDisk card, for instance, sequential read speeds checked in just under 900 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and ATTO, while sequential writes topped out around 650 MB/s. Sustained writes speeds were slower (around 210 MB/s), but that was still fast enough to move our 12GB test file to the card in 52 seconds on average. It took a mere 20 seconds to read the file back to our PC. The write test with our smaller 1.15GB test folder, meanwhile, averaged just 4.5 seconds.

It all adds up to performance that's at least twice as fast as the best UHS-I models we’ve tested in terms of sequential reads and writes, with three or four times the speeds in some cases. The gulf in random reads and writes is similar, and in some benchmarks even greater. But you need a pricey SD card reader to even see those increases on a PC, so only those with a Switch 2 in hand or serious cash to burn should consider one of these things.

Other notable microSD cards

Samsung Pro Ultimate

The Samsung Pro Ultimate was the closest competitor to the Lexar Professional Silver Plus across our benchmark tests, but it's tangibly worse in terms of sequential write speeds, typically costs more and doesn’t offer a 1TB option. The Samsung Pro Plus is a bit slower for sequential reads, but it’s close enough otherwise and usually easier to find at a lower price.

Lexar Professional Gold

We haven't used it ourselves, but if you’re willing to pay for a more powerful UHS-II card built for heavy-duty video recording, the Lexar Professional Gold has tested well elsewhere and should deliver significantly faster sequential write speeds than our UHS-I picks above. It’s one of the few UHS-II cards we could actually find in stock, but it’s pricey, with a 128GB model normally priced in the sellerN:B&H Photo;elmt:;cpos:38;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=95276f3c-7b79-4c1e-803f-981cd9f7a968&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&featureId=text-link&merchantName=B%26H+Photo&linkText=SanDisk+Extreme&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iaHBob3RvdmlkZW8uY29tL2MvcHJvZHVjdC8xNjkyNzAyLVJFRy9zYW5kaXNrX3Nkc3F4YWFfMTI4Z19hbjZtYV8xMjhnYl9leHRyZW1lX3Voc19pX21pY3Jvc2QuaHRtbCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iaHBob3RvdmlkZW8uY29tL2MvcHJvZHVjdC8xNjkyNzAyLVJFRy9zYW5kaXNrX3Nkc3F4YWFfMTI4Z19hbjZtYV8xMjhnYl9leHRyZW1lX3Voc19pX21pY3Jvc2QuaHRtbCJ9&signature=AQAAAUdrpu8mGvhK3a5QV9RI36rbNRo1uwDY88RfYocJy9tB&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1692702-REG%2Fsandisk_sdsqxaa_128g_an6ma_128gb_extreme_uhs_i_microsd.html” class=”rapid-with-clickid” data-original-link=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=95276f3c-7b79-4c1e-803f-981cd9f7a968&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=B%26H+Photo&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsInN0b3JlSWQiOiI5NTI3NmYzYy03Yjc5LTRjMWUtODAzZi05ODFjZDlmN2E5NjgiLCJsYW5kaW5nVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmhwaG90b3ZpZGVvLmNvbS9jL3Byb2R1Y3QvMTY5MjcwMi1SRUcvc2FuZGlza19zZHNxeGFhXzEyOGdfYW42bWFfMTI4Z2JfZXh0cmVtZV91aHNfaV9taWNyb3NkLmh0bWwiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImY0MTFjYWRhLTNmMWUtNDg3ZC04ZDlhLWNiNWQzMGMxOWZiYSJ9&signature=AQAAAY7_EXQZFUQUzUjHks0oVsOmvFyKWnjtQWvbA_eWVUrW&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1692702-REG%2Fsandisk_sdsqxaa_128g_an6ma_128gb_extreme_uhs_i_microsd.html”> SanDisk Extreme effectively matched the Pro Plus in a few of our sequential tests, but that was partly due to us only being able to secure the 256GB model, which is higher-rated than the 128GB version. It’s a fine choice if you see it on sale at a reputable seller, but it’s broadly slower than our top pick and often costs more.

SanDisk GamePlay

The SanDisk GamePlay performs similarly to the SanDisk Extreme but costs a good bit extra as of our latest update. We couldn’t get it to reach its advertised speeds with the company’s own “Pro” card reader or other third-party options, so it fell short of our top picks.

SanDisk Pokémon

The SanDisk Pokémon does outperform its advertised read and write speeds, but not by enough to outpace the Lexar Silver Plus or Samsung Pro Plus. It essentially charges extra for having a picture of Pikachu (or Gengar, or Snorlax) on a product you’ll never look at.

SanDisk Extreme Pro

The SanDisk Extreme Pro is a close analog to the Samsung Pro Ultimate but, as of this writing, is either unavailable at most trusted retailers or priced too high by comparison. The Lexar Professional Silver Plus has faster sequential write speeds as well.

PNY XLR8 Gaming

The PNY XLR8 is an affordable card that comes with up to 512GB of space. Its sequential and random writes speeds checked in a little bit above those of Samsung’s Evo Select, plus it comes with a lifetime warranty. But its sequential reads were much, much slower, putting it out of contention.

PNY Elite-X

The PNY Elite-X often goes for cheap and wasn’t too far off the random read/write performance of Samsung's Pro Plus in CrystalDiskMark. Like the XLR8, it’s also slightly above the Evo Select in write speeds. But its sequential reads were too far behind all of our top picks, and it no longer appears to be available in capacities above 256GB.

What to look for in a microSD card

Capacity

The first thing to figure out when buying a microSD card is how much storage space you need. Modern cards are commonly available in sizes ranging from 32GB to 512GB, with several models now available in 1TB or 1.5TB capacities as well. The first 2TB cards from major brands have started to arrive as well, which is exciting, but those are still fairly rare (and very expensive) by comparison.

For many, a 128GB or 256GB model should be a sweet spot between price and storage space. But if you need more room — say, for stashing a bunch of games on a Steam Deck — a 512GB card or greater could make more sense and often provides a better cost-per-GB ratio.

Pricing and stock levels are all over the place as of our most recent update thanks to ongoing AI-driven shortages, but you can typically still find a decent 128GB card for around sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:51;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&featureId=text-link&merchantName=SanDisk&linkText=SanDisk+Extreme&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1leHRyZW1lLXVocy1pLW1pY3Jvc2Q_c2t1PVNEU1FYQVYtMlQwMC1HTjZNQSIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1leHRyZW1lLXVocy1pLW1pY3Jvc2Q_c2t1PVNEU1FYQVYtMlQwMC1HTjZNQSJ9&signature=AQAAASBP0YQCcAUG6Oj-X56Nk_kUHy8T7f5kuJt6UGHr3qA9&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-extreme-uhs-i-microsd%3Fsku%3DSDSQXAV-2T00-GN6MA” class=”rapid-with-clickid” data-original-link=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&featureId=text-link&merchantName=SanDisk&linkText=SanDisk+Extreme&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1leHRyZW1lLXVocy1pLW1pY3Jvc2Q_c2t1PVNEU1FYQVYtMlQwMC1HTjZNQSIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1leHRyZW1lLXVocy1pLW1pY3Jvc2Q_c2t1PVNEU1FYQVYtMlQwMC1HTjZNQSJ9&signature=AQAAASBP0YQCcAUG6Oj-X56Nk_kUHy8T7f5kuJt6UGHr3qA9&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-extreme-uhs-i-microsd%3Fsku%3DSDSQXAV-2T00-GN6MA&spaceId=1197802876&uuid=oOfitdSP0BXRvczq269273″>SanDisk Extreme, for example, currently has a list price around sellerN:B&H Photo;elmt:;cpos:52;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=95276f3c-7b79-4c1e-803f-981cd9f7a968&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&featureId=text-link&merchantName=B%26H+Photo&linkText=128GB+Extreme+card&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iaHBob3RvdmlkZW8uY29tL2MvcHJvZHVjdC8xNjkyNzAyLVJFRy9zYW5kaXNrX3Nkc3F4YWFfMTI4Z19hbjZtYV8xMjhnYl9leHRyZW1lX3Voc19pX21pY3Jvc2QuaHRtbCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iaHBob3RvdmlkZW8uY29tL2MvcHJvZHVjdC8xNjkyNzAyLVJFRy9zYW5kaXNrX3Nkc3F4YWFfMTI4Z19hbjZtYV8xMjhnYl9leHRyZW1lX3Voc19pX21pY3Jvc2QuaHRtbCJ9&signature=AQAAAUdrpu8mGvhK3a5QV9RI36rbNRo1uwDY88RfYocJy9tB&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1692702-REG%2Fsandisk_sdsqxaa_128g_an6ma_128gb_extreme_uhs_i_microsd.html” class=”rapid-with-clickid” data-original-link=”https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1692702-REG/sandisk_sdsqxaa_128g_an6ma_128gb_extreme_uhs_i_microsd.html”>128GB Extreme card delivers sequential write speeds up to 90 MB/s, for example, while the higher-capacity models in the same line offer up to 130 MB/s.

When we talk about microSD cards today, we mostly refer to cards that use the microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard, which have a capacity between 32GB and 2TB. Your device needs to support this for it to work with a microSDXC card. This will almost never be an issue these days, but some older devices (a Nintendo 3DS, for instance) are only compatible with microSDHC (High Capacity) cards, which range from 2GB to 32GB.

Read and write speeds

MicroSD cards are primarily judged on their read and write speeds, which are usually measured in megabytes per second (MB/s). Generally, most microSD cards have faster read speeds than write speeds.

These metrics can then be broken down into sequential and random performance. Sequential read and write speeds matter when you’re trying to access (read) or save (write) long, constant streams of data, such as opening a large video or copying a big batch of files from a PC. If you want to use a microSD card for media storage, this is particularly important. Random performance, meanwhile, is about how quickly a card can read and write small files scattered throughout the device.

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Since random read/write speeds are much lower than sequential ones, storage device makers tend not to advertise them as loudly. But they’re important if you use a card with a gaming device or a single-board computer like the Raspberry Pi, where it often has to rapidly save and access small bits of data in random locations.

Speed ratings

If you look at a microSD card, you’ll see a buffet of numbers, letters and symbols. Most of these refer to the card’s speed class and performance ratings, which are determined by the SD Association.

A card’s Video Speed Class, or V-rating, details its minimum sequential write speed, which is especially important when recording video from a camera. It ranges from V6 to V90. Most of the cards we tested had a V30 rating, so they have a sequential write speed of at least 30 MB/s. This should be enough to support up to 4K video at lower bitrates. Higher-rated V60 and V90 cards are usually better for capturing 8K, but they come at a much higher cost.

The UHS Speed Class, or U-rating, also refers to a card’s minimum sequential write speed. It comes in two varieties: U3, which mandates a minimum of 30 MB/s, and U1, which is rated for 10 MB/s.

The older Speed Class rating overlaps with the other two systems. It’s signified by a C symbol and goes from Class 2 to Class 10, with the number (again) indicating minimum sequential write speed. This rating is less relevant nowadays, but you may still see a “C10” logo on some cards.

The Application Performance spec, marked by an A symbol, is an indicator of random read/write speeds. This is measured in IOPS, or input/output operations per second, rather than MB/s. There are two categories here: A1 cards offer a minimum random read speed of 1,500 IOPS and a minimum random write speed of 500 IOPS, while A2 cards bump those up to 4,000 IOPS and 2,000 IOPS, respectively. Both ratings also guarantee sequential write speeds of at least 10 MB/s.

To keep it simple, most people should look for a card with V30, U3 and A2 ratings. It’s totally possible to get a solid card without those: A U1 card might be worth it if you just need a cheap, high-capacity option, for example. V60 and V90 cards are worth a look if you’re serious about shooting high-resolution photos and video as well. But overall, cards with the certifications above should provide the best blend of price and performance today.

It’s important to emphasize that these ratings are baselines. Most V30 cards offer significantly higher write speeds than 30 MB/s, for instance, and some A1 cards can outperform some A2 models in practice. The speeds advertised by manufacturers aren’t always 100 percent accurate, either: Sometimes the card will be slower in real-world use, other times it may actually be a bit faster.

UHS bus speeds

The other spec to note is the card’s bus interface. Most microSD cards available today are UHS-I, which has a theoretical maximum speed of 104 MB/s. There are also UHS-II cards, which have an extra row of pins on the back and can reach up to 312 MB/s. (A UHS-III standard technically exists as well but hasn’t seen wide adoption.) These are labeled on the card with a Roman numeral I or II.

UHS-II cards are typically the ones with those higher V60 or V90 ratings. If you shoot lots of 4K to 8K video or frequently use burst mode to capture ultra high-res photos, the performance gains of a good UHS-II card can save you time.

However, these are typically much more expensive than UHS-I cards: This 128GB Lexar Professional Gold model, for instance, is a relative bargain at s less than many UHS-II models we’ve seen in the past, it's still more than double the common street price of our top pick above. You need a device that’s compatible with the UHS-II interface to see any benefits, too, and stock for UHS-II cards is often spottier. For now, the higher speeds aren’t worth the price premium for most people, so we stuck mostly to UHS-I cards with our recommendations.

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.

microSD Express and the Nintendo Switch 2

The absolute fastest microSD cards you can buy, however, are based on a different interface called SD Express. This has technically been around for several years and now includes its own subset of speed classes, but the gist is that it's much faster than UHS-I or UHS-II: SanDisk’s recently released microSD Express card, one of the first commercially available models, advertises sequential read speeds up to 880MB/s. That’s quicker than some older SSDs.

It’s a substantial upgrade that has largely held up in our testing, but very few popular devices natively support SD Express today. The first major exception is the Nintendo Switch 2, which is only compatible with the newer standard, as it’s needed to keep up with the performance demands of new handheld games.

Besides SanDisk, manufacturers like Samsung, Lexar and PNY have already launched microSD Express cards to go with the

For more on how the first wave of Express cards perform on the Switch 2, we've put together a dedicated buying guide just for Nintendo's

A note on card readers and reaching advertised speeds

While the UHS-I interface has a theoretical maximum of 104 MB/s, some UHS-I cards can exceed that speed through proprietary extensions. However, you need a compatible card reader and host device to take advantage of that extra performance. If you find a UHS-I card advertising speeds higher than 104 MB/s, this is what’s going on. You can see these limits in action with an original Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck: Both of those gaming devices support the UHS-I interface but don’t go beyond its official speed, flattening any sequential gains some cards may have elsewhere. (Differences in random read and write speeds can still matter, though.) The same thing will happen if you plug a more powerful UHS-II or SD Express card into a device that doesn’t accept those interfaces.

The takeaway: Your microSD card will only be as fast as the slowest link in your chain.

Warranty

Many microSD cards are designed to be durable, with protection from water, extreme temperatures, X-rays and drops. Still, in case of catastrophe, a long warranty is always good to have. Many manufacturers offer lifetime or 10-year limited warranties, though we’ve noticed that “endurance” cards marketed to withstand more hours of writing are usually covered for a shorter period of time. For example, Samsung's Pro Endurance, a model aimed at security cameras and other monitoring devices, comes with a five-year warranty.

Avoiding counterfeits

Once you receive a card, check its packaging for any irregularities. You can run benchmark tests like CrystalDiskMark or BlackMagic Disk Speed Test to verify its speeds aren’t drastically lower than what’s advertised (or possible, given its specs). You can also use software that’s designed to verify the true capacity and performance of your card, such as H2testw and FakeFlashTest.

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

How we test microSD cards

We've put about 20 microSD cards through a series of tests to verify their sequential and random performance. These included benchmarks like CrystalDiskMark, BlackMagic Disk Speed Test, ATTO Disk Benchmark and AJA System Test, as well as a few “real-world” tests. We copied and pasted a small folder of photos about 1.15GB in size to and from each card, then did the same with a larger 12.2GB folder containing multiple file types and subfolders, timing the process each time. We also checked how each card performed on the Steam Deck,

Where applicable, we used a Kingston USB 3.2 UHS-II reader to test each card on both Windows 11 and macOS Sequoia. However, if a card could be bundled with (or is specifically advertised to use) a proprietary reader, we mainly tested with that, since we figure that’s the one most interested buyers will end up using. For 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 Pro with an Apple M1 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. If a reader couldn’t connect over USB-C, we used CalDigit’s TS4 dock to test the corresponding card on the MacBook.

We tested the 128GB version of each card whenever we could, though we were only able to test higher-capacity models for a few options. We also reformatted each card before testing with the SD Association’s <a data-i13n="cpos:86;pos:1" href="https://www.sdcard.org/

Original aticle here: Engadget