You’ve just picked up a Nintendo Switch game console that only features 32GB worth of onboard memory space. Gasp! Since wicked games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are going to take up at least half of that 32GB, that means you’re going to want to pick up a Micro SD memory card. Or two.
The Nintendo Switch can handle Micro SD cards up to 2TB in size which is really nice…even if 2TB Micro SD cards don’t exist just yet. Still, it’s good to know that the Switch will be ready when that inevitably happens.
What kind of Micro SD memory card should you pick up for your Switch? Nintendo recommends UHS-1 (that stands for Ultra High Speed) cards and there’s really no reason to purchase anything strong than that format. The minor difference in write speed when looking at UHS-3 cards translates to virtually nothing when booting games.
The performance of most of these cards when paired with a Switch console is going to be virtually the same despite how much or little you spend on the card itself. As long as the Micro SD card that you’re planning to get is a UHS-I card, your main focus here should be price and storage size. And sometimes even style.
Are you sort of OCD when it comes to your console game family? We get you. The officially licensed SanDisk Micro SD XC card for the Nintendo Switch features incredible speed and lets you add up to 512GB of space to your system. Spend less time waiting and more time gaming with read and write speeds of up to 100MB/s.
If you’re looking for less storage but still want that cute Nintendo style, the 256GB, 128GB, and 64GB cards are available as well and decorated with all sorts of different Mario imagery. Fun! This Micro SD card is perfect for keeping your favorite games in one place so everything is neat and tidy. And how can you not enjoy that leaf design from Animal Crossing? Or maybe it’s The Legend of Zelda. Who cares? Go have fun.
With a compact, portable format and incredible read and write speeds, the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD Cards are SanDisk’s most powerful that deliver performance that elevates productivity and creativity. These babies can offer up to 170 MB/s read/write speed which is plenty incredible all by it’s lonesome.
The Extreme Pro comes in sizes from 32GB all the way up to a whopping 1TB. With shot speeds of up to 90MB/s and UHS Speed Class 3 recording, prepare to capture stunning high-resolution, stutter-free 4K UHD video. We know that your pace won’t let up after the shots are taken. These memory cards deliver up to 170MB/s transfer speeds for a faster postproduction workflow.
But here’s the thing, cowboy: your devices and gadgets better be up to the task of meeting that kind of speed.
SanDisk Ultra Micro SD cards are ideal for your Nintendo Switch storage needs but also for your smartphones, tablets, and cameras; gadgets that require a quick (ultra quick…get it?) transfer rate. Up to 120MB/s will let the user move up to 1,000 photos in one minute so you know booting up Super Mario 3DWorld will be no problem.
The read/write speed on these SanDisk cards is pretty incredible. Like other vendors, these memory cards are available in a variety of sizes from 32GB and 64GB (less than $15!) to the 512GB and 1TB giants. SanDisk manufacturers a large number of different memory cards for various needs but these Ultras are pretty choice.
Now you may not need as bulletproof a memory card for your Nintendo Switch that the SanDisk High Endurance Video Micro SDXC Cards proclaim themselves to be. But why leave things to chance? These Micro SD cards are specifically designed for multiple re-writes in machines such as dashcams and home security systems.
Designed to record for up to 20,000 hours, these Micro SD cards will give you the peace of mind that your dashcam, home monitoring, or security system will capture crucial footage when it happens, recording and re-recording worry-free. They are built tough too—ready to record in extreme heat or freezing cold, plus they’re shockproof, waterproof, and x-ray proof.
The 128GB sized card is just $21.95 and the 256GB is less than twice that. So if you’re going to pitch that much out for a card anyway, better make it something that only kryptonite will take down.
So, why get theSamsung 128GB EVO Micro SD card for your Nintendo Switch instead of the 256GB or 512GB versions? Why, because of price, of course. While the larger 512GB and 256GB sizes of this card come in at $64.99 and $29.99, respectively, this 128GB version is just $17.99.
You won’t need much more than 128GB of memory space when just starting out with playing games on your Nintendo Switch. But for you serious gamers that are reading this, the 256GB card is less than double the price of the 128GB card so it’s worth considering.
SanDisk’s line of Extreme Micro SD cards is the ultimate file storage solution with read/write speeds of up to 160MB/s depending on the compatibility of the device being used. Forget about bulky portable hard drives. These Extreme Micro SD cards are ultra-portable and hold a huge amount of data.
Save time transferring high-resolution images and 4K UHD videos. Want to shoot photos quickly? Extreme Micro SD cards provide write speeds of up to 90MB/s. They’re temperature-proof, waterproof, and proof-proof (just kidding about that last one).
Seriously, though: these SanDisk Micro SD cards are great to have around. There are a number of different sizes up to 1TB if you’ve got a big collection of Nintendo Switch games to keep up with.
PNY is typically considered a third-tier option when it comes to hard drives, but the pricing and reliability of theirPRO Elite 256GB Micro SDXC makes it one of the best Nintendo Switch Micro SD cards available. For just $34.99, you’re getting 256GB of storage, a price that isn’t going to be easily beaten.
With the PNY 256GB card, you’re getting up to 95MB/s read speed for ultra-fast and smooth file access. That means your games should load lightning quick on the Switch. It’s also ideal for use with action cameras, drones, smartphones, tablets, and more.
Let’s keep in mind that Nintendo is using small cartridges for the Nintendo Switch already, so you likely aren’t going to end up needing a ton of storage space. You may need a larger card if and when you obtain a plethora of games, but until then 64GB is a solid option.
With the Sony 64GB Micro SDXC Memory Card, you’ll have up to 70 MB/s transfer speeds and reliability. While this Micro SD card isn’t the fastest card on our list, it will be more than fast enough to load Switch games and you won’t see much of a speed difference (if any) when compared to another card.
Plus: it’s totally weird using a Sony gadget with a Nintendo console, right? Yeah, we thought so too.
If you’re looking for a memory card with a great online track record and is super inexpensive, allow me to introduce you to your new budget option: the Patriot LX 64GB Micro SDXC Memory Card. It’s just ten. Bucks. Come ON.
The Amazon reviews lead us to believe that, despite its price, it’s a quality option with a 4.5 out of 5-star rating with over 1,300 reviews. Surprisingly, it actually has a 90 MB/s read speed, putting it in line with SanDisk and Samsung memory cards. What’s more, there are larger sizes available, up to 512GB for just $69.99. That’s crazy and awesome at the same time.
