The perfect microSD playing cards in 2025

Most microSD playing cards are quick sufficient for reinforcing space for storing and making easy file transfers, however some present slightly extra worth than others. For those who’ve bought a tool that also accepts microSD playing cards — whether or not it’s an older gaming handheld, the brand new Nintendo Switch 2, a splash cam, a drone or an Android tablet — we’ve scoured the market and put shut to twenty high contenders by plenty of benchmark exams. You’ll find our suggestions for the very best microSD playing cards beneath, alongside some basic purchasing recommendation before you purchase.

Desk of contents

Greatest microSD playing cards of 2025

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 likely to fluctuate, nevertheless, and the Samsung Pro Plus — our former “greatest for many” choose — remains to be value contemplating when you see it obtainable for a number of {dollars} lower than the Silver Plus within the capability you need. 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 usually second to the pricier Samsung Pro Ultimate, however solely by slightly, so it’s well-suited for a conveyable sport console or every other setup the place it’d be requested to entry tiny bits of knowledge 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 value vary, plus Samsung’s has a shorter 10-year guarantee.

For those who 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 still be hanging round at some on-line retailers, so keep away from that one. Samsung additionally sells Sonic the Hedgehog-themed versions of the Professional Plus with an identical efficiency rankings, however these normally price a couple of bucks further. 

Execs

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

Cons

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

$20 at Amazon

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 high picks, notably on the subject of sequential write speeds (slightly below 70 MB/s on CrystalDiskMark). So we don’t advocate it for any form of digital camera. Nonetheless, it’s completely usable for easy storage growth, 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 $70, respectively. The latter two capacities may very well be notably high-quality values when you simply desire a big chunk of house from a good model on a budget. That mentioned, you need 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 possibility

Cons

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

$13 at Amazon

Jeff Dunn for Engadget

Storage capability: 128GB, 256GB | Pace lessons: U3, A1, Class 10 | Guarantee: Lifetime restricted

Let’s be clear about this: Until you intend to personal a Nintendo Switch 2 within the close to future, you nearly actually don’t want the SanDisk microSD Express Card, or every other microSD Categorical card, simply but. Apart from Nintendo’s new handheld, gadgets that natively help this customary are exceedingly unusual proper now, and this explicit card is extremely costly, beginning at $56 for 128GB.

As a result of microSD Categorical gadgets aren’t widespread but, you will probably want to purchase a suitable adapter to see the improved speeds on a pc, which tacks much more onto the underside line. The SanDisk reader we used for testing, for instance, costs a whopping $112. The reader we used for Lexar’s Play Professional, one other new Categorical card, prices $100. At that time, you’re higher off shopping for a portable SSD when you simply wish to stash and transfer recordsdata. To additional that time, SanDisk’s card is just obtainable in 128GB or 256GB capacities.

A few other Express cards will provide extra room for much less money, however most of these have been both simply launched or aren’t but obtainable; we plan to check them for a future replace. Plus, even when you do get a Change 2, the costs immediately are most likely as costly as they’ll ever get. It additionally stays to be seen if the console will even enable for important efficiency variations between playing cards. So when you can maintain out, you need to.

Right here’s hoping the Change 2 does lead microSD Categorical to grow to be extra broadly accepted although, as a result of this factor is miles sooner than any conventional card available on the market. Sequential reads checked in slightly below 900 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and ATTO, which was in keeping with SanDisk’s 880 MB/s ranking and a good methods above the Lexar Play Professional. Sequential writes topped out round 650 MB/s, proper as marketed. These write speeds solely apply to the 256GB mannequin we examined, although; SanDisk says they’re going to peak at 480 MB/s with the 128GB variant.

Sustained efficiency isn’t at all times on par with these most speeds: With our bigger take a look at file, we observed that write speeds would begin round 530 MB/s then dip nearer to 210 MB/s till the switch was full. Positive sufficient, SanDisk advertises minimal sustained write speeds of 210 MB/s for the 256GB mannequin and 100 MB/s for the 128GB model. (Lexar’s microSD Categorical card behaved equally, probably as a result of these playing cards’ tiny frames can solely deal with a lot earlier than they must throttle issues down.) Nonetheless, this was fast sufficient to maneuver the 12GB 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 a card that is at the least twice as quick as the very best UHS-I fashions we’ve examined by way of sequential learn and write speeds, with three or 4 occasions the efficiency in some instances (notably with the 256GB mannequin). The gulf in random reads and writes was comparable, and in some benchmarks even better.

That mentioned, solely these with a Change 2 pre-order in place, money to burn and/or a deep curiosity in new applied sciences ought to contemplate the SanDisk microSD Categorical Card proper now. It’s a real leap ahead, however you’ll must pay for it.

Execs

• Simply the quickest microSD card we have examined, by any metric
• Lifetime restricted guarantee
• Suitable with Nintendo Change 2

Cons

• Gadgets that help microSD Categorical in addition to Change 2 are extraordinarily restricted
• Costly, and requires an expensive reader to realize full efficiency on most gadgets
• Solely obtainable in 128GB or 256GB

$54 at SanDisk

Different notable microSD playing cards

Lexar Play Professional microSD Categorical Card

The Lexar Play Pro is the second microSD Categorical card we’ve examined, and you’ll consider it as a “1A” choose subsequent to SanDisk’s mannequin. It doesn’t are available in a 128GB configuration, however the 256GB mannequin is less expensive at $50, plus it’s obtainable in 512GB and 1TB capacities. It’s sooner on the subject of sequential writes, measuring round 720 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and 700 MB/s in ATTO. It additionally managed to write down our bigger take a look at file in roughly 35 seconds in sure runs, which was notably faster than the SanDisk card.

Nonetheless, its sequential reads have been fairly definitively slower — even when they’re nonetheless much better than the remainder of the market — and people are extra vital for lowering load occasions with the Change 2 in idea. The improved sequential writes have been additionally considerably inconsistent: Generally it’d take nearer to 50 seconds to complete our real-world take a look at, bouncing between the low-200 MB/s vary and the high-400 MB/s vary alongside the best way. At that time, it is solely marginally sooner than the SanDisk card. Random speeds, in the meantime, weren’t vastly totally different, so each must be equally adept at protecting bigger video games like Mario Kart World working clean.

In the long run, the Change 2 is the one actual motive to purchase a microSD Categorical card proper now, and we will’t say for certain how totally different fashions will carry out on that system simply but. The “greatest” possibility might find yourself being whichever one is least expensive. However, the Play Professional is value grabbing when you should purchase an Categorical card immediately and wish greater than 256GB of house.

Samsung Professional Final

The Samsung Pro Ultimate was the closest competitor to the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus throughout our benchmark exams, nevertheless it’s tangibly worse by way of sequential write speeds, usually prices extra and doesn’t provide a 1TB possibility. The Samsung Professional Plus is a bit slower for sequential reads, nevertheless it’s shut sufficient in any other case and normally simpler to search out at a lower cost.

Lexar Skilled Gold

We’ve not used it ourselves, however when 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 will ship considerably sooner sequential write speeds than our UHS-I picks above. It’s one of many few UHS-II playing cards we may really discover in inventory, nevertheless 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 number of of our sequential exams, 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 high-quality alternative when you see it on sale at a good vendor, nevertheless it’s broadly slower than our high choose and sometimes 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 achieve its marketed speeds with the corporate’s personal “Professional” card reader or different third-party choices, so it fell in need of our high 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 prices further for having an image of Pikachu (or Gengar, or Snorlax) on a product you’ll by no means have a look at.

SanDisk Excessive Professional

The SanDisk Extreme Pro is a detailed 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 slightly 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 competition.

PNY Elite-X

The PNY Elite-X usually goes for reasonable 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 high picks, and it now 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. Trendy 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 in latest months as properly, which is thrilling, however these are nonetheless pretty uncommon (and really costly) by comparability.

For many, a 128GB or 256GB mannequin must be a candy spot between value and space for storing. However when you want extra room — say, for stashing a bunch of video games on a Steam Deck — a 512GB card or better may make extra sense and sometimes offers a greater cost-per-GB ratio. Lately, you’ll find an honest 128GB card for round $15, a very good 256GB card for lower than $30 and a strong 512GB card for round $40 (with sooner fashions priced slightly larger). There’s a starker enhance while you go as much as 1TB playing cards, which frequently price nearer to $100, although we’ve seen some fall into the $70 to $80 vary extra ceaselessly over the past yr. The primary wave of 2TB playing cards are an excellent greater leap: the 2TB SanDisk Extreme, for instance, now has an inventory value slightly below $250.

Notice {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 immediately, we usually seek advice from playing cards that use the microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard, which have a capability between 32GB and 2TB. Your gadget must help this for it to work with a microSDXC card. It will nearly by no means be a problem today, however some older gadgets (a Nintendo 3DS, as an example) are solely suitable 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 knowledge, corresponding to opening a big video or copying a giant 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 gadget.

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

Pace rankings

For those who have 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 rankings, that are decided by the SD Association.

A card’s Video Pace Class, or V-rating, particulars its minimal sequential write pace, which is very vital when recording video from a digital camera. It ranges from V6 to V90. Many of the playing cards we examined had a V30 ranking, in order that they have a sequential write pace of at the least 30 MB/s. This must 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 price.

The UHS Pace Class, or U-rating, additionally refers to a card’s minimal sequential write pace. 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 ranking 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 pace. This ranking is much less related these days, however you should still see a “C10” brand on some playing cards.

The Utility Efficiency spec, marked by an A logo, is an indicator of random learn/write speeds. That is measured in IOPS, or enter/output operations per second, slightly than MB/s. There are two classes right here: A1 playing cards provide a minimal random learn pace of 1,500 IOPS and a minimal random write pace of 500 IOPS, whereas A2 playing cards bump these as much as 4,000 IOPS and a pair 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 attainable to get a strong card with out these: A U1 card is likely to be value it when you simply want an affordable, high-capacity possibility, for instance. V60 and V90 playing cards are value a glance when you’re severe about taking pictures high-resolution images and video as properly. However total, playing cards with the certifications above ought to present the very best mix of value and efficiency immediately.

It’s vital to emphasise that these rankings 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 follow. The speeds marketed by producers aren’t at all times 100% correct, both: Generally the cardboard can be slower in real-world use, different occasions it might really be a bit sooner.

UHS bus speeds

The opposite spec to notice is the cardboard’s bus interface. Most microSD playing cards obtainable immediately are UHS-I, which has a theoretical most pace 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 usually those with these larger V60 or V90 rankings. For those who shoot a number of 4K to 8K video or ceaselessly use burst mode to seize extremely high-res images, the efficiency positive factors of a very good UHS-II card can prevent time.

Nonetheless, these are far more costly than UHS-I playing cards: This 128GB Lexar Professional Gold mannequin, as an example, is a relative cut price at $35. Whereas that is lower than many UHS-II fashions we’ve seen previously, it is nonetheless greater than double the frequent avenue value of our high choose above. You want a tool that’s suitable with the UHS-II interface to see any advantages, too, and inventory for UHS-II playing cards is usually spottier. For now, the upper speeds aren’t definitely worth the value premium for most individuals, so we caught principally to UHS-I playing cards with our suggestions.

microSD Categorical and the Nintendo Change 2

Absolutely the quickest microSD playing cards you should buy, nevertheless, are primarily based on a unique interface known 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 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 common gadgets natively help SD Categorical immediately. 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 recent handheld video games.

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

But it surely’s nonetheless early days, and proper now all microSD Categorical playing cards price far more than the very best UHS-I and even UHS-II choices. Past the Change 2, it’s attainable to make the most of these playing cards’ superior speeds with a devoted SD Categorical card reader, however that provides much more to the ultimate price. It’s additionally value noting that SD Categorical playing cards aren’t backwards suitable with UHS-II (or UHS-III), so when 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.

A observe 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 pace by proprietary extensions. Nonetheless, you want a suitable card reader and host gadget to make the most of that further efficiency. For those who discover a UHS-I card promoting speeds larger than 104 MB/s, that is what’s happening. You may see these limits in motion with an authentic Nintendo Change or Steam Deck: Both of those gaming gadgets help the UHS-I interface however don’t transcend its official pace, 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 when you plug a extra highly effective UHS-II or SD Categorical 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, a protracted 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 face up to extra hours of writing are normally coated for a shorter time period. For instance, Samsung’s Pro Endurance, a mannequin geared toward safety cameras and different monitoring gadgets, comes with a five-year guarantee.

Avoiding counterfeits

The reminiscence card market has had a specific downside with scammers promoting faux merchandise. To protect in opposition to this, solely purchase from a identified model and a good retailer corresponding to Greatest Purchase, B&H Picture or Adorama. For those who 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 previously, so train warning.) Bear in mind: If a value appears too good to be true, it most likely is. Be cautious of any retailer providing a considerably lower cost than everybody else.

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

How we take a look at microSD playing cards

We have put about 20 microSD playing cards by a collection of exams 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” exams. We copied and pasted a small folder of images 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 sorts 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 sport 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. Nonetheless, if a card may very well 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 each time we may, although we have been solely capable of take a look at 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.

Current updates

Might 2025: We’ve up to date this information to make sure our recommendation is correct and to replicate the brand new Nintendo Change 2’s use of microSD Categorical playing cards. We’ve additionally added testing notes for the Lexar Play Professional microSD Categorical 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 Categorical playing cards for a future replace, plus a number of different latest releases from Kingston, SanDisk, Lexar and PNY.

February 2025: We’ve up to date this information with a brand new high choose: the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus. The Samsung Professional Plus, our earlier advice, stays as a runner-up. We’ve additionally added SanDisk’s not too long ago launched microSD Categorical card as a choose for individuals who need absolutely the quickest card attainable, albeit with heavy caveats. This is without doubt one of the first microSD playing cards to make use of the SD Categorical 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 mild 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 high 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.