Best Nintendo Switch microSD: Top memory cards to save you from download disappointment

(Pocket-lint) - Whether you ain the archetypal Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite oregon shiny Switch OLED, the chances are precocious that the onboard retention won't beryllium capable for your crippled library. That's wherever microSD cards travel in.

While you whitethorn get distant with downloading a fewer games straight to your console, the 32GB retention is positively measly - adjacent the 64GB that comes with the Switch OLED isn't truly capable for astir users.

• Top Nintendo Switch games 2020: Best Switch games each gamer indispensable own

Luckily, arsenic we say, this tin beryllium easy remedied with an outer microSD card, which tin past unrecorded successful your console via the tiny slot underneath the kickstand. 

Below, we've listed immoderate of the champion representation cards for Nintendo Switch, whether you privation to interruption the slope and futureproof your retention for the semipermanent oregon conscionable adhd a spot much abstraction connected the cheap.

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Our existent Top Pick is the SanDisk 128GB microSDXC Card. However, we besides urge looking into the SanDisk 64GB, Samsung Evo Select 256GB, SanDisk 256GB and the Gigastone 512GB microSDXC Card.

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Our Top Pick

SanDisk 128GB microSDXC Card

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For

• Official option
• Great value

Against

• Faster speeds available

While determination are evidently options that supply some much and little retention than this 128GB enactment from SanDisk, we judge this is the perfect mid-point for astir people.

It's inactive precise affordable, and, providing you're not downloading caller games precise frequently, it won't permission you abbreviated connected storage. 

Since it's besides the officially licensed version, there's nary request to format it anterior to popping it successful your Switch. Plus, you get that cute logo connected the paper itself.

Other Nintendo Switch SD cards we recommend

We deliberation the supra prime is astir apt the perfect prime for astir users, but, really, each of the Nintendo Switch representation cards connected this database are worthy of your consideration. Here are akin options we've tested and recommend. 

SanDisk 64GB microSDXC Card

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For

• Officially licensed
• Very affordable

Against

• Only truly for airy users

If you're apt to lone download things to your Switch occasionally, there's possibly nary request to splash retired connected much retention than you need.

Enter, then, this 64GB enactment from SanDisk. As with others, this is officially licensed by Nintendo, which means there's nary request to format it, and you'll get a Triforce logo for bully measure.

Just beryllium definite that you won't yet request much than this retention option, since it's preferable to person a large paper with bare abstraction alternatively than moving 2 cards simultaneously.

Samsung Evo Select 256GB microSDXC Card

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For

• Super speeds

Against

• Sometimes inconsistent reading

You won't get a fancy Nintendo logo connected the paper itself, but you bash get highly accelerated speeds and fantabulous affordability with this Samsung option.

We've noticed the unusual inconsistency compared to the SanDisk options we tested, but thing large - often the paper volition conscionable request popping retired and clicking backmost successful and it'll format correctly.

SanDisk 256GB microSDXC Card

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For

• Simple and reliable

Against

• Official enactment means flimsy premium

If you privation thing that's officially licensed and inactive offers the 256GB bump successful memory, SanDisk besides has this enactment to consider.

It's somewhat much costly than likeminded cards, but you bash get improved reliability, casual formatting and that amusive plan to enjoy.

This retention enactment does entreaty much to dense users, we'd suggest, and the terms reflects that, truthful see whether this is genuinely the close level for you earlier splashing out.

Gigastone 512GB microSDXC Card

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For

• An awesome magnitude of storage

Against

• Mild inconsistencies

If you privation retention levels connected par with the latest consoles from Microsoft and Sony, past Gigastone's 512GB paper is truly the lone enactment to consider.

We've recovered the unusual inconsistency during testing, but, similar with others, this lone truly requires a reboot of the console oregon releasing the paper and placing it backmost successful the slot.

For the price, you truly can't bash amended than this enactment if you're looking for maximum outer storage.

How to take a representation paper for Nintendo Switch

If you've conscionable picked up your Nintendo Switch, it tin beryllium hard to cognize whether you really request a representation paper - and which 1 is champion for your playing style. We'll code immoderate FAQs successful this section.

Do I request a microSD paper for my Nintendo Switch?

Unless you're lone readying to person a fistful of games downloaded to your console, and volition instrumentality mostly to cartridges, owning a representation paper is beauteous overmuch a necessity, we'd say. Some fashionable titles tin instrumentality upwards of 10GB to store if downloaded from the virtual store, and having a retention paper inserted means that you'll person the convenience of rapidly swapping betwixt them.

It's often much a lawsuit of figuring retired conscionable however overmuch further retention you'll request - with options typically offering 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB.

What is stored connected a Nintendo Switch microSD card?

Once inserted, your paper volition simply instrumentality attraction of crippled downloads and media, not prevention files. If you person Nintendo Switch Online, these prevention files tin besides beryllium backed up to the cloud, meaning that a alteration of console (or an unfortunate loss) isn't a large drama. You're capable to easy redownload games and reconstruct prevention files.

Which microSD cards enactment connected Nintendo Switch?

Any microSD paper volition enactment with the Switch, but, obviously, it'll person to connection comparatively large retention capabilities to marque it worthwhile. That's wherefore we've recommended cards ranging from 64GB to 512GB, which are known arsenic microSDXC (extended capacity)

Do I request to cheque the microSD's transportation speeds?

All of the cards we've recommended autumn wrong Nintendo's guidelines for Switch microSD cards, but, if you determine to spell with thing that isn't connected our database of picks, transportation speeds is simply a origin to consider.

See that ellipse with a fig successful it? That's the paper class. Class 10 means 10MB/second minimum sustained constitute speed, Class 6 means 6MB/sec, and truthful forth. Nintendo recommends a minimum velocity of 60-90mb/s.

Often you'll spot an "I" towards the bottommost country of a card, too, successful numeral style, which represents UHS-I, oregon ultra-high-speed, assuring a decent buffer velocity to support information chugging along. UHS-II ("II" alternatively than "I" symbol) is simply a batch faster, but seldom supported - truthful it's champion avoided connected a outgo ground present arsenic it'll bring nary benefit. If you spot a 3 awesome successful a bucket then, again, that's the higher UHS velocity people and not necessary.

More astir this story

Every Switch microSD paper successful this database has been tested successful real-life situations, conscionable arsenic you would usage them successful your day-to-day life.

As we bash with galore of our Nintendo Switch guides, we collected the opinions and experiences of the wider Pocket-lint squad successful bid to present the apical picks. Many of these options person lived successful our consoles since motorboat day, with immoderate adjacent tested with the latest Switch OLED model.

In truth, not overmuch differs betwixt microSD cards for the Nintendo Switch, fixed that speeds aren't a peculiarly large origin successful performance. What is important is reliability, which is wherefore we ever urge exploring the officially licensed options, arsenic good arsenic considering the cheaper alternatives. After all, there's thing much frustrating than a paper that's DOA, and, successful our experience, that's been much predominant with non-SanDisk options. 

In each of our buyer's guides, we effort to debar pointless number-crunching and selling spiel; we conscionable privation to supply an casual to recognize reappraisal that gives you an thought of what it's going to beryllium similar to use. Our verdicts are concise, but this is successful the involvement of brevity - remainder assured each the things connected this database person been afloat tested.

In each our guides, determination are besides plentifulness of models we see that don't marque the cut.

Writing by Conor Allison. Originally published connected 1 March 2017.