The most effective microSD playing cards in 2025

Most microSD playing cards are quick sufficient for reinforcing cupboard space and making easy file transfers, however some present a little bit 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 touch cam, a drone or an Android tablet — we’ve scoured the market and put shut to twenty prime contenders by way of a variety of benchmark exams. You could find our suggestions for the perfect microSD playing cards beneath, alongside some normal procuring recommendation before you purchase.

Desk of contents

Finest microSD playing cards of 2025

Picture by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capability: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Velocity courses: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 | Guarantee: 10-year restricted

Storage costs are likely to fluctuate, nonetheless, and the Samsung Pro Plus — our former “finest for many” choose — remains to be value contemplating if you happen to see it accessible 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 a little bit, 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 effectively. That mentioned, the Silver Plus is the higher card when it’s in the identical worth 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 equivalent efficiency rankings, however these normally value a couple of bucks further. 

Professionals

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

Cons

• Slower than our prime 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) | Velocity courses: 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 prime picks, notably in relation to sequential write speeds (slightly below 70 MB/s on CrystalDiskMark). So we don’t suggest it for any type of digital camera. Nonetheless, it’s completely usable for easy storage enlargement, 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 could possibly be notably high-quality values if you happen to simply need a large chunk of house from a good model on a budget. That mentioned, you must nonetheless seize the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus or Samsung Professional Plus as an alternative if both one is wherever shut in worth.

Professionals

• Usually discounted
• Acceptable efficiency if worth is chief concern
• Has a 1TB choice

Cons

• Slower than different prime 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 | Velocity courses: 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. Except for Nintendo’s new handheld, units that natively assist this commonplace are exceedingly unusual proper now, and this specific card is extremely costly, beginning at $56 for 128GB.

As a result of microSD Categorical units aren’t widespread but, you will seemingly 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 if you happen to simply wish to stash and transfer recordsdata. To additional that time, SanDisk’s card is simply accessible 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 accessible; we plan to check them for a future replace. Plus, even if you happen to 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 if you happen to can maintain out, you must.

Right here’s hoping the Change 2 does lead microSD Categorical to change into extra extensively accepted although, as a result of this factor is miles quicker than any conventional card in the marketplace. Sequential reads checked in slightly below 900 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and ATTO, which was according to 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 will peak at 480 MB/s with the 128GB variant.

Sustained efficiency isn’t all the time on par with these most speeds: With our bigger check file, we seen that write speeds would begin round 530 MB/s then dip nearer to 210 MB/s till the switch was full. Certain 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, seemingly as a result of these playing cards’ tiny frames can solely deal with a lot earlier than they need to 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 check with our smaller 1.15GB check folder, in the meantime, averaged simply 4.5 seconds. 

All of it provides as much as a card that is at the very least twice as quick as the perfect UHS-I fashions we’ve examined by way of sequential learn and write speeds, with three or 4 instances the efficiency in some instances (notably with the 256GB mannequin). The gulf in random reads and writes was related, 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 think about the SanDisk microSD Categorical Card proper now. It’s a real leap ahead, however you’ll need to pay for it.

Professionals

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

Cons

• Units that assist microSD Categorical in addition to Change 2 are extraordinarily restricted
• Costly, and requires an expensive reader to attain full efficiency on most units
• Solely accessible 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 may consider it as a “1A” choose subsequent to SanDisk’s mannequin. It doesn’t are available a 128GB configuration, however the 256GB mannequin is less expensive at $50, plus it’s accessible in 512GB and 1TB capacities. It’s quicker in relation to sequential writes, measuring round 720 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and 700 MB/s in ATTO. It additionally managed to jot down our bigger check file in roughly 35 seconds in sure runs, which was notably faster than the SanDisk card.

Nevertheless, 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 essential for decreasing load instances with the Change 2 in concept. The improved sequential writes have been additionally considerably inconsistent: Typically it’d take nearer to 50 seconds to complete our real-world check, 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 quicker than the SanDisk card. Random speeds, in the meantime, weren’t vastly totally different, so each needs to be equally adept at conserving bigger video games like Mario Kart World working easy.

In the long run, the Change 2 is the one actual cause 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 “finest” choice could find yourself being whichever one is least expensive. However, the Play Professional is value grabbing if you happen to 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, but it surely’s tangibly worse by way of sequential write speeds, sometimes prices extra and doesn’t provide a 1TB choice. The Samsung Professional Plus is a bit slower for sequential reads, but it surely’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 if you happen to’re keen 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 quicker 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, but it surely’s dear, with a 128GB mannequin usually priced within the $35 to $40 vary.

SanDisk Excessive

The SanDisk Extreme successfully matched the Professional Plus in just a few of our sequential exams, however that was partly as a result 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 if you happen to see it on sale at a good vendor, but it surely’s broadly slower than our prime choose and sometimes prices extra.

SanDisk GamePlay

The SanDisk GamePlay performs equally to the SanDisk Excessive however prices an excellent bit further as of our newest replace. We couldn’t get it to succeed in its marketed speeds with the corporate’s personal “Professional” card reader or different third-party choices, so it fell in need of our prime 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 primarily fees 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 an in depth 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 quicker sequential write speeds as effectively.

PNY XLR8 Gaming

The PNY XLR8 is an inexpensive card that comes with as much as 512GB of house. Its sequential and random writes speeds checked in a little bit 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 rivalry.

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 prime picks, and it now not seems to be accessible 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 cupboard space you want. Fashionable playing cards are generally accessible in sizes starting from 32GB to 512GB, with a number of fashions now accessible in 1TB or 1.5TB capacities as effectively. The primary 2TB cards from major brands have began to reach in current months as effectively, which is thrilling, however these are nonetheless pretty uncommon (and really costly) by comparability.

For many, a 128GB or 256GB mannequin needs to be a candy spot between worth and cupboard space. However if you happen to 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. Nowadays, you could find a good 128GB card for round $15, an excellent 256GB card for lower than $30 and a stable 512GB card for round $40 (with quicker fashions priced a little bit increased). There’s a starker enhance while you go as much as 1TB playing cards, which regularly value nearer to $100, although we’ve seen some fall into the $70 to $80 vary extra often over the past 12 months. The primary wave of 2TB playing cards are a fair greater leap: the 2TB SanDisk Extreme, for instance, now has a listing worth slightly below $250.

Be aware {that a} microSD card’s efficiency could 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 discuss microSD playing cards immediately, we usually consult with playing cards that use the microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard, which have a capability between 32GB and 2TB. Your machine must assist this for it to work with a microSDXC card. It will nearly by no means be a problem lately, however some older units (a Nintendo 3DS, as an illustration) 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). Typically, most microSD playing cards have quicker 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 attempting to entry (learn) or save (write) lengthy, fixed streams of knowledge, similar to opening a big video or copying an enormous batch of recordsdata from a PC. If you wish to use a microSD card for media storage, that is notably essential. Random efficiency, in the meantime, is about how shortly a card can learn and write small recordsdata scattered all through the machine.

Since random learn/write speeds are a lot decrease than sequential ones, storage machine makers have a tendency to not promote them as loudly. However they’re essential if you happen to use a card with a gaming machine 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.

Velocity rankings

For those who have a look at a microSD card, you’ll see a buffet of numbers, letters and symbols. Most of those consult with the cardboard’s speed class and efficiency rankings, that are decided by the SD Association.

A card’s Video Velocity Class, or V-rating, particulars its minimal sequential write velocity, which is very essential 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 velocity of at the very least 30 MB/s. This needs to be sufficient to assist as much as 4K video at decrease bitrates. Larger-rated V60 and V90 playing cards are normally higher for capturing 8K, however they arrive at a a lot increased value.

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

The Software 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 velocity of 1,500 IOPS and a minimal random write velocity of 500 IOPS, whereas A2 playing cards bump these as much as 4,000 IOPS and a couple of,000 IOPS, respectively. Each rankings additionally assure sequential write speeds of at the very 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 potential to get a stable card with out these: A U1 card may be value it if you happen to simply want an affordable, high-capacity choice, for instance. V60 and V90 playing cards are value a glance if you happen to’re critical about capturing high-resolution images and video as effectively. However general, playing cards with the certifications above ought to present the perfect mix of worth and efficiency immediately.

It’s essential to emphasise that these rankings are baselines. Most V30 playing cards provide considerably increased write speeds than 30 MB/s, as an illustration, and a few A1 playing cards can outperform some A2 fashions in apply. The speeds marketed by producers aren’t all the time 100% correct, both: Typically the cardboard shall be slower in real-world use, different instances it might really be a bit quicker.

UHS bus speeds

The opposite spec to notice is the cardboard’s bus interface. Most microSD playing cards accessible immediately are UHS-I, which has a theoretical most velocity 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 commonplace technically exists as effectively however hasn’t seen huge adoption.) These are labeled on the cardboard with a Roman numeral I or II.

UHS-II playing cards are sometimes those with these increased V60 or V90 rankings. For those who shoot a number of 4K to 8K video or often use burst mode to seize extremely high-res images, the efficiency features of an excellent UHS-II card can prevent time.

Nevertheless, these are far more costly than UHS-I playing cards: This 128GB Lexar Professional Gold mannequin, as an illustration, is a relative discount at $35. Whereas that is lower than many UHS-II fashions we’ve seen previously, it is nonetheless greater than double the frequent road worth of our prime 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 worth 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 purchase, nonetheless, are based mostly on a special 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 quicker than UHS-I or UHS-II: SanDisk’s not too long ago launched microSD Express card, one of many first commercially accessible 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 in style units natively assist SD Categorical immediately. The primary main exception is the Nintendo Switch 2, which is only compatible with the newer commonplace, because it’s wanted to maintain up with the efficiency calls for of recent handheld video games.

Apart from SanDisk, producers like Samsung, Lexar and PNY have already launched microSD Categorical playing cards to go along with the console. The presumption is that having such a preferred machine embrace the tech will solely additional its adoption and drive costs down.

However it’s nonetheless early days, and proper now all microSD Categorical playing cards value far more than the perfect UHS-I and even UHS-II choices. Past the Change 2, it’s potential to benefit from these playing cards’ superior speeds with a devoted SD Categorical card reader, however that provides much more to the ultimate value. It’s additionally value noting that SD Categorical playing cards should not backwards suitable with UHS-II (or UHS-III), so if you happen to 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 enchantment if extra devices that assist the interface do arrive.

A word 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 velocity by way of proprietary extensions. Nevertheless, you want a suitable card reader and host machine to benefit from that further efficiency. For those who discover a UHS-I card promoting speeds increased than 104 MB/s, that is what’s occurring. You may see these limits in motion with an authentic Nintendo Change or Steam Deck: Both of those gaming units assist the UHS-I interface however don’t transcend its official velocity, flattening any sequential features some playing cards could have elsewhere. (Variations in random learn and write speeds can nonetheless matter, although.) The identical factor will occur if you happen to 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 all the time good to have. Many producers provide lifetime or 10-year restricted warranties, although we’ve seen that “endurance” playing cards marketed to resist extra hours of writing are normally lined for a shorter time period. For instance, Samsung’s Pro Endurance, a mannequin aimed toward safety cameras and different monitoring units, comes with a five-year guarantee.

Avoiding counterfeits

The reminiscence card market has had a specific downside with scammers promoting pretend merchandise. To protect in opposition to this, solely purchase from a identified model and a good retailer similar to Finest 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 immediately previously, so train warning.) Keep in mind: If a worth 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, verify 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 potential, given its specs). It’s also possible to use software program that’s designed to confirm the true capability and efficiency of your card, similar to H2testw and FakeFlashTest.

How we check microSD playing cards

We have put about 20 microSD playing cards by way of 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 just a few “real-world” exams. We copied and pasted a small folder of images about 1.15GB in dimension 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 check 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. Nevertheless, if a card could possibly 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 patrons 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 every time we may, although we have been solely capable of check higher-capacity fashions for just a few choices. We additionally reformatted every card earlier than testing with the SD Affiliation’s Memory Card Formatter tool.

Latest updates

Could 2025: We’ve up to date this information to make sure our recommendation is correct and to mirror 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 commonplace 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 just a few different current releases from Kingston, SanDisk, Lexar and PNY.

February 2025: We’ve up to date this information with a brand new prime 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 many who need absolutely the quickest card potential, albeit with heavy caveats. This is among 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 gentle 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 prime 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.