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Best SD Cards for Nintendo Switch

Summary –

Nintendo Switch is easily the most revolutionary console of the generation that zoomed past Xbox One and PS4 because it is a hybrid machine. The gaming console brought the best of portable gaming and home console experience into one bundle. However, there is a minor glitch here. It is equipped with just 32 GB of storage, and you will require the best SD cards for Nintendo Switch to experience gaming at its best. Here’s a handpicked collection of the best SD cards that you can find in the market.

See also: Best gaming graphics cards

Best SD Cards for Nintendo Switch

An Ideal Balance Between Storage Size and Value for Money

SanDisk 128 GB MicroSDXC UHS-I Card for Nintendo Switch

SanDisk 128 GB MicroSDXC UHS-I Card for Nintendo Switch

Every gamer will be quite careful about choosing their SD card for their Switch console. It is because games are much larger these days than what they used to be. Unless you are on a tight budget or happy playing with just a couple of games, you should consider at least a 128 GB card. This particular product from SanDisk has been certified by Nintendo and even carries the design elements of your favorite game.

The all-red card has the logo and the font of Nintendo Switch, making it easier for most buyers to understand that it is designed for the console. Technically, any card would work, but this marketing strategy helps you identify what you need in a jiffy. The read time is quite impressive at 100 megabytes per second while the write speeds are almost the same at 90 megabytes per second.

The advantage of having a moderately balanced card as this one will ensure that you don’t spend too much on an SD card with enormous capacity. At the same time, you will also not be limited by storage space for your favorite games as you will be able to save three to five games based on the size of the title. While games like Doom, Legend of Zelda, etc. may be much larger, smaller indie games should easily allow you to store even a dozen titles on this storage solution.

What makes the SanDisk 128 GB MicroSDXC card Great?

  • Nintendo officially licenses the card with the logo of the console and even Mario’s mushroom sign giving it a gaming-inspired outlook.
  • It has 128 GB of storage space that is ideal for storing multiple AAA titles and some indie games at the same time.
  • The cost of the product offers excellent value for money.

Recommended For:

  • A delicate balance between storage space and pricing, this SD card is perfect for most users. It also carries the official brand logo and certification by Nintendo allowing gamers to know they are buying a product designed for gaming with fast read and write speeds.

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Get Ample Space for All Your AAA Game Titles

SanDisk 256 GB Ultra microSDXC Memory Card with Adapter

SanDisk 256 GB Ultra microSDXC Memory Card with Adapter

A lot of gamers who own the Nintendo Switch are unaware of the fact that they don’t need the SD card to be certified by Nintendo. Unlike Sony which used proprietary technology and killed the growth of the PS Vita handheld console, Switch is a much more open system that allows you to use any memory card to store all your games and keep them ready to play with a touch.

The SanDisk 256 GB is easily one of the best choices because you get close to 300 GB of storage including the bundled space available on the Nintendo Switch console. While the manufacturer suggests this SD card is ideal for all purposes, including DSLR cameras because of its responsive speed, it is perfect for gaming. It is a Class 10 product with the capability to move 100 MB/s for reading and writing, making it ideal for handling large game files.

The SanDisk product is very reliable as it comes with an impressive 10-year warranty period. There aren’t many brands that can offer such a level of assurance for their products but it also stands proof of the quality of the product. Besides, the increased space makes it easier when you purchase a couple of AAA titles for your Nintendo Switch like Wolfenstein and Doom. If you like to keep them installed always, this should help.

What Makes the SanDisk 256 GB Class 10 SD Card Reliable?

  • The app loading time, in this case, is fast. Games will load much faster so that you can jump into any new title without delay.
  • The warranty period is excellent, and the high storage allows you to keep multiple games installed at the same time.

Recommended For:

  • Useful for all kinds of storage purposes, this SanDisk 256 GB is perfect for Nintendo Switch with its fast read and write speeds. The product has been rated A-1 for its increased performance and is certified Class 10 that assures it is of the best quality and suitable for all types of gamers.

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Super Fast SD Card for Gaming Purpose

Samsung 256 GB MicroSDXC Evo Memory Card with Adapter

Samsung 256 GB MicroSDXC Evo Memory Card with Adapter

Samsung has been popular for quite a long time now in the data storage segment. The brand makes some of the best solid-state drives for computers and laptops as they already have the brand Seagate operating under their wing. It is no wonder the quality of products delivered by the brand is excellent and reliable. The Samsung 256 GB Evo microSD card with an adapter is a natural choice for Nintendo Switch owners.

For those of you who are looking for a viable alternative to a brand like SanDisk, this should be on the top of your list. Companies like Western Digital and Seagate are more popular than SanDisk in the storage segment, which is why buyers favor Samsung’s offering. The performance is pretty much top-class as it delivers a read speed of about 100 MB/s and writes speed of about 90 MB/s making it quite efficient.

Almost all popular titles for the Nintendo Switch require storage space that could go all the way up to 50 GB or even more considering how big the AAA titles are. The graphics, sound files, and significant game levels have led to a massive increase in storage requirements on both gaming PCs and consoles. The Switch is no different, and for hardcore gamers, the extra space and speed offered by this SD card should be right on the spot.

What Makes the Samsung 256 GB MicroSDXC Evo an Excellent Product?

  • The brand value is high on this one as Samsung has been making some of the best memory solutions in recent times.
  • The performance is on par with Class 10 and has fantastic read and write speeds.

Recommended For:

  • The Class 10 and UHS Speed U3 rating deliver a fantastic experience on your Nintendo Switch console. When playing games, the time it takes for levels to load would mostly depend on the processing power and the speed of the memory that you use. This Samsung SD card is pretty much the best bet for a seamless gaming experience.

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Limited Storage for the Focused Gamer

Netac 32 GB MicroSD Card for Nintendo Switch

Netac 32 GB MicroSD Card for Nintendo Switch

Buying electronic gadgets and accessories is quite a demanding activity because there is always a better product if you spend a couple of dollars more. For the sensible gamer who is more than happy with 2 to 3 games or a bunch of indie titles on the Nintendo Switch, the Netac 32 GB micro SD card is the perfect solution. After all, there is no need to spend several dollars on storage space that you may not use at all in the long run.

When compared to brands like SanDisk, Netac may not be very well-known, yet the quality of products that they deliver is excellent. The rave reviews on the memory card stand proof to the SD card’s affordability and reliability. Besides, considering the in-built storage on the Nintendo Switch, another 32 GB of SD card storage space should be enough for most of your games.

A lot of gamers try to cram in several titles into a 128 GB or even 256 GB SD card but at the end of the day, you will most probably be playing only one or two games regularly. Following up with multiple titles at once is not practically possible, and the money you save on SD card can be used to buy another game in the future. The lesser memory is also handy in case you are planning to purchase multiple games on SD card rather than on the digital store to keep your collection intact for years to come.

What Makes the Netac 32 GB SD Card a Great Pick?

  • Space is enough for a couple of AAA titles, or you can use this card if you are keen on creating a physical collection of games than the digital store.
  • The Netacbrand has received excellent reviews that stand proof to its quality.

Recommended For:

  • The market is mostly flooded with big names like SanDisk, but if you are looking for value for money and excellent build from another brand, Netac has a great solution. It is also available in larger storage sizes in case you want more than 32 GB.

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Great Value for Money with Plenty of Storage Space for Switch Titles

Silicon Power 256 GB Superior Pro Micro SD Card

Silicon Power 256 GB Superior Pro Micro SD Card

The Silicon Power SD Card offers excellent value for money as you get about 256 GB of space which is more than enough for most game titles on the Nintendo Switch. The product has a read speed of 100 MB/s allowing gamers to experience the best performance when reading game files and also has a write speed of 80 MB/s that should make saving files and rewriting of existing content much faster.

While the SD card is designed for all types of devices including smartphones and DSLR cameras, the fast read and write speeds from this product, make it an ideal choice for game consoles like the Nintendo Switch. The manufacturer, Nintendo, allows all third party SD cards to be used to store games, unlike the Sony PS Vita that did not enjoy much success due to lack of its support for non-proprietary storage options.

The best part about this SD card is that it is a budget-friendly product. At just $30, you get the most value for money and ample storage. The positive reviews also stand proof to the fact that this is one of the best purchases you will need to make to store all your digital games. The Silicon Power SD card comes in handy if you need to install multiple AAA titles, ready to be played any time.

What Makes the Silicon Power 256 GB a Superior Pro SD Card for Switch?

  • The value for money is just the best on this peripheral as it provides a lot of storage space for a relatively small investment.
  • The quality and read/write speeds are high, making it ideal for storing several game titles.
  • The Silicon Power SD card for Nintendo Switch has fast response time, works great, and has also been positively reviewed by users making it an all-rounder package.

Recommended For:

  • Gamers on a tight budget who need a lot of storage space and who may not want to go with other brands.

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An Overkill Solution for the Hardcore Nintendo Switch Fanboy

PNY Elite Performance 512 GB Class 10 SD Card

PNY Elite Performance 512 GB Class 10 SD Card

The hardcore Nintendo Switch fanboy will have plenty of reasons to justify why they have an SD card with half a terabyte of storage space for digital games. After all, if you are the one who spends a lot of time on the portable console playing during a commute, at school break, work break, and also at home, keeping multiple games installed will come in handy. There are also plenty of big titles that occupy lots of space, especially games like Wolfenstein, Breath of the Wild and Doom.

The Nintendo Switch is also one of the best consoles that have received so many third party titles, allowing gamers to purchase and enjoy the best of both worlds. The PNY Elite Performance 512 GB Class 10 is one of the best SD cards for Nintendo Switch even though it is a bit expensive compared to the smaller storage variants. Going all out will give you the advantage to keep all your titles installed for easy access.

The SD card supports 95 MB/s allowing the console to read games and write/save files without any lag. The faster speeds, when combined with Class 10 certification, provide you the assurance you need to make this investment. The card is quite durable as it has been certified to be shockproof and waterproof. If you are going to carry your Switch in mobile mode to different locations, this durability makes it the perfect SD card to use.

What Makes the PNY Elite Performance 512 GB SD Card the Best?

  • The value for money despite being an expensive solution is high on this product.
  • It has ample space for at least a dozen AAA titles and is meant for hardcore gamers.

Recommended For:

  • The best SD card for Nintendo Switch if you are serious about your console and gaming on the go. Besides, if you don’t own any other console and don’t mind dropping a $100 on this one alone, you can rest assured that you are set for years to come as all you need to do is purchase games, download, and keep them installed in the storage solution.

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An Extreme Edition for Gaming Purposes

SanDisk 128 GB Extreme SDXC SD Card

SanDisk 128 GB Extreme SDXC SD Card

The SanDisk Extreme Edition is being promoted as the latest generation in terms of speed, performance, and overall reliability. Compared to a hard disk or SSD, you may not worry too much about your game files getting corrupted many years later. In the short run, the SD card is the best solution to install and keep all your games ready to go on the Nintendo Switch.

While SanDisk promotes it as the fastest solution even to shoot 4K videos, using such a super fast card on your Switch console will speed things up to their best level. If you already have a lot of big titles purchased or if you are planning to build your collection, a large SD card will come in handy. This Extreme edition from SanDisk is among the best SD Cards for Nintendo Switch and with a reason.

The transfer speeds can go all the way up to 150 MB/s making it super fast and fabulous to work with. The real-world results are impressive as such SD cards help speed up game loading times. PC gamers often rely on SSD and M.2 drives to keep games at their fastest, responsive mode. The Switch will experience such speed, and it also comes with a lifetime warranty period.

What Makes the SanDisk Extreme 128 GB SD Card a Great Pick?

  • The transfer speeds on this SD card from SanDisk is one of the fastest transfer rates available.
  • The build quality and overall reliability factor are much higher.

Recommended For

  • The UHS Speed Class 3 SD card is fast enough to handle 4K footage, game-loading times, and file-save management. Nintendo Switch gamers can witness significant improvement in their gaming experience with ample space for storage.

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The Best Budget and Value That You Could Get

Patriot 32 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory SD Card

Patriot 32 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory SD Card

Considering the excellent reviews and the overall quality of the product, the Patriot 32 GB SD card is an easy pick for anyone who has already purchased the Nintendo Switch. For many, buying the console can be a high-budget affair and in such cases or if your use is limited, you can always check out this particular memory card. It gets the job done at just $10 and also has plenty of positive feedback from users.

The read and write speed on the Patriot are a bit slower when compared to more expensive models. But the budget-friendly alternative is something you can’t complain about. Besides, in real-world performance, the read speed is more than enough for reading all game files while the write speed which is slower will not hurt performance when compared to using the SD card on a camera or as a storage device.

The product has a two-year limited warranty making it more reliable and assuring the small investment you make. The full-size SD adapter should make it easier for you to use the card not only with the Nintendo Switch console but with other devices, in case you are looking for a multi-purpose solution that you can use for storing files and not just games on them.

What Makes the Patriot 32 GB Class 10 SD Card an Appropriate Solution?

  • Users can buy it as an additional solution apart from a main, much larger storage card.
  • The value-for-money pricing makes it easier to buy a few of them together in case you don’t want to store all your games on the same card.
  • The Patriot 32 GB is ideal if you like to swap games with others.

Recommended For:

  • While there are SD cards with much larger storage space, the Patriot 32 GB model will suit most requirements, especially when it comes to saving game files and playing your titles without any problem. Besides, not everyone has to invest in 128 GB cards or even bigger ones. Instead, the cash may be used to buy some new digital games.

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Bottomline

The Nintendo Switch is the best hybrid console that allows you to play the first party and third party titles, both at home and on the go. The best SD cards for Nintendo Switch are many, but each with some minor differences. Nintendo allows all kinds of memory cards to be used in their consoles, making it easier to buy something for as cheap as $10. Or, you can go all the way up to $100 to buy the top-of-the-line SD card like SanDisk card to keep a dozen AAA titles stored for quick play.

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