By Jimmy Thang on
With the Nintendo Switch only having 32GB of internal storage, you’ll want to get a Micro SD card to supplement your digital downloads, but which one do you buy? We’ve rounded up eight of the best Micro SD cards on the market to steer you in the right direction.
Upgrade Nintendo Switch memory card with all game files to a bigger card. Here you have two methods to try and you may follow either offered methods to upgrade Switch memory card and transfer all game files to new bigger SD card now: Note: If you need a quick and reliable way to upgrade the Switch card, Method 1 shall be your best shot. Game DLC/Digital Game/App Downloads – Save point set in Switch's Data Management settings. Can be set to system memory or microSD card if installed.
What Micro SD cards to look out for
The Nintendo Switch supports cards up to two terabytes and Nintendo recommends a UHS-I (Ultra High Speed) Micro SD solution for the system. Also abbreviated UHS-1, the cards hit minimum write speeds of 10MB/s. While UHS-3 cards are faster, which write at a minimum of 30MB/s, the speed difference between the two types of cards is negligible when it comes to booting games. From our tests, we noticed a memory bottleneck. This means that, for the Switch, you shouldn’t feel the need to pay the extra premium for more expensive UHS-3 cards, as it will not improve boot times.
![How To Download Game For Switch To Sd Car ? How To Download Game For Switch To Sd Car ?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IJsvq5sI23I/maxresdefault.jpg)
Aside from making sure you get a UHS-1 Micro SD solution, you should focus on getting enough storage for your needs and pay attention to price per gigabyte. We’ve ranked the Micro SD cards accordingly in our gallery here.
Testing Methodology
- Once you insert an SD card into a Nintendo Switch console, the system will start storing downloadable games on it and any other data – except save files, this much is known.
- Apr 26, 2017 You're browsing the GameFAQs Message Boards as a guest. Sign Up for free (or Log In if you already have an account) to be able to post messages, change how messages are displayed, and view media in posts.
- Nintendo Switch has new bad news, and is running in to an SD Card problem. Nintendo has made an official statement, and we're here to discuss it! Will this hurt the Switch long term, or be quickly.
To test the Micro SD cards, we downloaded The King of Fighters ‘98 onto all eight of our cards and performed a boot test to see how fast each card loaded the game. As you’ll see in the following slides, performance across all cards is largely the same.
SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC UHS-I Card
Size: 64GB
Street price: $21.99
Price per gigabyte: 34 cents
Advertised speed: Up to 80 MB/s transfer speed
Game boot time: 9.9 seconds
SanDisk’s Ultra 64GB solution here represents not only the best 64GB deal, but the best price per gigabyte value in our roundup. If you’re likely to purchase physical copies of games and think 64GB of storage is enough to supplement your purchasing habits, this is the card we would recommend given its current street price.
Lexar 128GB 633x microSDXC UHS-1
Size: 128GB
Street price: $44.95
Price per gigabyte: 35 cents
Advertised speed: Up to 95MB/s read, 20MB/s write
Game boot time: 10.1 seconds
If you plan on purchasing many of your games digitally and think that 64GB of storage is not enough, then you should look to Lexar’s 128GB solution. It represents the second best price per gigabyte value in our lineup and is the most affordable 128GB card we’ve tested.
SanDisk Ultra 200GB microSDXC UHS-I card
Size: 200GB
Street price: $72.99
Price per gigabyte: 36 cents
Advertised speed: Up to 90MB/s read
Game boot time: 9.8 seconds
If you think 128GB still isn’t enough, we’d recommend SanDisk’s 200GB card here. It still offers a great price per gigabyte value at 36 cents and gives you a bunch of storage.
PNY Elite 128GB
Size: 128GB
Street price: $47.99
Price per gigabyte: 37 cents
Advertised speed: Up to 85MB/s Read speed
Game boot time: 10.1 seconds
The PNY Elite 128GB Micro SD card is a good, relatively capacious solution, but it currently retails for slightly more than Lexar’s 128GB offering. If you can find it for less, however, go for it.
Samsung Evo Plus 256GB
Size: 256GB
Street price: $129.99
Price per gigabyte: 50 cents
Advertised speed: Up to 95MB/s read, 90MB/s write
Game boot time: 9.9 seconds
If you plan on purchasing most, if not all, of your games digitally and want a ton of storage, Samsung 256GB solution here may pique your interest. It’s the most capacious card that we’ve tested, though it isn’t super cheap retailing for around $130.
With its fast advertised read and write speeds, it may be better suited for high-resolution video cameras.
Kingston Technologies 64GB SDCAC
Size: 64GB
Street price: $38.53
Price per gigabyte: 59 cents
Advertised speed: up to 90MB/s read, 45MB/s write
Game boot time: 9.9 seconds
At its current street price, Kingston’s 64GB SDCAC card is a tough sell. Its 59 cent price per gigabyte value isn’t particularly good, and you can find 64GB solutions from SanDisk and Lexar for less. As it is a fast UHS-3 speed card, it’s perhaps more fit for high-end video cameras.
Kingston Technologies 64GB SDCG
Size: 64GB
Street price: $45.99
Price per gigabyte: 71 cents
Advertised speed: Up to 90MB/s read, 45MB/s write
Game boot time: 10.1 seconds
Kingston’s 64GB SDCG variant is a card that we can’t recommend given its current price. It cost roughly double SanDisk’s 64GB solution.
ADATA 64GB UHS-I (3) microSDXC card
Size: 64GB
Street price: $49.49
Price per gigabyte: 77 cents
Advertised speed: Up to 95MB/s read, 90MB/s write
Game boot time: 9.9 seconds
ADATA’s 64GB offering here may make it a compelling card for high-resolution video cameras with its advertised speeds, but its performance benefits are lost on the Switch. We can’t recommend it for Nintendo's console given its current street price.
Conclusion
SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC UHS-I Card | Lexar 128GB 633x microSDXC UHS-1 | SanDisk Ultra 200GB microSDXC UHS-I card | PNY Elite 128GB | |
Size | 64GB | 128GB | 200GB | 128GB |
Street price | $21.99 | $44.95 | $72.99 | $47.99 |
Price per GB (less is better) | 34 cents | 35 cents | 36 cents | 37 cents |
Advertised speed (higher is better) | Up to 80 MB/s transfer speed | Up to 95MB/s read, 20MB/s write | Up to 90MB/s read, write speed lower | Up to 85MB/s Read speed |
Game boot time (less is better) | 9.9 seconds | 10.1 seconds | 9.8 seconds | 10.1 seconds |
Samsung Evo Plus 256GB | Kingston Technologies 64GB SDCAC | Kingston Technologies 64GB SDCG | ADATA 64GB UHS-I (3) microSDXC card | |
Size | 256GB | 64GB | 64GB | 64GB |
Street price | $129.99 | $38.53 | $45.99 | $46.94? |
Price per GB (less is better) | 50 cents | 59 cents | 71 cents | 73 cents? |
Advertised speed (higher is better) | Up to 95MB/s read, 90MB/s write | up to 90MB/s read, 45MB/s write | Up to 90MB/s read, 45MB/s write | Up to 95MB/s read, 90MB/s write |
Game boot time (less is better) | 9.9 seconds | 9.9 seconds | 10.1 seconds | 9.9 seconds |
Price listed reflect time of print.
In short, here are the cards we recommend given their respective sizes.
64GB: SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC UHS-I Card
128GB: Lexar 128GB 633x microSDXC UHS-1
200GB: SanDisk Ultra 200GB microSDXC UHS-I card
256GB: Samsung Evo Plus 256GB
If you plan on downloading a lot of games to your Nintendo Switch, the 32GB storage won't get you very far. However, by picking up a microSD card, you can expand the storage on your Switch to better accommodate your downloading habits. If you have already downloaded games onto your Nintendo Switch system memory and you want to transfer them to your microSD card, you'll have to jump through a few hoops.
It's not quite as easy as transferring a screenshot, but you can follow along below, and I'll show you how it's done!
How to transfer Nintendo Switch games to a microSD card
- Insert your microSD card into the Nintendo Switch console. The slot is located behind the kickstand. Make sure your Switch is off.
- Turn on your Switch.
- Select System Settings from your Switch's Home screen.
Select Data Management. You'll need to scroll down a bit.
- Select Manage Software.
Select the game you want to transfer.
- Select Archive Software.
Select Archive.
- Press Home button to go back to your Home screen. It's on the right Joy-Con underneath the thumbstick.
- Select the archived game from your Home screen.
Select Download.
The game will download onto your microSD card automatically. Remember that you can play the game off the microSD card, but save data will always save to your system memory.
Check out the best microSD cards available!
If you are planning on transferring games on to a microSD card, then you are likely going to be in the market to buy one. Fortunately, you can check out our list of the best microSD cards available for the Switch right here!
If you're uncertain about which microSD card to get, read our article to know which size microSD card is best for Nintendo Switch.
Storage Space
SanDisk Extreme PRO 64GB micro SD card
Plenty of storage space for your Nintendo Switch
This micro SD card is the perfect size to hold memory for a decent number of Nintendo Switch games. It's less expensive than other memory cards on the market while being a reliable option. It even comes with an adapter, making it more versatile.
Other helpful items to enhance your gaming experience
How To Download Game For Switch To Sd Car Rental
For the full Switch experience, you'll want to invest in the best accessories. Here are the top contenders.
eXtremeRate Replacement Shell($40 at Amazon)
Customize the color of your Nintendo Switch with one of 18 different-colored shell options. Package includes a back-plate with kickstand, Joy-Con cases, full set buttons and the tools needed to swap out the initial casings with the new ones. Note that removing the original shell voids the warranty on your Nintendo Switch.
Fintie Carrying Case($14 at Amazon)
![For For](https://geekreply.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Nintendo-Switch-Hori-MicroSD-Cards.png)
This hard shell carrying case comes in 18 different color options so you can choose the look you like best. It holds up to 10 game cartridges and features zipper-protected storage space to keep your accessories securely stowed. The handle makes it easy to carry and travel with.
Pro Controller($57 at Amazon)
This is the mother of all Nintendo Switch controllers. It features motion controls, HD rumble, and built-in amiibo functionality. The battery lasts for 40 hours and should it get low you can plug in a USB cable and keep playing. The joysticks and buttons are enlarged from the ones on the Joy-Con for easier access.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.