{"id":1219668,"date":"2025-02-21T03:00:37","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T08:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1219668"},"modified":"2025-02-21T03:00:37","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T08:00:37","slug":"the-best-microsd-cards-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1219668","title":{"rendered":"The best microSD cards in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Most microSD cards are fast enough for boosting storage space and making simple file transfers, but some provide a little more value than others. If you\u2019ve got a device that still accepts microSD cards \u2014 whether it\u2019s a <a data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/best-handheld-gaming-system-140018863.html\">gaming handheld<\/a>, a dash cam, a <a data-i13n=\"cpos:2;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/dji-mini-4-pro-review-the-best-lightweight-drone-gains-more-power-and-smarts-130012755.html\">drone<\/a> or an <a data-i13n=\"cpos:3;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/best-android-tablet-120007530.html\">Android tablet<\/a> \u2014 we\u2019ve scoured the market and put more than a dozen top contenders through a number of benchmark tests. You can find our top recommendations below, alongside some general shopping advice before you grab one.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"jump-link-table-of-contents\">Table of contents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/accessories\/best-microsd-card-130038282.html?src=rss#jump-link-best-microsd-cards-of-2025\">Best microSD cards of 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/accessories\/best-microsd-card-130038282.html?src=rss#jump-link-what-to-look-for-in-a-microsd-card\">What to look for in a microSD card<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/accessories\/best-microsd-card-130038282.html?src=rss#jump-link-how-we-test-microsd-cards\">How we test microSD cards<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/accessories\/best-microsd-card-130038282.html?src=rss#jump-link-other-notable-microsd-cards\">Other notable microSD cards<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/accessories\/best-microsd-card-130038282.html?src=rss#jump-link-recent-updates\">Recent updates<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"jump-link-best-microsd-cards-of-2025\">Best microSD cards of 2025<\/h2>\n<p>\n <core-commerce id=\"fbc287f3ba66437cad479a3ed014b277\" data-type=\"product-list\" data-original-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Lexar-Professional-microSDXC-Videographers-LMSSIPL128G-BNANU\/dp\/B0D4CDCVNY?th=1\"><\/core-commerce><\/p>\n<p>\n <core-commerce id=\"7fc8ee6462994ce2ac33fc1151b85a9b\" data-type=\"product-list\" data-original-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0C1PT9XXS\" data-original-url-7fc8e-btn-0=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1762872-REG\/samsung_mb_md128sa_am_128gb_pro_plus.html\" data-original-url-7fc8e-btn-1=\"https:\/\/www.samsung.com\/us\/computing\/memory-storage\/memory-cards\/pro-plus-adapter-microsdxc-128gb-mb-md128sa-am\/\"><\/core-commerce><\/p>\n<p>\n <core-commerce id=\"63ab63a44e61408b8cd13b6bfc796dde\" data-type=\"product-list\" data-original-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B09B1JFY24\/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;psc=1\"><\/core-commerce><\/p>\n<p>\n <core-commerce id=\"ba0e72ae8e57448da47a2f6a05994c50\" data-type=\"product-list\" data-original-url=\"https:\/\/shop.sandisk.com\/products\/memory-cards\/microsd-cards\/sandisk-microsd-express-memory-card?sku=SDSQXFN-128G-GN4NN\"><\/core-commerce><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"jump-link-what-to-look-for-in-a-microsd-card\">What to look for in a microSD card<\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-capacity\">Capacity<\/h3>\n<p>The first thing to figure out when buying a microSD card is how much storage space you need. Modern cards are usually available in sizes ranging from 32GB to 512GB, with several models now available in 1TB or <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:9;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=SanDisk&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay11bHRyYS11aHMtaS1taWNyb3NkP3NrdT1TRFNRVUFDLTFUNTAtR042TUEiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImY0MTFjYWRhLTNmMWUtNDg3ZC04ZDlhLWNiNWQzMGMxOWZiYSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9zaG9wLnNhbmRpc2suY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL21lbW9yeS1jYXJkcy9taWNyb3NkLWNhcmRzL3NhbmRpc2stdWx0cmEtdWhzLWktbWljcm9zZD9za3U9U0RTUVVBQy0xVDUwLUdONk1BIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAQwxHxWUEQ89QUgEleoCSg5UQshbES3Hs8FUYx1tx4nC&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-ultra-uhs-i-microsd%3Fsku%3DSDSQUAC-1T50-GN6MA\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/shop.sandisk.com\/products\/memory-cards\/microsd-cards\/sandisk-ultra-uhs-i-microsd?sku=SDSQUAC-1T50-GN6MA\">1.5TB capacities<\/a> as well. The first <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:10;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=SanDisk&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1leHRyZW1lLXVocy1pLW1pY3Jvc2Q_c2t1PVNEU1FYQVYtMlQwMC1HTjZNQSIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1leHRyZW1lLXVocy1pLW1pY3Jvc2Q_c2t1PVNEU1FYQVYtMlQwMC1HTjZNQSJ9&amp;signature=AQAAASBP0YQCcAUG6Oj-X56Nk_kUHy8T7f5kuJt6UGHr3qA9&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-extreme-uhs-i-microsd%3Fsku%3DSDSQXAV-2T00-GN6MA\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/shop.sandisk.com\/products\/memory-cards\/microsd-cards\/sandisk-extreme-uhs-i-microsd?sku=SDSQXAV-2T00-GN6MA\">2TB cards<\/a> from <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:11;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=SanDisk&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1leHRyZW1lLXByby11aHMtaS1taWNyb3NkP3NrdT1TRFNRWENHLTAzMkctR042TUEiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImY0MTFjYWRhLTNmMWUtNDg3ZC04ZDlhLWNiNWQzMGMxOWZiYSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9zaG9wLnNhbmRpc2suY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL21lbW9yeS1jYXJkcy9taWNyb3NkLWNhcmRzL3NhbmRpc2stZXh0cmVtZS1wcm8tdWhzLWktbWljcm9zZD9za3U9U0RTUVhDRy0wMzJHLUdONk1BIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAazl-u7Ujgr4u8xN1G05J3ra6yjl5UBF_HuhauZZF6Oo&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-extreme-pro-uhs-i-microsd%3Fsku%3DSDSQXCG-032G-GN6MA\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/shop.sandisk.com\/products\/memory-cards\/microsd-cards\/sandisk-extreme-pro-uhs-i-microsd?sku=SDSQXCG-032G-GN6MA\">major brands<\/a> have started to arrive in recent months as well, which is exciting, but those are still fairly rare (and very expensive) by comparison.<\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"end-legacy-contents\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>For most, a 128GB or 256GB model should be a sweet spot between price and storage space. But if you need more room \u2014 say, for stashing a bunch of games on a <a data-i13n=\"cpos:12;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/steam-deck-review-small-hands-180026719.html\">Steam Deck<\/a> \u2014 a 512GB card or greater could make more sense and often provides a better cost-per-GB ratio. These days, you can find a decent 128GB card for around $15 or less, a good 256GB card for less than $30 and a solid 512GB card for less than $40 (with faster models priced a little higher). There\u2019s a starker increase when you go up to 1TB cards, which often cost closer to $100, though we\u2019ve seen some fall into the $70 to $80 range within the last year. The first wave of 2TB cards are an even bigger leap: the 2TB SanDisk Extreme, for example, is priced at $200.<\/p>\n<p>Note that a microSD card\u2019s performance may differ depending on what capacity you buy. SanDisk says its <a data-i13n=\"cpos:13;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=92bbc6e1-f32c-4060-9f86-b3358db79a39&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Western+Digital&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsInN0b3JlSWQiOiI5MmJiYzZlMS1mMzJjLTQwNjAtOWY4Ni1iMzM1OGRiNzlhMzkiLCJsYW5kaW5nVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2VzdGVybmRpZ2l0YWwuY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL21lbW9yeS1jYXJkcy9zYW5kaXNrLWV4dHJlbWUtdWhzLWktbWljcm9zZCNTRFNRWEFBLTEyOEctQU42TUEiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImY0MTFjYWRhLTNmMWUtNDg3ZC04ZDlhLWNiNWQzMGMxOWZiYSJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAVLMWfp-vMvg_C-wQesY1U5IVOs6FMJfDrNv0N00SDEW&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.westerndigital.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fsandisk-extreme-uhs-i-microsd%23SDSQXAA-128G-AN6MA\">128GB Extreme card<\/a> delivers sequential write speeds up to 90 MB\/s, for example, while the higher-capacity models in the same line offer up to 130 MB\/s.<\/p>\n<p>When we talk about microSD cards today, we usually refer to cards that use the <a data-i13n=\"cpos:14;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/developers\/sd-standard-overview\/capacity-sd-sdhc-sdxc-sduc\/\">microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard<\/a>, which have a capacity between 32GB and 2TB. Your device needs to support this for it to work with a microSDXC card. This will almost never be an issue these days, but some older devices (a <a data-i13n=\"cpos:15;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/en-americas-support.nintendo.com\/app\/answers\/detail\/a_id\/274\/~\/what-sd-cards-and-microsd-cards-are-compatible%3F\">Nintendo 3DS<\/a>, for instance) are only compatible with microSDHC (High Capacity) cards, which range from 2GB to 32GB.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-read-and-write-speeds\">Read and write speeds<\/h3>\n<p>MicroSD cards are primarily judged on their read and write speeds, which are usually measured in megabytes per second (MB\/s). Generally, most microSD cards have faster read speeds than write speeds.<\/p>\n<p>These metrics can then be broken down into sequential and random performance. Sequential read and write speeds matter when you\u2019re trying to access or save long, constant streams of data, such as opening a large video or copying a big batch of files from a PC. If you want to use a microSD card for media storage, this is particularly important. Random performance, meanwhile, is about how quickly a card can read and write small files scattered throughout the device.<\/p>\n<p>Since random read\/write speeds are much lower than sequential ones, storage device makers tend not to advertise them as loudly. But they\u2019re important if you use a card with a gaming device or a single-board computer like the <a data-i13n=\"cpos:16;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/tag\/raspberry-pi\/\">Raspberry Pi<\/a>, where it often has to rapidly save and access small bits of data in random locations.<\/p>\n<figure>\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-05\/a8a00b60-f034-11ed-bf3c-39241bbedf2b\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-speed-ratings\">Speed ratings<\/h3>\n<p>If you look at a microSD card, you\u2019ll see a buffet of numbers, letters and symbols. Most of these refer to the card\u2019s <a data-i13n=\"cpos:17;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/developers\/sd-standard-overview\/speed-class\/\">speed class<\/a> and performance ratings, which are determined by the <a data-i13n=\"cpos:18;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/\">SD Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A card\u2019s Video Speed Class, or V-rating, details its minimum sequential write speed, which is especially important when recording video from a camera. It ranges from V6 to V90. Most of the cards we tested had a V30 rating, so they have a sequential write speed of at least 30 MB\/s. This should be enough to support up to 4K video at lower bitrates. Higher-rated V60 and V90 cards are usually better for capturing 8K, but they come at a much higher cost.<\/p>\n<p>The UHS Speed Class, or U-rating, also refers to a card\u2019s minimum sequential write speed. It comes in two varieties: U3, which mandates a minimum of 30 MB\/s, and U1, which is rated for 10 MB\/s.<\/p>\n<p>The older Speed Class rating overlaps with the other two systems. It\u2019s signified by a C symbol and goes from Class 2 to Class 10, with the number (again) indicating minimum sequential write speed. This rating is less relevant nowadays, but you may still see a \u201cC10\u201d logo on some cards.<\/p>\n<p>The Application Performance spec, marked by an A symbol, is an indicator of random read\/write speeds. This is measured in IOPS, or input\/output operations per second, rather than MB\/s. There are two categories here: A1 cards offer a minimum random read speed of 1,500 IOPS and a minimum random write speed of 500 IOPS, while A2 cards bump those up to 4,000 IOPS and 2,000 IOPS, respectively. Both ratings also guarantee sequential write speeds of at least 10 MB\/s.<\/p>\n<p>To keep it simple, most people should look for a card with V30, U3 and A2 ratings. It\u2019s totally possible to get a solid card without those: A U1 card might be worth it if you just need a cheap, high-capacity option, for example. V60 and V90 cards are worth a look if you\u2019re serious about shooting high-resolution photos and video as well. But overall, cards with the certifications above should provide the best blend of price and performance today.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to emphasize that these ratings are baselines. Most V30 cards offer significantly higher write speeds than 30 MB\/s, for instance, and some A1 cards can outperform some A2 models in practice. The speeds advertised by manufacturers aren\u2019t always 100 percent accurate, either: Sometimes the card will be slower in real-world use, other times it may actually be a bit faster.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-uhs-bus-speeds\">UHS bus speeds<\/h3>\n<p>The other spec to note is the card\u2019s bus interface. Most microSD cards available today are UHS-I, which have a theoretical maximum speed of 104 MB\/s. There are also UHS-II cards, which have an extra row of pins on the back and can reach up to 312 MB\/s. (A UHS-III standard technically exists as well but hasn\u2019t seen wide adoption.) These are labeled on the card with a Roman numeral I or II.<\/p>\n<p>UHS-II cards are usually the ones with those higher V60 or V90 ratings. If you shoot lots of 4K to 8K video or frequently use burst mode to capture ultra high-res photos, the performance gains of a good UHS-II card can save you time.<\/p>\n<p>However, these are much more expensive than UHS-I cards: This <a data-i13n=\"cpos:19;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=95276f3c-7b79-4c1e-803f-981cd9f7a968&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=B%26H+Photo&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iaHBob3RvdmlkZW8uY29tL2MvcHJvZHVjdC8xNzkzMzcxLVJFRy9sZXhhcl9sbXNnb2xkMTI4Z19ibm5uZ18xMjhnYl9wcm9mZXNzaW9uYWxfZ29sZF9taWNyb3NkeGMuaHRtbCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iaHBob3RvdmlkZW8uY29tL2MvcHJvZHVjdC8xNzkzMzcxLVJFRy9sZXhhcl9sbXNnb2xkMTI4Z19ibm5uZ18xMjhnYl9wcm9mZXNzaW9uYWxfZ29sZF9taWNyb3NkeGMuaHRtbCJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAZCQLJCaXg-xEzPrC4Qb_Sfvns0Klfc_o4OPsadFGvTC&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1793371-REG%2Flexar_lmsgold128g_bnnng_128gb_professional_gold_microsdxc.html&amp;refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2Fcomputing%2Faccessories%2Fbest-microsd-card-130038282.html&amp;uuid=6snSMKg4JwD8JRwW19544\">128GB Lexar Professional Gold<\/a> model, for instance, is a relative bargain at $40. While that&#8217;s less than many UHS-II models we\u2019ve seen in the past, it&#8217;s still more than double the typical price of our top pick mentioned below. You need a device that\u2019s compatible with the UHS-II interface to see any benefits, too, and stock for UHS-II cards is generally spottier. For now, the higher speeds aren\u2019t worth the price premium for most people, so we stuck mostly to UHS-I cards with our recommendations.<\/p>\n<figure>\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-02\/eccbf260-edbf-11ef-affa-6baa4f7c8a62\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The absolute fastest microSD cards you can buy right now, though, are based on a different interface called <a data-i13n=\"cpos:20;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/developers\/sd-standard-overview\/sd-express-overview-in-short-videos-and-articles\/\">SD Express<\/a>. This has <a data-i13n=\"cpos:21;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20180626006664\/en\/SD-Express-%E2%80%93-Revolutionary-Innovation-SD-Memory\">technically been around<\/a> for several years and <a data-i13n=\"cpos:22;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/press\/thoughtleadership\/sd-9-1-specification-introduces-new-speed-classes-and-next-level-performance-features-2\/\">now includes<\/a> its own subset of <a data-i13n=\"cpos:23;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/developers\/sd-standard-overview\/speed-class\/\">speed classes<\/a>, but the gist is that it&#8217;s much faster than UHS-I or UHS-II: SanDisk\u2019s recently released <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:24;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=SanDisk&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1taWNyb3NkLWV4cHJlc3MtbWVtb3J5LWNhcmQ_c2t1PVNEU1FYRk4tMTI4Ry1HTjROTiIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1taWNyb3NkLWV4cHJlc3MtbWVtb3J5LWNhcmQ_c2t1PVNEU1FYRk4tMTI4Ry1HTjROTiJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAfRNIHCy5WfgHVO5JQSsNTAuoBuHC0YbTktxhkx8u3SA&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-microsd-express-memory-card%3Fsku%3DSDSQXFN-128G-GN4NN\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/shop.sandisk.com\/products\/memory-cards\/microsd-cards\/sandisk-microsd-express-memory-card?sku=SDSQXFN-128G-GN4NN\">microSD Express card<\/a>, which is the first commercially available model we\u2019ve tested, advertises sequential read speeds up to 880MB\/s. For context, that\u2019s quicker than some older SSDs.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a substantial upgrade that \u2014 spoiler alert \u2014 has largely held up in our testing, but just about zero popular devices natively support SD Express right now, and again, SanDisk\u2019s card costs much more than the best UHS-I options. It\u2019s still possible to take advantage of the boosted performance with a dedicated SD Express card reader, but that adds even more to the final cost. It\u2019s also worth noting that SD Express cards are not backwards compatible with UHS-II (or UHS-III), so if you try to plug one into a device with a UHS-II slot, it\u2019ll be limited to UHS-I speeds. Still, the tech should have plenty of appeal if more gadgets that support the interface do arrive. Besides SanDisk, Samsung <a data-i13n=\"cpos:25;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/samsungs-new-microsd-card-is-faster-than-some-ssds-191251687.html\">has said<\/a> it plans to release an SD Express card as well.<\/p>\n<figure>\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2021-10\/5b0bdf80-261b-11ec-93d7-3651390a7516\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-a-note-on-card-readers-and-reaching-advertised-speeds\">A note on card readers and reaching advertised speeds<\/h3>\n<p>While the UHS-I interface has a theoretical maximum of 104 MB\/s, some UHS-I cards can exceed that speed through proprietary extensions. However, you need a compatible card reader and host device to take advantage of that extra performance. If you find a UHS-I card advertising speeds higher than 104 MB\/s, this is what\u2019s going on. You can see these limits in action with a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck: <a data-i13n=\"cpos:26;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/en-americas-support.nintendo.com\/app\/answers\/detail\/a_id\/22481\/~\/microsd-card-faq\">Both<\/a> of <a data-i13n=\"cpos:27;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.steamdeck.com\/en\/tech\">those<\/a> gaming devices support the UHS-I interface but don\u2019t go beyond its official speed, flattening any sequential gains some cards may have elsewhere. (Differences in random read and write speeds can still matter, though.) The same thing will happen if you plug a more powerful UHS-II or SD Express card into a device that doesn\u2019t accept those interfaces.<\/p>\n<p>The takeaway: Your microSD card will only be as fast as the slowest link in your chain.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-warranty\">Warranty<\/h3>\n<p>Many microSD cards are designed to be durable, with protection from water, extreme temperatures, X-rays and drops. Still, in case of catastrophe, a long warranty is always good to have. Many manufacturers offer lifetime or 10-year limited warranties, though we\u2019ve noticed that \u201cendurance\u201d cards marketed to withstand more hours of writing are usually covered for a shorter period of time. For example, <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Samsung Electronics;elmt:;cpos:28;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f85e63cd-e13c-4f9d-991c-9fbaadede3ac&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Samsung+Electronics&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zYW1zdW5nLmNvbS91cy9jb21wdXRpbmcvbWVtb3J5LXN0b3JhZ2UvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL3Byby1lbmR1cmFuY2UtYWRhcHRlci1taWNyb3NkeGMtMjU2Z2ItbWItbWoyNTZrYS1hbS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImY0MTFjYWRhLTNmMWUtNDg3ZC04ZDlhLWNiNWQzMGMxOWZiYSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Ftc3VuZy5jb20vdXMvY29tcHV0aW5nL21lbW9yeS1zdG9yYWdlL21lbW9yeS1jYXJkcy9wcm8tZW5kdXJhbmNlLWFkYXB0ZXItbWljcm9zZHhjLTI1NmdiLW1iLW1qMjU2a2EtYW0vIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAcllRIX3DZuYIbvhGrQFIv7FHWlCKx1-FShaN--m5dJQ&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.samsung.com%2Fus%2Fcomputing%2Fmemory-storage%2Fmemory-cards%2Fpro-endurance-adapter-microsdxc-256gb-mb-mj256ka-am%2F\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/www.samsung.com\/us\/computing\/memory-storage\/memory-cards\/pro-endurance-adapter-microsdxc-256gb-mb-mj256ka-am\/\">Samsung&#8217;s Pro Endurance<\/a>, a model aimed at security cameras and other monitoring devices, comes with a five-year warranty.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-avoiding-counterfeits\">Avoiding counterfeits<\/h3>\n<p>The memory card market has had a particular problem with scammers selling fake products. To guard against this, only buy from a known brand and a reputable retailer such as Best Buy, B&amp;H Photo or Adorama. If you shop at Amazon, only buy if the shipper <em>and<\/em> seller is Amazon.com. (That said, a handful of users <a data-i13n=\"cpos:29;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/NintendoSwitch\/comments\/dz3h6z\/amazon_still_selling_fake_microsd_cards_even_if\/\">have reported<\/a> receiving counterfeits even from Amazon directly in the past.) Remember: If a price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of any retailer offering significantly a lower price than others.<\/p>\n<p>Once you receive a card, check its packaging for any irregularities. You can run benchmark tests like <a data-i13n=\"cpos:30;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/crystalmark.info\/en\/\">CrystalDiskMark<\/a> or <a data-i13n=\"cpos:31;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL2FwcHMuYXBwbGUuY29tL3VzL2FwcC9ibGFja21hZ2ljLWRpc2stc3BlZWQtdGVzdC9pZDQyNTI2NDU1MD9tdD0xMiIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIn0&amp;signature=AQAAActngcAbGFJX7nyX4-HIJ1_WXXD3RN5G-OqiyGzawnQ0&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fblackmagic-disk-speed-test%2Fid425264550%3Fmt%3D12\">BlackMagic Disk Speed Test<\/a> to verify its speeds aren\u2019t drastically lower than what\u2019s advertised (or possible, given its specs). You can also use software that\u2019s designed to verify the true capacity and performance of your card, such as <a data-i13n=\"cpos:32;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/3ds.hacks.guide\/h2testw-(windows).html\">H2testw<\/a> and <a data-i13n=\"cpos:33;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.majorgeeks.com\/files\/details\/fakeflashtest.html\">FakeFlashTest<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure>\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-02\/e63d4510-edc5-11ef-ada3-7186ef31cc03\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"jump-link-how-we-test-microsd-cards\">How we test microSD cards<\/h2>\n<p>We&#8217;ve put close to 20 microSD cards through a series of tests to verify their sequential and random performance. These included benchmarks like <a data-i13n=\"cpos:34;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/crystalmark.info\/en\/\">CrystalDiskMark<\/a>, <a data-i13n=\"cpos:35;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL2FwcHMuYXBwbGUuY29tL3VzL2FwcC9ibGFja21hZ2ljLWRpc2stc3BlZWQtdGVzdC9pZDQyNTI2NDU1MD9tdD0xMiIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIn0&amp;signature=AQAAActngcAbGFJX7nyX4-HIJ1_WXXD3RN5G-OqiyGzawnQ0&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fblackmagic-disk-speed-test%2Fid425264550%3Fmt%3D12&amp;uuid=WrhBKbpN4daM9tbG7823\">BlackMagic Disk Speed Test<\/a>, <a data-i13n=\"cpos:36;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL2FwcHMuYXBwbGUuY29tL3VzL2FwcC9hdHRvLWRpc2stYmVuY2htYXJrL2lkMTQ3OTEwMzY1OD9tdD0xMiIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAfoNsNSPZ5e0oF3_3GiMSNvT93g2ZShPtGye_0XhmWP9&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fatto-disk-benchmark%2Fid1479103658%3Fmt%3D12&amp;uuid=3td9jvUGx8Cen6yQ8823\">ATTO Disk Benchmark<\/a> and <a data-i13n=\"cpos:37;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aja.com\/products\/aja-system-test\">AJA System Test<\/a>, as well as a few \u201creal-world\u201d tests. We copied and pasted a small folder of photos about 1.15GB in size to and from each card, then did the same with a larger 12.2GB folder containing multiple file types and subfolders, timing the process each time. We also checked how each card performed on the Steam Deck, downloading games of varying sizes \u2014 including <a data-i13n=\"cpos:38;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3N0b3JlLnN0ZWFtcG93ZXJlZC5jb20vYXBwLzQxMzE1MC9TdGFyZGV3X1ZhbGxleS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImY0MTFjYWRhLTNmMWUtNDg3ZC04ZDlhLWNiNWQzMGMxOWZiYSJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAfF9kftCm_qY8ohWAxApv17c1uLn8DNN4rAY6XEWVx_O&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fstore.steampowered.com%2Fapp%2F413150%2FStardew_Valley%2F&amp;uuid=cELFAOxALtSFSYSi9823\"><em>Stardew Valley<\/em><\/a>, <a data-i13n=\"cpos:39;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3N0b3JlLnN0ZWFtcG93ZXJlZC5jb20vYXBwLzE5MDI0OTAvQXBlcnR1cmVfRGVza19Kb2IvIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJmNDExY2FkYS0zZjFlLTQ4N2QtOGQ5YS1jYjVkMzBjMTlmYmEifQ&amp;signature=AQAAATgmruD8gtijYF0vpKXC9mtPTzhBAK0r5oyWRyVb-HeT&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fstore.steampowered.com%2Fapp%2F1902490%2FAperture_Desk_Job%2F&amp;uuid=jFv6JnI1tWDfBnmH10823\"><em>Aperture Desk Job<\/em><\/a>, <a data-i13n=\"cpos:40;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3N0b3JlLnN0ZWFtcG93ZXJlZC5jb20vYXBwLzIzNTQ2MC9NRVRBTF9HRUFSX1JJU0lOR19SRVZFTkdFQU5DRS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImY0MTFjYWRhLTNmMWUtNDg3ZC04ZDlhLWNiNWQzMGMxOWZiYSJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAf-Fcoj7h56Iws3Ir1v0yzPVUTpWtUYsoV5Kd4wNOn-7&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fstore.steampowered.com%2Fapp%2F235460%2FMETAL_GEAR_RISING_REVENGEANCE%2F&amp;uuid=LiLVLScIrcBgkXcy11823\"><em>Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance<\/em><\/a> and <a data-i13n=\"cpos:41;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3N0b3JlLnN0ZWFtcG93ZXJlZC5jb20vYXBwLzExNzI0NzAvQXBleF9MZWdlbmRzLyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAX6Dz1LiOG7XfZPyDoA4Mlv7wsLe_fKqHNgeGgTMOsM6&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fstore.steampowered.com%2Fapp%2F1172470%2FApex_Legends%2F&amp;uuid=WJrQVJRdqKe0UYD512823\"><em>Apex Legends<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 then timing how long it took to launch each game and load save files.<\/p>\n<p>Where applicable, we used a <a data-i13n=\"cpos:42;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsInN0b3JlSWQiOiI2NmVhNTY3YS1jOTg3LTRjMmUtYTJmZi0wMjkwNGVmZGU2ZWEiLCJsYW5kaW5nVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9LaW5nc3Rvbi1Nb2JpbGVMaXRlLVBsdXMtVUhTLUlJLVJlYWRlci9kcC9CMDg1UDRZMUYxLz90YWc9Z2RndDBjLXAtby15aC0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAXTXomhyyqi9b591nnBxFTkj5m_dtJCoEERBZSexPB2g&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FKingston-MobileLite-Plus-UHS-II-Reader%2Fdp%2FB085P4Y1F1%2F&amp;refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2Fcomputing%2Faccessories%2Fbest-microsd-card-130038282.html&amp;uuid=Bs3OaL0SfYhN9N6I22544\">Kingston USB 3.2 UHS-II reader<\/a> to test each card on both Windows 11 and macOS Sonoma. However, if a card could be bundled with (or is specifically advertised to use) a proprietary reader, we mainly tested with that, since we figure that\u2019s the one most interested buyers will end up using. For Windows testing, we used an Alienware <a data-i13n=\"cpos:43;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=b1bb23c9-a2d4-4e4e-bfac-7a560ebe7641&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Dell&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsInN0b3JlSWQiOiJiMWJiMjNjOS1hMmQ0LTRlNGUtYmZhYy03YTU2MGViZTc2NDEiLCJsYW5kaW5nVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVsbC5jb20vZW4tdXMvc2hvcC9nYW1pbmctYW5kLWdhbWVzL2FsaWVud2FyZS1hdXJvcmEtcjExLWdhbWluZy1kZXNrdG9wL3NwZC9hbGllbndhcmUtYXVyb3JhLXIxMS1kZXNrdG9wIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJmNDExY2FkYS0zZjFlLTQ4N2QtOGQ5YS1jYjVkMzBjMTlmYmEifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAZJl-bpdZeiHRWOQmAgmdgRnMdgbtlJeh52DNMpvZy5J&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dell.com%2Fen-us%2Fshop%2Fgaming-and-games%2Falienware-aurora-r11-gaming-desktop%2Fspd%2Falienware-aurora-r11-desktop&amp;refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2Fcomputing%2Faccessories%2Fbest-microsd-card-130038282.html&amp;uuid=5Zhop9Sz7qkNDMkv23544\">gaming PC<\/a> 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 Pro with an Apple M1 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. If a reader couldn\u2019t connect over USB-C, we used <a data-i13n=\"cpos:44;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/us.caldigit.com\/products\/ts4\">CalDigit\u2019s TS4 dock<\/a> to test the corresponding card on the MacBook.<\/p>\n<p>We tested the 128GB version of each card wherever possible, though for a few cards \u2014 SanDisk&#8217;s Extreme and Samsung&#8217;s Pro Plus and Pro Ultimate \u2014 we were only able to test higher-capacity models. We also reformatted each card before testing with the SD Association\u2019s <a data-i13n=\"cpos:45;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/downloads\/formatter\/\">Memory Card Formatter tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"jump-link-other-notable-microsd-cards\">Other notable microSD cards<\/h2>\n<figure>\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-11\/187ac090-7f16-11ee-9bfe-c69dcf93d7d8\" data-crop-orig-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-11\/187ac090-7f16-11ee-9bfe-c69dcf93d7d8\" style=\"height:1200px;width:2000px;\" alt=\"Samsung's Pro Ultimate microSD card.\" data-uuid=\"69a1d80c-4920-3c5e-9cf0-e25d9bd1558e\"><figcaption>\n  The Samsung Pro Ultimate.<br \/>\n <\/figcaption><div class=\"photo-credit\">\n  Photo by Jeff Dunn \/ Engadget\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-samsung-pro-ultimate\">Samsung Pro Ultimate<\/h3>\n<p>The <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:46;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAAdKkEmzv2nFgKOA4zCV_RQu1mww-hpn2BehdcHxvgG6t&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSAMSUNG-Ultimate-microSDXC-MB-MY128SA-AM%2Fdp%2FB0CF7Z68YH\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/SAMSUNG-Ultimate-microSDXC-MB-MY128SA-AM\/dp\/B0CF7Z68YH?th=1\">Samsung Pro Ultimate<\/a> was the closest competitor to the Lexar Professional Silver Plus across our benchmark tests, but it&#8217;s tangible worse in terms of sequential write speeds, typically costs more and doesn\u2019t offer a 1TB option. The Samsung Pro Plus is a bit slower for sequential reads, but it\u2019s close enough otherwise and usually easier to find at a lower price.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-kingston-canvas-go-plus\">Kingston Canvas Go Plus<\/h3>\n<p>The <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:B&amp;H Photo;elmt:;cpos:47;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=95276f3c-7b79-4c1e-803f-981cd9f7a968&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=B%26H+Photo&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iaHBob3RvdmlkZW8uY29tL2MvcHJvZHVjdC8xNTUyMzk4LVJFRy9raW5nc3Rvbl9zZGNnM18xMjhnYl8xMjhnYl9jYW52YXNfZ29fcGx1cy5odG1sIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJmNDExY2FkYS0zZjFlLTQ4N2QtOGQ5YS1jYjVkMzBjMTlmYmEiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJocGhvdG92aWRlby5jb20vYy9wcm9kdWN0LzE1NTIzOTgtUkVHL2tpbmdzdG9uX3NkY2czXzEyOGdiXzEyOGdiX2NhbnZhc19nb19wbHVzLmh0bWwifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAS4a4A7M3wHy_cpP0FQ_t8IjAaXbGHW4MrbwX64Ov32K&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1552398-REG%2Fkingston_sdcg3_128gb_128gb_canvas_go_plus.html\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1552398-REG\/kingston_sdcg3_128gb_128gb_canvas_go_plus.html\">Kingston Canvas Go Plus<\/a> is a fine card and worth buying over the Samsung Evo Select if the two are ever available for the same price, but its sequential write speeds lagged well behind the Lexar Silver Plus and, to a slightly lesser extent, Samsung Pro Plus.<\/p>\n<figure>\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-05\/38115180-f037-11ed-b9ff-371a217f9a97\" alt=\"The SanDisk Extreme and PNY Elite-X microSD cards.\" data-uuid=\"ceece318-0178-3bc0-a68d-be6ae7c181f0\"><figcaption>\n  The SanDisk Extreme and PNY Elite-X.<br \/>\n <\/figcaption><div class=\"photo-credit\">\n  Photo by Jeff Dunn \/ Engadget\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-delkin-devices-power\">Delkin Devices Power<\/h3>\n<p>We haven&#8217;t used it ourselves, but if you\u2019re willing to pay for a more powerful UHS-II card built for heavy-duty video recording, the <a data-i13n=\"cpos:48;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=95276f3c-7b79-4c1e-803f-981cd9f7a968&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=B%26H+Photo&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iaHBob3RvdmlkZW8uY29tL2MvcHJvZHVjdC8xNzU4Mzk3LVJFRy9kZWxraW5fZGV2aWNlc19kZG1zZGcyMDAwMTI4XzEyOGdiX3Bvd2VyX3Voc19paV9taWNyb3NkeGMuaHRtbCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAYBxRjXjOUtFUg7l3A34GgbbmXZSRCVlqiHQmpNc5Zuj&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1758397-REG%2Fdelkin_devices_ddmsdg2000128_128gb_power_uhs_ii_microsdxc.html&amp;uuid=ihC0Sn8FrRrCVEKu44829\">Delkin Devices Power<\/a> has <a data-i13n=\"cpos:49;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/havecamerawilltravel.com\/fastest-microsd-cards\/\">tested well<\/a> elsewhere and should deliver significantly faster sequential write speeds than our picks above. It\u2019s one of the few UHS-II cards we could actually find in stock, but it costs a ton, with a 128GB model normally priced around $80.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-sandisk-extreme\">SanDisk Extreme<\/h3>\n<p>The<a data-i13n=\"cpos:50;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=95276f3c-7b79-4c1e-803f-981cd9f7a968&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=B%26H+Photo&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsInN0b3JlSWQiOiI5NTI3NmYzYy03Yjc5LTRjMWUtODAzZi05ODFjZDlmN2E5NjgiLCJsYW5kaW5nVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmhwaG90b3ZpZGVvLmNvbS9jL3Byb2R1Y3QvMTY5MjcwMi1SRUcvc2FuZGlza19zZHNxeGFhXzEyOGdfYW42bWFfMTI4Z2JfZXh0cmVtZV91aHNfaV9taWNyb3NkLmh0bWwiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImY0MTFjYWRhLTNmMWUtNDg3ZC04ZDlhLWNiNWQzMGMxOWZiYSJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAY7_EXQZFUQUzUjHks0oVsOmvFyKWnjtQWvbA_eWVUrW&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1692702-REG%2Fsandisk_sdsqxaa_128g_an6ma_128gb_extreme_uhs_i_microsd.html\"> SanDisk Extreme<\/a> effectively matched the Pro Plus in a few of our sequential tests, but that was partly due to us only being able to secure the 256GB model, which is higher-rated than the 128GB version. It\u2019s a fine choice if you see it on sale at a reputable seller, but it\u2019s broadly slower than our top pick and often costs more.<\/p>\n<figure>\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-02\/a0f17260-edbb-11ef-ab57-039b61881e13\" data-crop-orig-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-02\/a0f17260-edbb-11ef-ab57-039b61881e13\" style=\"height:1124px;width:2000px;\" alt=\"The SanDisk GamePlay and SanDisk Pok\u00e9mon microSD cards rest on a brown wooden table.\" data-uuid=\"2d1e9c00-d79f-3013-bd0e-8700cf634cc4\"><figcaption>\n  The SanDisk GamePlay and SanDisk Pok\u00e9mon.<br \/>\n <\/figcaption><div class=\"photo-credit\">\n  Jeff Dunn for Engadget\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-sandisk-gameplay\">SanDisk GamePlay<\/h3>\n<p>The <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:51;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=SanDisk&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1nYW1lcGxheS1taWNyb3NkLWNhcmQ_c2t1PVNEU1FYQUEtMTI4Ry1HTjZYTiIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1nYW1lcGxheS1taWNyb3NkLWNhcmQ_c2t1PVNEU1FYQUEtMTI4Ry1HTjZYTiJ9&amp;signature=AQAAASQLpRhGCgbAjqJio_7zJ097c32CFowf-H3iqvPiy9UN&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-gameplay-microsd-card%3Fsku%3DSDSQXAA-128G-GN6XN\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/shop.sandisk.com\/products\/memory-cards\/microsd-cards\/sandisk-gameplay-microsd-card?sku=SDSQXAA-128G-GN6XN\">SanDisk GamePlay<\/a> performs similarly to the SanDisk Extreme but costs a good bit extra as of our latest update. We couldn\u2019t get it to reach its advertised speeds with the company\u2019s own \u201cPro\u201d card reader or other third-party options, so it fell short of our top picks.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-sandisk-pokemon\">SanDisk Pok\u00e9mon<\/h3>\n<p>The <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:52;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAATybOGXsqyZNvhkcqGBYElEoPepddBBa-rOrtSdBLd7q&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSanDisk-microSDXC-Licensed-Nintendo-Switch-Pok%2525C3%2525A9mon%2Fdp%2FB0DG5BGJ5Q%2F\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/SanDisk-microSDXC-Licensed-Nintendo-Switch-Pok%C3%A9mon\/dp\/B0DG5BGJ5Q\/?th=1\">SanDisk Pok\u00e9mon<\/a> does outperform its advertised read and write speeds, but not by enough to outpace the Lexar Silver Plus or Samsung Pro Plus. It essentially charges extra for having a picture of Pikachu (or <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:53;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=SanDisk&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1taWNyb3NkLXBva2Vtb24tY2FyZHM_c2t1PVNEU1FYQU8tNTEyRy1HTjZaSyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1taWNyb3NkLXBva2Vtb24tY2FyZHM_c2t1PVNEU1FYQU8tNTEyRy1HTjZaSyJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAWiIs4sthYA5LR24l1OAgT1a5Vqu6wkj2lcO4AkCMOZS&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-microsd-pokemon-cards%3Fsku%3DSDSQXAO-512G-GN6ZK\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/shop.sandisk.com\/products\/memory-cards\/microsd-cards\/sandisk-microsd-pokemon-cards?sku=SDSQXAO-512G-GN6ZK\">Gengar<\/a>, or <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:54;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAATnNTXheB6T3HuQpbrysyHrPMA0c8BEex7gq9LxT_-gl&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSanDisk-microSDXC-Licensed-Nintendo-Switch-Pok%2525C3%2525A9mon%2Fdp%2FB0DBZW3982%2F\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/SanDisk-microSDXC-Licensed-Nintendo-Switch-Pok%C3%A9mon\/dp\/B0DBZW3982\/?th=1\">Snorlax<\/a>) on a product you\u2019ll never look at.<\/p>\n<figure>\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2024-04\/89014260-f038-11ee-bfd4-363a465ffda4\" data-crop-orig-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2024-04\/89014260-f038-11ee-bfd4-363a465ffda4\" style=\"height:1199px;width:2000px;\" alt=\"A silver and black Lexar Professional 1066x microSD card and its black SD card adapter rest on top of a brown wooden shelf above a white window sill.\" data-uuid=\"de601a41-40b3-32c5-bc29-a3d0b2ba484d\"><figcaption>\n  The Lexar Professional 1066x.<br \/>\n <\/figcaption><div class=\"photo-credit\">\n  Photo by Jeff Dunn \/ Engadget\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-lexar-professional-1066x\">Lexar Professional 1066x<\/h3>\n<p>The<a data-i13n=\"cpos:55;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsInN0b3JlSWQiOiI2NmVhNTY3YS1jOTg3LTRjMmUtYTJmZi0wMjkwNGVmZGU2ZWEiLCJsYW5kaW5nVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9kcC9CMDhHR0NIS01ML3JlZj10d2lzdGVyX0IwQlRWTTdLNks_X2VuY29kaW5nPVVURjgmdGg9MSZ0YWc9Z2RndDBjLXAtby15aC0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZjQxMWNhZGEtM2YxZS00ODdkLThkOWEtY2I1ZDMwYzE5ZmJhIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAY7URpY0KNBdNfO1V0aFLfBy2xj6BvCY9XzyYdG_m_Ex&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB08GGCHKML%2Fref%3Dtwister_B0BTVM7K6K%3F_encoding%3DUTF8%26th%3D1&amp;uuid=fdNIX68id3KRTsau53635\"> Lexar Professional 1066x<\/a> is another OK alternative to the Samsung Pro Plus if our main picks are unavailable, but its sequential reads and random speeds aren\u2019t on par with either Samsung\u2019s card or Lexar\u2019s own Silver Plus. That said, it\u2019s worth getting over the Samsung Evo Select if you see it for a lower price, as its sequential write speeds are much faster. It also comes with a lifetime limited warranty.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-sandisk-extreme-pro\">SanDisk Extreme Pro<\/h3>\n<p>The <a data-i13n=\"cpos:56;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=92bbc6e1-f32c-4060-9f86-b3358db79a39&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Western+Digital&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsInN0b3JlSWQiOiI5MmJiYzZlMS1mMzJjLTQwNjAtOWY4Ni1iMzM1OGRiNzlhMzkiLCJsYW5kaW5nVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2VzdGVybmRpZ2l0YWwuY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL21lbW9yeS1jYXJkcy9zYW5kaXNrLWV4dHJlbWUtcHJvLXVocy1pLW1pY3Jvc2QjU0RTUVhDRC0xMjhHLUdONk1BIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJmNDExY2FkYS0zZjFlLTQ4N2QtOGQ5YS1jYjVkMzBjMTlmYmEifQ&amp;signature=AQAAARXoVmQcy_PgKUhXCekoXdgDs-C8duQS4wRPNV0kYmTL&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.westerndigital.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fsandisk-extreme-pro-uhs-i-microsd%23SDSQXCD-128G-GN6MA&amp;uuid=YppYHtGeJe6ymrXH57635\">SanDisk Extreme Pro<\/a> is a close analog to the Samsung Pro Ultimate but, as of this writing, is either unavailable at most trusted retailers or priced too high by comparison. The Lexar Professional Silver Plus has faster sequential write speeds as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"jump-link-pny-elite-x\">PNY Elite-X<\/h3>\n<p>The <a data-i13n=\"cpos:57;pos:1;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsInN0b3JlSWQiOiI2NmVhNTY3YS1jOTg3LTRjMmUtYTJmZi0wMjkwNGVmZGU2ZWEiLCJsYW5kaW5nVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9QTlktRWxpdGUtWC1NaWNyby0xMjhHQi1DbGFzcy9kcC9CMDdLTlRYS0wzP3RhZz1nZGd0MGMtcC1vLXloLTIwIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJmNDExY2FkYS0zZjFlLTQ4N2QtOGQ5YS1jYjVkMzBjMTlmYmEifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAaWDG_XP7aqt5Teb8HTtGJKRjEmauhU-xuutsPebK_E4&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPNY-Elite-X-Micro-128GB-Class%2Fdp%2FB07KNTXKL3\">PNY Elite-X<\/a> often goes for cheap and wasn\u2019t too far off the random read\/write performance of Samsung&#8217;s Pro Plus in CrystalDiskMark, but its sequential speeds were well behind our top picks.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"jump-link-recent-updates\">Recent updates<\/h2>\n<p><strong>February 2025<\/strong>: We\u2019ve updated this guide with a new top pick: the Lexar Professional Silver Plus. The Samsung Pro Plus, our previous recommendation, stays as a runner-up. We\u2019ve also added SanDisk\u2019s recently released microSD Express card as a pick for those who want the absolute fastest card possible, albeit with heavy caveats. This is one of the first microSD cards to use the SD Express bus interface, so we\u2019ve included more details on what that entails in our \u201cwhat to look for in a microSD card\u201d section. Lastly, we\u2019ve removed our write-up for SanDisk\u2019s <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Western Digital;elmt:;cpos:58;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=92bbc6e1-f32c-4060-9f86-b3358db79a39&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=f411cada-3f1e-487d-8d9a-cb5d30c19fba&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Western+Digital&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53ZXN0ZXJuZGlnaXRhbC5jb20vZW4tc2cvcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL3NhbmRpc2stYXBleC1sZWdlbmRzLW5pbnRlbmRvLXN3aXRjaC1taWNyb3NkP3NrdT1TRFNRWEFPLTEyOEctR042WlkiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImY0MTFjYWRhLTNmMWUtNDg3ZC04ZDlhLWNiNWQzMGMxOWZiYSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2VzdGVybmRpZ2l0YWwuY29tL2VuLXNnL3Byb2R1Y3RzL21lbW9yeS1jYXJkcy9zYW5kaXNrLWFwZXgtbGVnZW5kcy1uaW50ZW5kby1zd2l0Y2gtbWljcm9zZD9za3U9U0RTUVhBTy0xMjhHLUdONlpZIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAR4C3d1JhfEP-izck2qevetGhec4AmuWhcvXalipOOvF&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.westerndigital.com%2Fen-sg%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fsandisk-apex-legends-nintendo-switch-microsd%3Fsku%3DSDSQXAO-128G-GN6ZY\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid\" data-original-link=\"https:\/\/www.westerndigital.com\/en-sg\/products\/memory-cards\/sandisk-apex-legends-nintendo-switch-microsd?sku=SDSQXAO-128G-GN6ZY\"><em>Apex Legends<\/em> card<\/a>, as it appears to have been discontinued, and included testing notes for a couple of the company\u2019s more recent releases.<\/p>\n<p><strong>November 2024<\/strong>: We&#8217;ve checked back with this guide to ensure our recommendations are still accurate and made light edits for clarity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>August 2024<\/strong>: We\u2019ve updated this guide to note the recently released 1TB models for three of our top picks: the Samsung Pro Plus, the Kingston Canvas Go Plus and the Samsung Evo Select. We\u2019ve also made sure all pricing details are as up to date as they can be.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/accessories\/best-microsd-card-130038282.html?src=rss<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most microSD cards are fast enough for boosting storage space and making simple file transfers, but some provide a little more value than others. If you\u2019ve got a device that still accepts microSD cards \u2014 whether it\u2019s a gaming handheld, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1219668\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,44,110],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1219668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-engadget","category-technology","category-unfiltered-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1219668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1219668"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1219668\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1219668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1219668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1219668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}