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Title: The best microSD cards in 2025

Date: Thu, 29 May 2025 09:00:36 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessorie...

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
youΓÇÖve got a device that still accepts microSD cards ΓÇö whether itΓÇÖs an
older gaming handheld, the new Nintendo Switch 2, a dash cam, a drone or an
Android tablet ΓÇö weΓÇÖve scoured the market and put close to 20 top
contenders through a number of benchmark tests. You can find our
recommendations for the best microSD cards below, alongside some general
shopping advice before you buy.

Table of contents

Best microSD cards of 2025

Other notable microSD cards

What to look for in a microSD card

How we test microSD cards

Recent updates

Best microSD cards of 2025

Other notable microSD cards The Lexar Play Pro on top of Lexar's RW540
microSD Express card reader. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Lexar Play Pro microSD
Express Card

The Lexar Play Pro is the second microSD Express card weΓÇÖve tested, and you
can think of it as a "1A" pick next to SanDisk's model. It doesnΓÇÖt come in
a 128GB configuration, but the 256GB model is much cheaper at $50, plus
itΓÇÖs available in 512GB and 1TB capacities. ItΓÇÖs faster when it comes to
sequential writes, measuring around 720 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and 700 MB/s
in ATTO. It also managed to write our larger test file in roughly 35 seconds
in certain runs, which was notably quicker than the SanDisk card.

However, its sequential reads were pretty definitively slower ΓÇö even if
theyΓÇÖre still far better than the rest of the market ΓÇö and those are more
important for reducing load times with the Switch 2 in theory. The improved
sequential writes were also somewhat inconsistent: Sometimes itΓÇÖd take
closer to 50 seconds to finish our real-world test, bouncing between the low-
200 MB/s range and the high-400 MB/s range along the way. At that point, it's
only marginally faster than the SanDisk card. Random speeds, meanwhile,
weren't hugely different, so both should be similarly adept at keeping larger
games like Mario Kart World running smooth.

In the end, the Switch 2 is the only real reason to buy a microSD Express
card right now, and we canΓÇÖt say for sure how different models will perform
on that system just yet. The ΓÇ£bestΓÇ¥ option may end up being whichever one
is cheapest. Nevertheless, the Play Pro is worth grabbing if you must buy an
Express card today and want more than 256GB of space.

Samsung Pro Ultimate

The Samsung Pro Ultimate was the closest competitor to the Lexar Professional
Silver Plus across our benchmark tests, but it's tangibly worse in terms of
sequential write speeds, typically costs more and doesnΓÇÖt offer a 1TB
option. The Samsung Pro Plus is a bit slower for sequential reads, but itΓÇÖs
close enough otherwise and usually easier to find at a lower price.

Lexar Professional Gold

We haven't used it ourselves, but if youΓÇÖre willing to pay for a more
powerful UHS-II card built for heavy-duty video recording, the Lexar
Professional Gold has tested well elsewhere and should deliver significantly
faster sequential write speeds than our UHS-I picks above. ItΓÇÖs one of the
few UHS-II cards we could actually find in stock, but itΓÇÖs pricey, with a
128GB model normally priced in the $35 to $40 range.

SanDisk Extreme

The SanDisk Extreme 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. ItΓÇÖs a fine
choice if you see it on sale at a reputable seller, but itΓÇÖs broadly slower
than our top pick and often costs more.

SanDisk GamePlay

The SanDisk GamePlay performs similarly to the SanDisk Extreme but costs a
good bit extra as of our latest update. We couldnΓÇÖt get it to reach its
advertised speeds with the companyΓÇÖs own ΓÇ£ProΓÇ¥ card reader or other
third-party options, so it fell short of our top picks.

SanDisk Pokémon

The SanDisk Pokémon 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 Gengar, or
Snorlax) on a product youΓÇÖll never look at.

SanDisk Extreme Pro

The SanDisk Extreme Pro 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.

PNY XLR8 Gaming

The PNY XLR8 is an affordable card that comes with up to 512GB of space. Its
sequential and random writes speeds checked in a little bit above those of
SamsungΓÇÖs Evo Select, plus it comes with a lifetime warranty. But its
sequential reads were much, much slower, putting it out of contention.

PNY Elite-X

The PNY Elite-X often goes for cheap and wasnΓÇÖt too far off the random
read/write performance of Samsung's Pro Plus in CrystalDiskMark. Like the
XLR8, itΓÇÖs also slightly above the Evo Select in write speeds. But its
sequential reads were too far behind all of our top picks, and it no longer
appears to be available in capacities above 256GB.

What to look for in a microSD card Capacity

The first thing to figure out when buying a microSD card is how much storage
space you need. Modern cards are commonly available in sizes ranging from
32GB to 512GB, with several models now available in 1TB or 1.5TB capacities
as well. The first 2TB cards from major brands have started to arrive in
recent months as well, which is exciting, but those are still fairly rare
(and very expensive) by comparison.

For most, a 128GB or 256GB model should be a sweet spot between price and
storage space. But if you need more room ΓÇö say, for stashing a bunch of
games on a Steam Deck ΓÇö 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, a good 256GB card for less than $30 and a solid
512GB card for around $40 (with faster models priced a little higher).
ThereΓÇÖs a starker increase when you go up to 1TB cards, which often cost
closer to $100, though weΓÇÖve seen some fall into the $70 to $80 range more
frequently over the last year. The first wave of 2TB cards are an even bigger
leap: the 2TB SanDisk Extreme, for example, now has a list price just under
$250.

Note that a microSD cardΓÇÖs performance may differ depending on what
capacity you buy. SanDisk says its 128GB Extreme card 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.

When we talk about microSD cards today, we generally refer to cards that use
the microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard, 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 Nintendo 3DS, for instance) are only compatible with microSDHC
(High Capacity) cards, which range from 2GB to 32GB.

Read and write speeds

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.

These metrics can then be broken down into sequential and random performance.
Sequential read and write speeds matter when youΓÇÖre trying to access (read)
or save (write) 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.

Since random read/write speeds are much lower than sequential ones, storage
device makers tend not to advertise them as loudly. But theyΓÇÖre important
if you use a card with a gaming device or a single-board computer like the
Raspberry Pi, where it often has to rapidly save and access small bits of
data in random locations.

Speed ratings

If you look at a microSD card, youΓÇÖll see a buffet of numbers, letters and
symbols. Most of these refer to the cardΓÇÖs speed class and performance
ratings, which are determined by the SD Association.

A cardΓÇÖs 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.

The UHS Speed Class, or U-rating, also refers to a cardΓÇÖs 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.

The older Speed Class rating overlaps with the other two systems. ItΓÇÖs
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 ΓÇ£C10ΓÇ¥ logo on some cards.

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.

To keep it simple, most people should look for a card with V30, U3 and A2
ratings. ItΓÇÖs 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 youΓÇÖre 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.

ItΓÇÖs 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 arenΓÇÖt always 100 percent accurate, either:
Sometimes the card will be slower in real-world use, other times it may
actually be a bit faster.

Samsung UHS bus speeds

The other spec to note is the cardΓÇÖs bus interface. Most microSD cards
available today are UHS-I, which has 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
hasnΓÇÖt seen wide adoption.) These are labeled on the card with a Roman
numeral I or II.

UHS-II cards are typically 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.

However, these are much more expensive than UHS-I cards: This 128GB Lexar
Professional Gold model, for instance, is a relative bargain at $35. While
that's less than many UHS-II models weΓÇÖve seen in the past, it's still more
than double the common street price of our top pick above. You need a device
thatΓÇÖs compatible with the UHS-II interface to see any benefits, too, and
stock for UHS-II cards is often spottier. For now, the higher speeds arenΓÇÖt
worth the price premium for most people, so we stuck mostly to UHS-I cards
with our recommendations.

Unlike traditional UHS-I cards, a microSD Express card like the SanDisk model
on the right comes with a second row of pins to enable its improved
performance. Jeff Dunn for Engadget microSD Express and the Nintendo Switch 2


The absolute fastest microSD cards you can buy, however, are based on a
different interface called SD Express. This has technically been around for
several years and now includes its own subset of speed classes, but the gist
is that it's much faster than UHS-I or UHS-II: SanDiskΓÇÖs recently released
microSD Express card, one of the first commercially available models,
advertises sequential read speeds up to 880MB/s. ThatΓÇÖs quicker than some
older SSDs.

ItΓÇÖs a substantial upgrade that has largely held up in our testing, but
very few popular devices natively support SD Express today. The first major
exception is the Nintendo Switch 2, which is only compatible with the newer
standard, as itΓÇÖs needed to keep up with the performance demands of new
handheld games.

Besides SanDisk, manufacturers like Samsung, Lexar and PNY have already
launched microSD Express cards to go with the console. The presumption is
that having such a popular device embrace the tech will only further its
adoption and drive prices down.

But itΓÇÖs still early days, and right now all microSD Express cards cost
much more than the best UHS-I or even UHS-II options. Beyond the Switch 2,
itΓÇÖs possible to take advantage of these cardsΓÇÖ superior speeds with a
dedicated SD Express card reader, but that adds even more to the final cost.
ItΓÇÖs 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, itΓÇÖll be limited to UHS-I speeds. Still, theyΓÇÖre a must for
Nintendo fans going forward, and the tech should have plenty of appeal if
more gadgets that support the interface do arrive.

A note on card readers and reaching advertised speeds

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 whatΓÇÖs going on. You can see these limits in action with an
original Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck: Both of those gaming devices support
the UHS-I interface but donΓÇÖt 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 doesnΓÇÖt
accept those interfaces.

The takeaway: Your microSD card will only be as fast as the slowest link in
your chain.

Warranty

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 weΓÇÖve noticed that ΓÇ£enduranceΓÇ¥ cards
marketed to withstand more hours of writing are usually covered for a shorter
period of time. For example, Samsung's Pro Endurance, a model aimed at
security cameras and other monitoring devices, comes with a five-year
warranty.

Avoiding counterfeits

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&H Photo or Adorama. If you shop at
Amazon, only buy if the shipper and seller is Amazon.com. (That said, a
handful of users have reported receiving counterfeits even from Amazon
directly in the past, so exercise caution.) Remember: If a price seems too
good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of any retailer offering a
significantly lower price than everyone else.

Once you receive a card, check its packaging for any irregularities. You can
run benchmark tests like CrystalDiskMark or BlackMagic Disk Speed Test to
verify its speeds arenΓÇÖt drastically lower than whatΓÇÖs advertised (or
possible, given its specs). You can also use software thatΓÇÖs designed to
verify the true capacity and performance of your card, such as H2testw and
FakeFlashTest.

A few of the microSD card readers we've used for testing. Jeff Dunn for
Engadget How we test microSD cards

We've put about 20 microSD cards through a series of tests to verify their
sequential and random performance. These included benchmarks like
CrystalDiskMark, BlackMagic Disk Speed Test, ATTO Disk Benchmark and AJA
System Test, as well as a few ΓÇ£real-worldΓÇ¥ 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 ΓÇö including
Stardew Valley, Aperture Desk Job, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Apex
Legends ΓÇö then timing how long it took to launch each game and load save
files. We do multiple runs of each test to verify our findings and account
for potential outliers.

Where applicable, we used a Kingston USB 3.2 UHS-II reader to test each card
on both Windows 11 and macOS Sequoia. 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 thatΓÇÖs the one most interested buyers
will end up using. For 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 Pro with an Apple M1 Pro chip,
16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. If a reader couldnΓÇÖt connect over USB-C, we
used CalDigitΓÇÖs TS4 dock to test the corresponding card on the MacBook.

We tested the 128GB version of each card whenever we could, though we were
only able to test higher-capacity models for a few options. We also
reformatted each card before testing with the SD AssociationΓÇÖs Memory Card
Formatter tool.

Recent updates

May 2025: WeΓÇÖve updated this guide to ensure our advice is accurate and to
reflect the new Nintendo Switch 2ΓÇÖs use of microSD Express cards. WeΓÇÖve
also added testing notes for the Lexar Play Pro microSD Express card and the
more standard PNY XLR8. WeΓÇÖve removed mentions of a few cards that have
seemingly been discontinued, including the original Kingston Canvas Go Plus,
the Lexar Professional 1066x and the 2021 Samsung Evo Select. We plan to test
more new microSD Express cards for a future update, plus a few other recent
releases from Kingston, SanDisk, Lexar and PNY.

February 2025: WeΓÇÖve 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. WeΓÇÖve also added SanDiskΓÇÖs 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 weΓÇÖve included more details on what
that entails in our ΓÇ£what to look for in a microSD cardΓÇ¥ section. Lastly,
weΓÇÖve removed our write-up for SanDiskΓÇÖs Apex Legends card, as it appears
to have been discontinued, and included testing notes for a couple of the
companyΓÇÖs more recent releases.

November 2024: We've checked back with this guide to ensure our
recommendations are still accurate and made light edits for clarity.

August 2024: WeΓÇÖve 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. WeΓÇÖve also made sure all pricing
details are as up to date as they can be.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessorie...
130038282.html?src=rss

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