If you've got a Nintendo Switch 2 and need more storage, the Samsung P9 Express microSD Express Card is now just $39.99 at Amazon, down from $79.99.

● Check out this deal on Amazon

With sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s and write speeds of 200 MB/s, the P9 is much faster than your average microSD card. This unique format for Switch 2 means you can store more games on the go, without needing to install and uninstall titles whenever you want to play them.

Flash storage is suffering from the AI shortage, but this $39.99 deal is just $7.50 shy of the best-ever price we've seen on this drive, which was $31.50 in March.

As you can see from our testing data, the Samsung P9 Express isn't the fastest microSD Express card on the market, but that's because this is a budget card that won't break the bank. It's a good bit cheaper than many other options, especially thanks to this discount.

The P9 is our best budget microSD Express card pick in the 256GB category, offering reliable performance and strong durability. It also comes with a pretty generous three-year warranty, where most rivals only offer one year. Samsung offers protection against water immersion, temperature changes, and even X-ray exposure (we're looking at you, airport scanners).

The card also features a Host Memory Buffer to boost data transfer speeds, as well as Dynamic Thermal Guard to prevent overheating and throttling.

This is the best price we've seen on this drive in a while, and it isn't likely to improve as Prime Day continues, so grab yourself a bargain and boost your Switch 2 storage before it disappears.

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Portable storage for your files and data isn't getting cheaper, thanks to the AI boom, which is why it's important to pick up a bargain while you can. Luckily, this microSD card could be a good option for your portable devices, from laptops to handhelds, along with cameras, drones, consoles, and more. This 256GB Samsung P9 Express microSD card is down to just $47.99 right now, reduced from $79.99, and saving you 40% in the process.

● Check out this deal on Amazon

You can expect maximum sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s, with write speeds of 200 MB/s. Those speeds make this Samsung P9 Express card up to four times faster than a typical UHS-I microSD card. It also features Host Memory Buffer (HMB) functionality to help improve data transfer speeds, with Dynamic Thermal Guard (DTG) support to help stop the card from overheating and limiting its performance.

Durability is important with microSD cards, and Samsung reckons this model is well protected against water immersion, extreme temperature variations, and even X-ray exposure. Ultimately, though, if you get it a bit wet, or drop it, you shouldn't lose your data. It comes with a 3-year limited warranty, and also supports Samsung's Magician software, which can help you monitor the card's health and to double-check that it's a genuine product.

There are a good set of reasons why you might want to pick up a card like this, especially if you're on the go a lot, but it's a firm recommendation if you're looking for a microSD card specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch 2 is one of the first consoles to offer microSD Express support, meaning it can use this Samsung P9 Express card's faster storage speeds compared to older UHS-I cards. For gaming on a handheld, expect faster load times and smoother performance, especially in the more demanding games.

Whether it's a Switch 2, laptop, or camera, the Samsung P9 Express is a great option for fast, future-proofed expandable storage. You'll want to grab this 256GB version for just $47.99 right now before it sells out or the price goes up.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

Remember those groundbreaking 8TB SD cards that Sandisk first unveiled back in 2024? After two long years, it appears they are ready for prime time. According to a recent report from news outlet Notebookcheck, multiple companies at Computex 2026 have reportedly confirmed that these high-capacity cards will begin shipping soon.

The upcoming 8TB SD cards conform to the SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) standard, a category that the SD Association introduced for cards with capacities spanning from 2TB up to 128TB. Therefore, while 8TB of capacity is impressive, there's still headroom for bigger SD cards in the future. Similar to microSD Express, SDUC is an emerging standard and requires new hardware.

From a compatibility standpoint, these 8TB SDUC cards are not backward compatible with older card readers and devices. Sometimes, when new cards launch, they are backward compatible with existing hardware but run at lower speeds. However, that isn't the case for SDUC cards. They will require new card readers and devices that support them.

At the moment, there aren't any devices that support SDUC cards, so you can't use them even if Sandisk or other manufacturers started giving them away. It remains to be seen when, and by whom, the SDUC standard will be adopted. For example, the microSD Express standard was introduced in 2019 and remained dormant until the Nintendo Switch 2, which launched six years later. To date, Nintendo's handheld gaming console is the only device to have embraced microSD Express. Therefore, it will likely take some time before SDUC cards become mainstream.

According to the photograph that Notebookcheck snapped at Computex 2026, Sandisk will launch 4TB microSDUC and 8TB SDUC cards under its Ultra lineup. It's a surprising move since the Extreme Pro lineup is superior and typically offers better performance.

The Sandisk Ultra 4TB microSDUC and 8TB SDUC cards conform to the UHS-I speed class, which means a theoretical maximum read and transfer speed up to 104 MB/s. They also carry the V10 and A1 ratings, equivalent to a minimum sustained write speed of 10 MB/s. Meanwhile, the Sandisk Extreme Pro 4TB SDUC card still maintains the UHS-I certification but flaunts a V30, guaranteeing a minimum write speed of 30 MB/s.

Although several manufacturers reportedly told Notebookcheck that these 8TB SDUC cards will "hit the market shortly," they didn't provide any hints on potential launch dates or estimated MSRP. We've reached out to Sandisk for more details and will update the story when the vendor replies.

For perspective, Sandisk sells the Extreme Pro 2TB microSD card for $569.99 and the Extreme Pro 2TB SD card for $549.99, which are double what the 1TB variant costs. Assuming Sandisk follows the same pricing scheme, the manufacturer's looming 4TB microSDUC and 8TB SDUC cards could be pushing price tags close to $1,200 and $2,200, respectively.

Most of the industry is focused on RAM and SSDs when it comes to the chip shortage that exploded in late 2025, but another storage segment is also being greatly affected by the lack of supply. According to a PCWorld investigation, USB drives and memory cards are showing massive price hikes from last year. In fact, we checked out several memory products on Amazon and compared their price histories on CamelCamelCamel and discovered that the median price increase across formats and capacities is a whopping 123%.

While these storage formats are often slower than SSDs, they still use NAND chips from wafers that could be manufactured from the same production lines, with their differences coming from binning and quality tiers. So, it would make sense for memory chip fabs to optimize their production lines for higher-bin NAND chips for SSDs. These drives are often used by AI data center customers who are willing to pay a premium to secure the storage they need. This optimization, in turn, could lead to a smaller supply of low-bin NAND chips for USB flash drive and memory card manufacturing, leading to higher costs for brands like SanDisk and Lexar, among others.

Because of this, manufacturers are increasingly turning towards more premium products to justify their prices. Just last week, SanDisk quietly released a 2TB variant of its top-tier Extreme Pro UHS-II SD card for $2,000, meaning this card would cost photographers, videographers, and other users $0.98 per GB. By comparison, the lower-tier 2TB SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I SDXC card only costs $440, or about $0.21 per GB. SanDisk isn’t the only company doing this, as other manufacturers like Lexar and Kingston both have premium memory cards that are in a similar price range.

Memory card manufacturers have no choice but to adapt to the current realities of the market. “Facing the shortage of supply, our strategy is to focus on high-end products instead of expanding our factories or manufacturing,” Lexar Senior Marketing Director Lincoln Lin said during a company-sponsored media trip. He also added, “We think this is what we should do in the current supply shortage situation. Because of the supply limitations, we have to release more high-value products and keep some differentiation for our consumers.”

The market response to increasing prices has also been interesting. Lexar EU General Manager Grace Su pointed out that the company has prepared lower-capacity and lower-performance drives to give buyers options. “This is a curiosity for me as buyers have in their mind, ‘I would like a 1TB [drive]. 1TB is the minimum capacity I want to have. Now that I can only afford 512GB, I can wait,’” Su said. While she said this in reference to consumers purchasing SSDs, it could also apply to those looking for memory cards who need a minimum capacity for their specific use-case.

Lexar recently invited Tom’s Hardware, along with several other journalists, to visit its Shenzhen office, which sits north of Hong Kong, as well as its research and development facilities at Zhongshan across the bay. From there, the company took us to their Suzhou factory, about an hour and a half to the west of Shanghai, to explore their automotive storage production line.

The company is primarily known for its flash memory products, particularly for high-performance microSD, SD, and CFexpress cards for cameras and other portable devices, as well as flash drives and card readers. However, the company has recently been making a push towards modern SSDs and RAM modules, and it’s also working on the next generation of AI-ready storage solutions.

We'll start with our factory tour on this page, and then move to the Q and A session with Lexar executives and the history of the company on the second page.

Moving beyond memory cards and flash drives

Lexar has continued producing removable storage solutions after its 2017 acquisition by Longsys. Just one year after the purchase, the brand was the first to commercially release a 1TB SD card. The company also claimed that it had the world’s fastest CFexpress Type B cards in 2022, which is crucial for both photographers shooting in burst mode and videographers shooting at high-resolution 4K video. Just last year, the company also released the world’s first stainless steel SD cards, featuring an IP68 environmental protection rating while also providing much more strength than regular plastic SD card models.

But now that Lexar was under the wing of Longsys, the company had access to formidable resources for research and development, as well as the nearly two decades of experience that its parent firm had in working with flash storage. Although the company had already been making USB flash drives before 2017, it was only after the Longsys purchase that the company started making and selling proper drives.

One of the first Lexar SSDs we’ve seen is the NM600 M.2 NVMe SSD, which, although it did not offer mind-bending performance, was an affordable and efficient SSD that offered a great solution for those looking for relatively affordable storage. Since then, Lexar has released several NVMe SSDs, like the NM790, which offered excellent sustained read and write speeds while staying power efficient and is priced competitively, especially at the 4TB capacity, as well as the 1TB Lexar Play M.2 2230 SSD, which is one of the best solutions for expanding storage on gaming handheld devices.

The company has also started building its own storage controllers, which manage how data is stored, moved, corrected, and retrieved from the NAND flash chips used by memory cards. This would allow Lexar to have more in-depth control of how its memory products would perform and differentiate its offerings from the competition. At the moment, Lexar’s Silver Plus microSD, Blue microSD, Silver Plus SD, and Silver SD cards already use in-house controllers.

Aside from building its own storage controllers and expanding into solid state drives, the company also ventured into RAM with its basic DDR4-2666 C19 memory modules in 2020 and the Hades gaming RAM the following year. By 2023, the company made the Ares RGB DDR5-6000 C34 gaming RAM, which supports both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO.

Of course, Lexar also saw the need for specialized storage in the age of AI. Because of this, it’s planning to release its AI Storage Core solution, which is more than just a faster, more performant memory solution. Of course, these will have higher read and write speeds, which is crucial for the massive amounts of data that AI handles, but will also have better encryption to protect the sensitive data handled by AI models. Lexar also says that they’ll be more robust, especially for applications in AI-powered vehicles and robots, as well as having hot-swapping capabilities to make it more convenient to switch devices without requiring a reboot.

The company says that it will offer multiple configuration options for AI Storage Core devices, ensuring that manufacturers and end-users can pick one that’s optimized for their application. It’s also working with various AI vendors, ensuring that Lexar’s storage solutions will be supported in future AI applications, allowing for easier and direct access to the data stored within them. There’s also development of supporting snapshots directly on the storage device’s firmware, giving users a secure backup directly on the device and making it easier to restore their data in case something goes wrong during the AI workflow, making it easier to roll back to an earlier snapshot.

Of course, Lexar cannot achieve all its plans without putting in the effort to develop new technologies. So, the company invited us to explore their various sites to see what it’s doing to achieve its goal of “Bridging Continents and Powering the World.”

Research and development for next-generation storage technologies

One of the first places we visited was the Longsys Innovation Laboratory, located in the Foresee Building at Zhongshan. This is where Lexar’s parent company works on developing next-generation products, including DDR5 and LPDDR5/5X memory modules, PCIe 5.0 storage solutions, UFS4.1 memory cards, as well as CXL2.0/3.0 for data centers and AI systems. The lab covers an area of over 9,000 square feet and is staffed by over 50 personnel, of which 20 are full-time engineers, scientists, and researchers.

Everything begins at the Design Simulation & Signal Analysis Lab, where new Lexar products are developed, validated, and engineered. The Design Simulation Lab is where upcoming storage solutions are tested for thermal performance, structural rigidity, and signal and power integrity, while the Signal Analysis lab looks at the high-speed signals being sent throughout the entire system to ensure everything stays in spec and operates reliably.

Since Lexar relies on third-party suppliers for NAND and DRAM supplies, it must ensure the quality of the dies it receives and know exactly what’s inside each product it manufactures. This is where the Chip Resource Analysis Lab comes in, where multiple high-end machines test timings, memory redundancy, and the memory core, as well as running accelerated aging under stress (also known as burn-in testing), to ensure the quality and reliability of Lexar products over time.

There are several labs that deal with completed products. There’s the System Verification Lab, where finished storage and memory items are tested for their power draw and timings, ensuring that Lexar DRAM meets JEDEC specifications. Lexar has a high-end gaming PC installed in the lab so that they can run their hardware on various benchmarking apps like AIDA64, 3DMark, and PCMark.

The Reliability Lab is where things are getting interesting, as Lexar puts its various products through their paces here. It has various testing machines, including the Drop Tester for simulating dropping an item from a height of up to 1.5 meters or 4 feet to a concrete or steel floor and the Roller Drop Tester, which continuously tumbles items between 5 to 25 RPM. There’s also the Plug-in/out Force Test machine, which simulates plugging in a memory card into a slot thousands of times and with various levels of force, the Tensile Test machine, which basically pulls on materials to see how much strength it takes to break them apart, and several other devices that check the durability of their prototypes and other products.

Aside from physical strength, the company also tests for electrostatic discharge resistance in its ESD lab, ensuring that its memory cards, storage drives, and memory modules aren’t killed by everyday static that people build up from their environment.

The tests we’ve mentioned above are mostly limited to day-to-day use. At the end of the hall sits the Environmental Lab, where Lexar puts its prototypes and products through the wringer. There are four testing machines here — the Salt Spray Test, which accelerates aging through a corrosive environment, the Precision High-Temperature Oven, where Lexar products are exposed to high temperatures while they are running, the Highly-Accelerated Stress Test, for reliability failure analysis, and the Dye Penetration Test, which looks at the effects of thermal shock on various components.

Besides the ESD Lab, you’d find the X-ray Lab, where the tiny wiring and connections in the chip are analyzed. Inside it, you’ll find a combined 2D X-Ray and CT Scan machine, allowing Lexar engineers to find minute, microscopic defects. There’s also the Failure Analysis Lab, which looks at how the items fail after this series of tests, allowing Lexar to figure out what went wrong with them and rectify their shortcomings, ensuring that they do not fail once out in the real world.

Last, but not least, we visited the Materials Analysis Labs, where the scientists and engineers visually inspect the chips. Note that they do not just place them under a microscope — instead, this is an involved process where they would put the memory or storage module they want to inspect in resin and then use a precision cutter machine to exactly slice the material and reveal the area where the suspected damage is.

Now, all the testing here is done directly on the Lexar products and prototypes. However, storage and memory do not exist in a vacuum — instead, they must work with a massive number of different devices, like cameras, drones, security cameras, gaming handheld devices, desktops, laptops, tablets, dashcams, and so much more. So, our next stop was the Longsys Quality Labs.

An extensive compatibility testing lab

Lexar has an extensive portfolio of memory and storage products, including CFexpress cards, SD cards, microSD cards, the NM card for some Huawei phones, portable SSDs, USB flash drives, M.2 and SATA SSDs, DDR4 and DDR5 memory modules, card readers, enclosures, and more. If Lexar plans to release any new product, it must ensure that it will work across a wide range of devices already on the market. Because of this, Longsys Quality Labs keeps more than 1,200 different gadgets across 35 categories to ensure that it can test its products before release.

For example, we saw more than 30 handheld gaming consoles on one desk, featuring popular brands and models like the Steam Deck, ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go, and the Nintendo Switch 2, as well as from more niche brands like OneX Player, Ambernic, and more. There are also several drones and action cameras from DJI, as well as shelves of DSLRs, mirrorless, and point-and-shoot cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm. The Lexar team also had multiple phones, including those from Chinese brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo, as well as popular international brands such as iPhone and Samsung. Aside from these flash devices, other rooms also stored a ton of more mundane gadgets, like dashcams, security cameras, and even automotive modules.

After exploring the lab, we visited the Memory History Museum, where Lexar showed how storage technologies developed from prehistoric knots to the SSDs that we know today. We ended our day there, as our next stop would be the company’s manufacturing base in Suzhou, a two-hour flight from Shenzhen, which we took the following day.

Exploring the Longforce automotive storage production facility

Our entire group landed in Shanghai, and we took a one-and-a-half-hour drive to the Longforce Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., which is the company’s manufacturing arm. We then made our way to the company’s production line for automotive storage, where we saw how NAND silicon wafers are turned into automotive-grade storage solutions. Since this is a silicon production line, we all had to wear cleanroom suits and get blasted with air jets before entering the actual production area. That way, we minimize the chances of bringing in contaminants that would affect yield rates.

The NAND arrives from the suppliers in wafer form, where it must first undergo taping, which is the mounting of the wafer to a backing material to ensure its rigidity during processing. That’s because a silicon wafer is extremely thin, and the backing material will protect it from cracking. From here, the wafer first undergoes pre-grinding, which thins out the wafer and makes it ready for cutting. It’s then cut into pieces with a laser using a technique called stealth dicing, because the cuts were made under the surface. From there, the wafer is finally fully ground to bring the wafer to its final thickness.

Once all of that is completed, the wafer is then finally mounted, and the tape is removed through DDS. It then goes through various processes until the die is mounted onto a substrate. From there, it will go through wire bonding, which connects all the layers of the die to the substrate, and be packaged via a C-Mold process. From there, it receives branding, and solder balls are attached to the underside of the substrate to make it ready for attachment to a PCB.

Note that the process does not end there, as the chips are all built together into a single molded panel. They must first be cut into individual pieces through singulation. Once that is done, they go through final testing and quality control, and then the chips are packaged for delivery to clients.

Let's move to the executive Q and A on the following page.

We visited a lot of places in so little time, so we did not get a chance to get to know Lexar’s leadership team a bit deeper. Nevertheless, some of the journalists who joined the tour were still able to ask them a few questions regarding the brand and the state of the memory and storage market today.

30 years of Lexar

Before we dive into anything else, let’s look at the quick history of Lexar. The storage company was founded in 1996 in San Jose, California, after it was spun off from audio semiconductor company Cirrus Logic. The company focused on flash memory technologies, tapping into the massive opportunity presented by the booming digital camera landscape, which began in the late 90s and exploded in the early 2000s. After nearly 10 years as an independent company, Micron Technology bought the firm in 2006.

Lexar partnered with Kodak in 2004 to produce a Kodak-branded 64MB SD card, which the two companies extended for another five years in 2007. It was during this period that the latter started producing 1GB and 2GB SD cards for the American camera brand, as well as the 128MB Picture Card UFC Drive, which worked both as a memory card and as a USB flash drive.

Aside from this push on consumer-grade memory, Lexar also developed storage media that focused on professional photographers with its CompactFlash (CF) cards. Many pro-grade DSLRs relied on this form factor during this time, which was larger, more robust, and often delivered performance better than comparable SD cards. The company was the first to deliver a 256GB CF card in 2012, which it released alongside an SDXC UHS-I card. It then doubled down on this focus the following year by releasing the Professional Workflow solution — a docking station that allowed you to mix-and-match card readers and portable SSD modules on a single high-performance base station, keeping all your portable memory needs in one place.

However, Micron decided to discontinue the Lexar brand by 2017, saying that it wanted to focus on higher value markets and channels. One of the reasons behind this move is the reduced popularity of dedicated cameras, especially as smartphones, with their built-in cameras, became more popular in the early to mid-2010s. Furthermore, Android smartphones started losing their expandable memory feature around 2015, with Samsung being the first one to drop it with the Galaxy S6.

These changing market conditions, alongside increasing competition, meant that Micron wanted to exit the consumer memory market and focus its attention on more profitable products. Fortunately, the company didn’t shutter the brand — instead, it offered the entire division for sale, with Longsys acquiring it completely in 2017.

Longsys is a China-based flash storage company founded in 1999, focusing on research and development, design, testing, packaging, manufacturing, and sales of storage solutions. It already had a strong presence in industrial and embedded storage solutions with its B2B Foresee brand, so the company saw a unique opportunity when Micron decided to sell Lexar. The purchase gave the Chinese company a chance to gain a foothold in Lexar’s market, while at the same time continuing the brand’s legacy of high-quality, high-performance removable devices.

MicroSD cards remain relevant in 2026, offering a highly portable and practical way to expand storage across a wide range of devices, including cameras, drones, handheld consoles, and more. That said, if you are after the fastest possible data transfer speeds, say for your Nintendo Switch 2, it’s worth looking at microSD Express cards which use PCIe and NVMe protocols to deliver speeds of 800MB/s and above. One such option is the Samsung P9 Express microSD card, which is available at a discount this President's Day on Amazon. The 512GB variant is currently priced at $79.99, down from $119.99, while the 256GB model is selling for $47.99, reduced from its original price of $54.99.

• Check out this deal on Amazon

Offering maximum sequential read speeds of up to 800MB/s, the Samsung P9 Express is up to four times faster than conventional UHS-I microSD cards. The P9 Express also supports Host Memory Buffer (HMB) which essentially utilizes your device’s system memory to improve data transfer speeds while Dynamic Thermal Guard (DTG) technology can monitor and regulate the card’s temperature to prevent overheating and maintain consistent performance.

According to Samsung, the card is also highly durable, offering protection against water immersion, extreme temperatures, X-ray exposure, magnetic fields, accidental drops and wear out. With that, the company offers a 3-year limited warranty and support for Samsung’s Magician software that can be used to monitor the card’s health and check for product authenticity verification.

The Samsung P9 Express is also a recommended choice if you’re buying a microSD card specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch 2 is one of the first consoles to officially take advantage of microSD Express cards, thus benefiting from much higher storage speeds than older UHS-I cards. That means that games should load faster and smoother performance with larger and more demanding titles.

With all of the above considered, the Samsung P9 Express is a solid pick if you want fast, future-ready expandable storage for modern devices like the Nintendo Switch 2. With the 512GB model currently selling for $79.99 and the 256GB version priced at $47.99 on Amazon, the ongoing discounts make it an even more attractive upgrade right now.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

PicoIDE launched earlier this week, touted as “an open source IDE/ATAPI drive emulator for vintage computers.” This single 3.5-inch bay fitting device can replace those aging optical drives (and media) and HDDs, that your retro-PC relies on, with the convenience and capacity that modern microSD cards provide. It uses an appropriate retro-design aesthetic (in beige or black). You can back this project for as little as $69 for the base model, will free shipping in the U.S. and an expected June 14 dispatch date.

Polpotronics LLC, the outfit behind the PicoIDE, highlights the increasing issue of “worn out lasers, crashed heads, or bad sectors,” that even the best maintained vintage PCs can be prone to. At the same time like-for-like hardware replacements are getting scarcer, so a modern retro-embracing, transparent, open-source alternative becomes a compelling project.

Two versions of the PicoIDE are being made available, the PicoIDE Base ($69, beige), and the PicoIDE Deluxe ($110, beige or black). Whichever you choose, you get the following features:

• Full 3.5-inch drive bay enclosure (injection molded)
• Standard 40-pin IDE connector
• 4-pin Molex power connector
• Headers for external activity LED and action button
• SPI header for future expansion
• Emulates ATAPI CD-ROM drives and IDE fixed hard drives
• Images stored on microSD card (FAT32 or exFAT)
• CD-ROM formats: .bin/.cue (with audio track support), .iso
• HDD formats: .img, .hda, .vhd (with CHS geometry), .hdf
• LBA and CHS addressing modes for maximum compatibility
• Configurable vendor/model strings for compatibility with picky systems
• Supports PIO modes 0-4 and multi-word DMA modes 0-2
• Powered by Raspberry Pi RP2350
• IDE bus operations accelerated with PIO state machines
• Double-buffered read-ahead for optimal throughput
• Hot-swap image selection when inserting mickroSD
• Configuration via ini file on microSD
• Firmware updates from the micoSD
• High-quality TI PCM5100A DAC for audio out
• MPC-2 header for internal sound card connection
• 3.5 mm line-out jack for external audio

A killer convenience feature of the PicoIDE is its ability to hold multiple drive images, say with different DOS, Windows, OS/2 and other installations, and on-the-fly switch to load your chosen image at next-boot – all from a single micoSD card. Moreover, PicoIDE emulates a multitude of drive geometries.

PicoIDE is also truly open source. That permeates the hardware, firmware, and documentation. With all design and source files promised to be available via GitHub before the device begins shipping. Documentation is already there.

In the intro, we mentioned that you can back this project for as little as $69 for the base model, with free shipping in the U.S., and an expected June 14 dispatch date. But please remember that crowdfunding a project is not a guarantee of receiving a finished product within the timescale highlighted, if at all. Backing a crowdfunded project is more like an investment; you believe in the project and want it to succeed. You are not purchasing a retail product.

Although Samsung's 512GB P9 Express microSD Express Card has only been available for a short time, it's one of the most recent microSD Express card releases designed for small devices that require significantly faster read and write times than previous microSD cards, such as Nintendo's latest Switch 2 handheld. With the first wave of microSD Express cards from other manufacturers launching with high pricing and jumping off store shelves faster than they could be restocked, the arrival of the Samsung P9 Express was a welcome sight. Originally released at $99.99, the price of the P9 Express has risen to $119.99, but in today's deal at Amazon, you can find the 512GB Samsung P9 Express microSD Express card on sale for just $79.99, a saving of $40. If you're looking to beef up the storage capacity of your Nintendo Switch handheld, or any other device that uses microSD Express, then this is definitely a good deal to check out.

• Grab this deal at Amazon

Samsung's P9 Express microSD Express Card is available in two capacities: either 512GB, as in today's deal, or in a smaller 256GB size. The microSD Express card is backward compatible with the Switch 1 and older devices, but be mindful that the super speeds of this microSD Express card will be negated if not used with hardware that can take advantage of the PCIe 3.0 bandwidth, such as the Nintendo Switch 2. Featuring on our list of the best microSD Express cards, the Samsung P9 has an excellent price-to-performance ratio.

The latest microSD Express cards have to be fast to be able to stream data from the card to the device as fast as possible on high-performance electronic devices, and although these tiny SD cards may pale in size to an (2280) M.2 SSD, the P9 Express card can leverage SSD levels of speed by using the NVMe protocol, PCIe 3.0 x1 interface. This enables maximum sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s, with random read/write endurance rated at 65,000 IOPS and 52,000 IOPS, respectively. Samsung's P9 Express also comes with a comforting 3-year warranty.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

An amazing all-time low price deal today on Samsung's recently released 256GB P9 Express microSD Express Card has it priced at just $32.99. This is a far cry from the original launch prices of these fancy new microSD Express cards when they first hit the market. Selling out within seconds due to the anticipated launch of Nintendo's sequel console, the Switch 2, it was a while before this new breed of microSD cards was back in regular stock. If you own a Switch 2 games console and need some extra storage for your installed games library, you should jump on this deal quickly, because at this price, it's either going to sell out quickly or the deal will expire once a certain amount has been sold.

• Grab this deal at Amazon

Samsung's P9 Express microSD Express Card comes in two capacities: either 256GB or 512GB. The card is backward compatible with the Switch 1 and older devices, but be mindful that the super speeds of this microSD card will be negated if not used with hardware that can take advantage of the PCIe 3.0 bandwidth, such as the Nintendo Switch 2.

The latest microSD Express cards have to be fast to be able to stream data from the card to the Switch 2 as fast as if you were accessing the internal storage of the Switch 2 console itself. Games have to be able to load levels quickly and stream texture and shader details as speedily as possible to the console for the best experience.

Although these tiny SD cards pale in size to an M.2 SSD (2280), the P9 Express card can leverage the NVMe protocol using a PCIe 3.0 x1 interface. That enables maximum sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s, with random read/write endurance rated at 65,000 IOPS and 52,000 IOPS, respectively, to contend with the best microSD Express cards. Samsung's P9 Express also comes with a comforting 3-year warranty should the worst happen, and the card develops a fault.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

The maelstrom that is Cyber Monday is upon us. The biggest sales event of the year lasts almost a whole month these days, and is one of the best times to snag a deal or five. One of the most popular items on shoppers' lists if you're a Nintendo Switch 2 owner is a new microSD Express card. And the deals are solid this year, and still going, though we anticipate these won't last long.

This 512GB SanDisk microSD Express card is only $89.24 at Amazon, a 15% price cut from its $104.99 list price and a new low on Amazon.

You can also pick up the slightly cheaper Samsung P9 512GB microSD Express for just $74.99, a 25% reduction from its $99.99 price.

Finally, we also have a wonderful deal on a 256 GB Samsung card for only $39.

• Grab this 512GB SanDisk deal at Amazon
• Grab this 512GB Samsung deal at Amazon
• Grab this 256GB Samsung deal at Amazon

In comparison to the Nintendo Switch 2's launch, there is now plenty of stock of these microSD cards, with Samsung's P9 Express only releasing onto the market fairly recently. With these sales and the festive holidays on the near horizon, this is a great opportunity to snap one of these cards up early as a stocking filler.

SanDisk's microSD card can deliver impressive read speeds of up to 880MB/s and write speeds of up to 650MB/s, with a sustained write speed of 220MB/s. The new microSD Express cards are required for the Nintendo Switch 2 console, due to the much faster transfer speeds over standard microSDXC cards. This allows games to install, load, and stream data much faster, for a better gameplay and user experience.

Although these tiny SD cards pale in size to an M.2 SSD (2280), the P9 Express and SanDisk cards leverage the NVMe protocol using a PCIe 3.0 x1 interface. That enables maximum sequential read speeds of up to 880 MB/s, with random read/write endurance rated at 65,000 IOPS and 52,000 IOPS, respectively, to contend with the best microSD Express cards.

MicroSD Express cards have roughly 4x the performance of a standard UHS-I card, an essential requirement for use in Nintendo's latest console. Speed is king when loading large textures and other assets. This fast, SSD-like storage is perfect for the Switch 2, but would not be as useful for the likes of the Steam Deck, where the card would only operate at standard microSD speeds.

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New reports are now coming in from Japan, courtesy of IT Media, highlighting that customers are starting to pivot to high-capacity microSD cards to meet their storage needs. As a result, high-capacity MicroSD cards are now also encountering shortages.

We're currently traversing through one of the worst memory shortages in recent times, a situation that's expected to only get worse next year. Alongside DRAM, storage is also affected on an unprecedented scale, as data centers need every bit of flash they can get, leaving scraps for consumers to sift through.

"The larger versions of the popular series keep running out of stock," commented Technohouse Toei, a popular computer vendor in Tokyo. "This might drag on for a while." The models affected are 512 GB, 1TB, and 2TB microSD cards that offer a real substitute to SSDs and HDDs. Now that microSD Express is a thing, leveraging the PCIe interface and NVMe protocol with proper HBM support, it's actually feasible in these dark times that compact flash storage is replacing M.2 drives, at least when archival duties are not in the picture.

Speaking of drive shortages, Japanese stores also mention how large-capacity HDDs are being swept up and anything that remains on shelves is increasingly overpriced. One shopkeeper said, "It looks like large-capacity models are getting sucked up for AI use, so we aren't getting any stock at all. Everyone knows what's going on, so even if the price goes up, the drives sell out immediately… and the cycle repeats." In comparison, SSDs are "not as bad as HDDs," according to the retailer PC SHOP Ark in Chiyoda.

Memory is still the worst outlier, with DDR5 prices on the rise exponentially, racing to beat all records. The same 64GB Corsair Vengeance 5600 MT/s kit that cost ¥40,000 (~260) in early November, now costs ¥70,000 (~460) just three weeks in. That's an almost doubling on top of the already inflated $260 price tag it was sitting at. Still, these numbers are not as harrowing as the situation in the West, at least for now. Graphics cards, on the other hand, are relatively stable, but the rumor mill suggests they'll also be hit in 2026.

"Even when we finally get a shipment, the wholesale price has gone up by tens of thousands of yen. It’s happening all the time," said Tsukumo eX when referring to the ongoing DDR5 memory shortage. The number of physical price tags or stickers is visibly shrinking in stores because there's just not enough stock to sell. The AI boom is singlehandedly responsible for creating this landscape, and it's showing few signs of stopping anytime soon.

If you've been looking for a storage upgrade for your handheld, we've spotted a deal on one of the best options: Samsung's P9 Express 512GB is just $74.99 on Amazon right now, down $25 from its list price.

SD cards may not be as glamorous as SSDs, but they're just as essential and have received a significant upgrade with the microSD Express standard. Used by the Nintendo Switch 2, microSD Express cards offer superior speeds and durability for devices that need them, but they're also backward-compatible with previous generations.

• Check out this deal on Amazon

You might think there's not much to boast about in an SD card, but the P9 Express leverages the NVMe protocol using a PCIe 3.0 x1 interface. That enables maximum sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s, with random read/write endurance rated at 65,000 IOPS and 52,000 IOPS, respectively, to contend with the best microSD Express cards. There's onboard support for Host Memory Buffer (HMB), allowing the card to use system memory as temporary cache, and Samsung promises next-level ruggedness.

You're looking at roughly 4x the performance of a standard UHS-I card, a standard the P9 Express is backwards compatible with, so even your older devices can accept it. You'll see tangible benefits of this tech in modern hardware, such as the Switch 2, where loading large textures and other assets requires fast, SSD-like storage in a compact form factor. Heck, even the upcoming Steam Machine with a microSD card slot at the front likely supports the Express standard, so you can load up all your favorite games without breaking the bank.

If 512GB for $74.99 doesn't feel right to you, the P9 Express is also available in a 256GB variant, which is on sale for $47.49 right now, down from its usual price of $54.99. Both cards offer identical performance and are backed by a 3-year warranty, similar to the special Mario Edition 256 GB model Samsung released alongside the Switch 2 — a card we already recommend. Lastly, Samsung's Magician software is also compatible with the P9 Express, so you can rest assured you'll receive an authentic product.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, or CPU Deals pages.

The Small Capacity Memory Card Championship (Japan), in which participants submitted their smallest memory cards, has been a tightly run race, but now the results are in. The smallest memory card found by the retro-computer-loving followers of X68PRO-HD on X was a 0.5MB SmartMedia card. While entrants such as the 1.44MB Flash FDD stick and Casio 2KB battery-backed RAM card didn’t make the cut (they didn’t quite fit the category), we were intrigued to see them.

Without further ado, the full list of tiny-capacity winners was as follows (machine translation):

• SD card: 8MB (SD, miniSD, microSD)
• MMC card: 4MB
• CF card: 2MB
• Memory Stick: 4MB
• SmartMedia card: 512KB (5V) / 2MB (3.3V)
• xD-Picture Card: 16MB
• PCMCIA card: 10MB / 2KB (SRAM)

If I were to join in this low-capacity competition, the best entrant from my drawers of detritus would be the 1GB xD-Picture card I found (see top picture). I also remember spending far too much on a 64MB CF card (and PCMCIA adaptor) back when digital cameras were cutting-edge tech objects of desire. Even that, though, seems massive compared to the 0.5MB SmartMedia card found by X68PRO-HD and their social media acquaintances.

The competition poster tipped a hat to other interesting small-capacity flash storage card entrants, but several were disqualified from the final list. Formats like PS1 memory cards, ‘bubble memory,’ USB thumb drives, and battery-backed flash RAM cards didn’t make the grade. Some of these were out of bounds as they weren’t ‘general-purpose’ flash memory cards.

Nevertheless, the rejects pile offered up some very interesting artifacts from earlier computing eras. Probably the most remarkable small-capacity entry that didn’t make it was the Casio 2KB battery-backed RAM card. This was a type of memory card exclusively for the Casio ‘Pokecon’ (ポケコン) range of pocket computers from the 1980s and 90s.

Another entry that didn’t quite make the grade was a 1MB PCMCIA card that was produced before it became a standard – that was a near miss.

Last but not least, it was interesting to see pictures and information about a 1.44MB ‘Flash FDD’ stick. This was a flash drive with the same capacity as a standard HD floppy. Moreover, it was designed with firmware to emulate a real floppy disk and could be booted from, like a floppy, by Windows and Linux users.

Samsung has introduced its P9 Express to contend with the best microSD Express cards available for the Nintendo Switch 2. They are available now with a price tag of $54.99 for the 256GB model and $99.99 for the 512GB variant.

Samsung has already released a Nintendo-licensed Super Mario Edition microSD Express 256GB card, coinciding with the launch of the Switch 2. However, the P9 Express represents the company's formal entry into the microSD Express market.

The P9 Express offers sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s, aligning with some of the fastest microSD Express cards currently available. The random read and write speeds are rated for 65,000 IOPS and 52,000 IOPS, respectively. The P9 Express is specifically designed for devices that support microSD Express, such as gaming handhelds, action cameras, drones, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. However, the current usage is likely limited to the Switch 2, the only device to have hopped on the microSD Express bandwagon.

MicroSD Express uses the PCIe 3.0 x1 interface, enabling significantly enhanced transfer performance. A ballpark figure is approximately 4X faster than standard microSD UHS-1 cards. As with all microSD cards, microSD Express cards are also backward-compatible with older devices. Nevertheless, this compatibility limits speeds to UHS-1, or, in the case of the P9 Express, to up to 90 MB/s for sequential reads and 2,000 IOPS for random reads and writes.

Samsung P9 Express Specifications

Samsung's P9 Express cards demonstrate durability comparable to that of microSD Express cards from other manufacturers. They are temperature-, magnet-, X-ray-, drop-, water-, and wearout-proof, so the P9 Express should survive even in the most rigorous conditions. While the P9 Express card is highly resilient, it is advisable to handle devices, such as the Switch 2, with care and avoid using them in adverse weather conditions.

A distinguishing feature of the P9 Express is the incorporation of Samsung's Dynamic Thermal Guard (DTG) technology, originally developed for its SSDs. The manufacturer claims that this advanced technology intelligently monitors and regulates the card's temperature, effectively preventing overheating and ensuring consistent performance during long gaming sessions.

The P9 Express is compatible with the Samsung Magician software, which is included with Samsung's SSD product line. This software provides several crucial features, including verifying the authenticity of the P9 Express, monitoring the card's health, and benchmarking its performance. Given the prevalence of counterfeit Samsung products in the market, the authenticity verification feature is particularly valuable.

Samsung offers a limited three-year warranty for the P9 Express. This warranty is longer than that provided by some competitors, who may only offer one year; however, it is not as extensive as the lifetime warranties supplied by a few other brands. The P9 Express is available for purchase in 256GB and 512GB capacities, priced at $54.99 and $99.99, respectively. Currently, Amazon is promoting a $5 discount on the 512GB version, reducing the price to $94.99 for a limited time.

The performance gains in microSD tech have jumped a level, and thanks to the popularity of Nintendo's recently released Switch 2 handheld games console, the prevalence of microSD Express cards has grown. Being one of the fastest formats and a requirement of the Switch 2 for added storage, the price is high when compared to standard microSD cards, with the larger capacities normally well over $200. These little cards now perform as fast as SSDs, with comparable PCIe performance, and complement the Switch 2 with lightning-fast load times for games that run off of the card.

At Costco, you can pick up the 1TB Lexar Play Pro microSD Express card for just $179.99, a massive $40 cheaper than Amazon & B&H Photo. The usual price for this 1TB card is $219.99. If you're looking to beef up the maximum games storage for your console, then picking up this speedy 1TB monster should tide you over for some time. You can purchase this microSD Express card online without the need for a current Costco membership. However, if you also want to pick up a Costco membership, you can grab this Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership, plus a $40 digital Costco shop card for $65.

• Grab this deal at Costco

The Lexar Play Pro 1TB is the best 1TB microSD Express card for the Switch 2, and it was also one of the first to launch. It's an excellent choice if you seek the highest capacity currently available and good transfer speeds. We tested this microSD Express card along with the other most popular cards. In our testing, the 1TB Lexar Play Pro came out on top as the best microSD Express card for the Nintendo Switch 2. See our results and how we tested in our best list.

The Lexar microSD card can deliver impressive read speeds of up to 900 MB/s and write speeds of up to 600 MB/s. The new microSD Express cards are required for the Nintendo Switch 2 console, due to the much faster transfer speeds over standard microSDXC cards. This enables games to install, load, and stream data much faster, resulting in better gameplay and user experience.

Recovery teams working on the Titan submersible have found the vessel's specialist stills and video camera intact. Fascinatingly, while there was some damage to the camera’s housing and internal components, tech and science enthusiast Scott Manley reveals that the internal SD card was “undamaged.” Contents of the memory card have since been investigated, and 12 stills and nine videos have been recovered.

Click 'See more' for images.

In the images, you can see a SubC-branded Rayfin Mk2 Benthic Camera, recovered from the wreckage of the ill-fated submersible operated by OceanGate. This still and video camera is rated to withstand depths up to 6,000m (19,685 feet, 3,281 fathoms). The titanium and synthetic sapphire crystal constructed device features both onboard and expansion memory (the titular SD card).

Casing intact, lens shattered but remained in place

Inside the camera's tube-like form, it is observed that the PCBs had suffered some slight damage. For example, connectors between two boards were sheared off, and some surface mount components were similarly damaged.

In some images of the PCB that are shared, you will notice details are blurred at the request of the Canada-based underwater imaging specialist and Rayfin Mk2 Benthic Camera manufacturer. However, SubC’s requested trade secret obfuscation hasn’t stopped internet sleuths asserting that they know exactly what components have been redacted.

Picking through Manley's Tweet thread replies, the key PCBs in the camera were likely an Inforce 6601 System on Module (SoM) based on the Qualcomm SD820 processor, which comes with 4GB of RAM on board and 64GB of UFS storage. Another component is thought to be the Teensy 4.0 or 3.2, which acted as an MCU. Last but not least, the undamaged SD card is almost certainly a SanDisk Extreme Pro 512GB ($62.99 at the time of writing), though it was de-branded in the photos.

Data recovery process and results

With an undamaged SD card, of course, investigators (and others) were interested in what details of the tragedy may have been captured and stored by this camera system. The first step was to make “an exact binary image of the SD card” so the original could be left untampered.

Check out Manley’s Tweet thread, containing investigator report screengrabs, to take in the full gamut of back and forth between the data forensics investigator, Canada’s Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), and SubC. To cut a long technical story short, though, the parties eventually met up at a lab/office in Newfoundland, where a recovered NVRAM chip and SD card image were interfaced with a “surrogate SoM board.” This did the trick, and 12 still and nine videos were recovered!

Recovered images were at a resolution of 4,056 x 3,040 pixels, implying a pretty common 12.3MP sensor was used by the SubC Rayfin Mk2 Benthic Camera. Videos were at a more standard 3,840 x 2,160 pixels – commonly referred to as 4K Ultra HD (UHD) video.

Somewhat disappointingly, the images and videos shared in the report were taken in the vicinity of the ROV shop at the Marine Institute, also in Newfoundland. The location was the logistical base for Titanic dive missions. No deep-sea shenanigans around the Titanic wreck were revealed. Manley explains in his Twitter thread that “the camera had been configured to dump data onto an external storage device, so nothing was found from the accident dive.” Nothing particularly pertinent to the tragic accident, that is.

If you own a Nintendo Switch 2, then you might well be on the hunt for a microSD Express Card to boost your storage. We're tracking the prices on savings you can still grab at several different retailers and from all the biggest vendors, including Samsung, SanDisk, and more, to help you find the best deals.

The Nintendo Switch 2 comes with 256GB of built-in storage, but if you want to add extra storage to your handheld console so that you can store more installed games, you're going to need to invest in the latest microSD Express storage technology, as the Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards.

Don't have a Switch 2 already? Pick one up using the link below from Amazon.

MicroSD Express Cards for Switch 2 Deals: Quick Links

• All MicroSD Express cards at Amazon

US microSD Express card deals

UK microSD Express card deals

How to Pick a Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express card 

The latest microSD Express cards are faster at reading and writing data compared to non-Express microSD cards, which were used in the original Nintendo Switch. This is why they've been chosen as the must-have medium for the Switch 2.

Ensure you're purchasing the correct microSD card by verifying the symbol on the card. It must display the "EX" symbol, as shown in the picture below, to be compatible with the Switch 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 supports microSD Express cards with a capacity of up to 2TB, which should be more than enough to store a large number of games, should you want them all downloaded and preinstalled for on-the-go gaming. Only the Switch 2 will be able to fully utilize the increased performance of the microSD Express card. If you use the same card in the original Switch, it will perform at the same level as a standard microSD card. Just don't buy one thinking you can increase the performance of your original Switch console.

There are licensed microSD Express cards for the Nintendo Switch 2, featuring a Nintendo logo, such as the Mario "M," much like we saw with cards for the original Switch. These microSD Express cards are available for purchase directly from the Nintendo shop, but they're also available at other retailers, including Amazon. These cards shouldn't have any performance advantage over standard models; however, it's just a branding decision. As such, one way to save a few bucks is to purchase a third-party, unlicensed microSD Express card from various other manufacturers and retailers.

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If you're looking for the best microSD Express cards for the Switch 2, our picks below, curated from our in-depth benchmarking, will show you the top cards available on the market right now. The Nintendo Switch 2 is one of the most highly anticipated launches in the world of gaming handhelds. It has met expectations by introducing a series of solid hardware upgrades, notably including significantly faster internal storage, complemented by microSD Express cards for expandable storage.

The original Switch featured 32GB of eMMC storage, a figure that subsequently doubled in the OLED version. The Switch 2, on the other hand, arrives with a whopping 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, a massive upgrade in both capacity and speed. The Switch 2 offers gamers up to 7X more storage capacity compared to the Switch and up to 3X more than the Switch OLED.

As is customary with gaming consoles, not all of the internal storage is available to you. For the Switch 2, Nintendo has allocated approximately 7GB of the 256GB for system use. Consequently, the actual usable space amounts to approximately 249GB. However, while 249GB of storage capacity may appear like a lot on paper, any avid gamer would dispute this perception.

Take first-party titles such as Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, for example — two games that will likely make your Switch 2 collection. They require approximately 22GB and 9GB of storage space, respectively. Modern AAA games aren't any lighter, either. If you like genres like Cyberpunk 2077 and Split Fiction, those occupy an additional 60GB and 70GB, respectively. Thus, only four games have already eaten up half of your available storage. If you share your Switch 2 with your children or a family member, space becomes even more important. The internal storage will inevitably fill up as your gaming library grows.

In its initiative to modernize the Switch 2, Nintendo adopted the microSD Express standard, thereby becoming a pioneer in this area. As of the time of this publication, the Switch 2 is the only device to use microSD Express cards. Although the standard has been in place since 2019, it has not yet gained momentum, which has primarily led to the limited availability and high cost of microSD Express cards.

Best MicroSD Express Cards At A Glance

Here's the shortlist of our recommendations and rankings, but we have a more detailed card-by-card breakdown and far more detailed in-depth performance benchmarks of these drives below. To find the best microSD Express cards for the Switch 2, we tested numerous cards of different capacities from various vendors.

Further below, we also have a hierarchy that ranks the microSD Express cards based on performance. Since it’s not possible to evaluate every card due to regional availability, we will continue testing and updating our recommendations as new cards become readily available for purchase in the U.S. market. We also have a detailed definition and explanation of the different speed classes across the various generations of the microSD specification.

Best 1TB MicroSD Express Card

The TeamGroup Apex SD7.1 1TB is a very fast microSD Express card for the Switch 2. It offers great speed and capacity to house all the latest games. At $209.99, you can find it at most major U.S. stores, and it comes with TeamGroup’s limited lifetime warranty for that extra peace of mind.

The Lexar Play Pro 1TB delivers top-tier performance for demanding users. If you want uncompromising storage capacity and blazing speeds, this card deserves your consideration. Lexar offers a limited lifetime warranty on the Plat Pro 1TB, making it a smart and reliable choice.

The Next 1TB is one of the most affordable and fastest 1TB microSD Express cards on the market today, making high-speed storage accessible without breaking the bank. While it is currently exclusive to Best Buy and, like other budget options, comes with a standard one-year warranty, its unbeatable combination of price and performance offers good bang for your buck.

GameStop's 1TB microSD Express card stands shoulder to shoulder with the fastest 1TB offerings. It sells at a hard-to-beat price and is perfect for cost-conscious buyers. While it is sold exclusively at GameStop, making it harder to find outside the U.S., its outstanding value and competitive edge make the extra effort worthwhile. However, it only comes with a standard one-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Best 512GB MicroSD Express Card

The Adata Premier Extreme 512GB is the fastest 512GB microSD Express card we’ve ever tested, setting a new benchmark for speed and reliability. While its premium performance comes at a $129.99 price point, it's the microSD Express card to pick up if you’re seeking the absolute best in the 512GB category.

The Sandisk microSD Express 512GB card gives you plenty of space for all your Switch 2 games and offers fast speeds for quick loading and smooth gameplay, even with the biggest titles. With Sandisk’s reliable quality and a full warranty, it’s a great pick for dedicated gamers.

PNY’s microSD Express card positions itself as an affordable option for your Switch 2. With speedy performance at a surprisingly affordable price, you get the speed your device deserves without the premium. Plus, PNY’s limited lifetime warranty sets this card apart from some competitors.

While the GameStop 512GB microSD Express card may be marginally slower than a few higher-priced competitors, it still offers respectable speed and dependable performance for everyday use. Its exclusive availability at GameStop is a downside. Even with a standard one-year warranty, this card represents a smart, budget-friendly pick.

Best 256GB MicroSD Express Card

The Adata Premier Extreme 256GB is the type of upgrade that will transform your Switch 2's storage experience. It doesn't require a big investment, either. The included limited lifetime warranty provides extra confidence, making this card a truly smart buy for Switch 2 owners.

The Sandisk 256GB microSD Express card commands a premium price at $71.99, but it's an investment that rewards you with great performance and a lifetime warranty. Sandisk’s offering is a microSD Express card that justifies every penny.

While the Samsung P9 Express may not claim the top-speed crown, it excels as an accessible 256GB microSD Express card for value-driven Switch 2 users. It offers reliable performance without overspending. With a generous three-year warranty, two years longer than some competitors, you gain extra peace of mind.

GameStop’s microSD Express cards stand out as some of the most budget-friendly options, and the 256GB version continues that tradition. You get good performance for what you pay. While it comes with a one-year warranty, the value it delivers at this price point makes it a compelling option for Switch 2 owners on a very tight budget.

Best 128GB MicroSD Express Card

The AGI TF338 is a mixed bag in terms of performance. While it may be harder to find and carries a premium price due to shipping from Amazon Japan, its limited five-year warranty far exceeds the standard coverage offered by competitors. If you spot this card at a discounted price in your region, it's worth considering.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle MicroSD Express Performance

The Switch 2’s improved hardware unlocks a whole new world for handheld gamers. Many AAA blockbuster titles, once exclusive to PCs and consoles, are now available with you on the go. A new challenge has surfaced: the increasing storage demands if you're going down the digital path. If you don't plan on picking the cartridge version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the game will set you back 61.5 GB. That's about half the size of the PC or console versions. That’s within expectations, since the graphics are toned down to a level that allows the title to run seamlessly on the Switch 2.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, on average, takes over 40 seconds to reach the main menu after you press the A button to launch the game. One cool feature is that the main screen shows a static snapshot of your last checkpoint. When you select the “continue” option, the transition to your saved game is swift, clocking in at just over four seconds, depending on how far you’ve progressed in the game.

Once you’re in the game, traditional loading screens become a rarity. Instead of interrupting the player’s experience with loading screens, the developers replaced them with cinematic cutscenes. Although the storytelling and voice acting are great, this may annoy some players since it interrupts the action. However, the upside of this approach is that it's more engaging than staring at a loading screen. Occasionally, you might encounter a brief black loading screen, usually when transitioning between major locations. Fortunately, these interruptions are minimal and last no more than 10 seconds.

If you’re a hardcore Switch 2 gamer, there’s a high possibility that you’ll be running Indiana Jones and The Great Circle off a microSD Express card. The growing size of modern games has required gamers to rely on these high-speed external storage cards. Fortunately, you can rest assured that you’re not losing any storage performance. The difference that we measured in loading times between running the game off a microSD Express card and the Switch 2’s internal storage is minimal, less than 2% to be precise. You’re free to enjoy Indiana Jones and The Great Circle without compromise, and your gameplay experience isn't affected by the storage choice, unlike other titles that have shown a higher performance delta between the handheld's internal storage and microSD Express cards.

MicroSD Express Card Hierarchy 2026

Our hierarchy showcases every microSD Express card rigorously tested in our lab, thoughtfully organized by capacity to help you find the perfect match. All results reflect real-world performance on the Switch 2, and we provide a 10-test average metric—the geometric mean of our comprehensive bandwidth tests conducted on a PC—for a clear, apples-to-apples comparison. For deeper insights into each card’s strengths, explore our detailed performance charts below.

1TB MicroSD Express Cards

512GB MicroSD Express Cards

256GB MicroSD Express Cards

128GB MicroSD Express Cards

MicroSD Express Card Performance Charts

Right now, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the only device that fully unlocks the power of microSD Express cards—making our Switch 2 benchmarks the most relevant for owners. We didn’t stop there, though, and tested every microSD Express card in standard storage scenarios, revealing just how much performance can vary between brands and capacities. As this technology rolls out to more devices, those differences will become important for buyers.

Nintendo Switch 2 Benchmarks

PC Storage Benchmarks (1TB & 512GB)

PC Storage Benchmarks (256GB & 128GB)

MicroSD Express Performance and Specifications

MicroSD Express Performance and Specifications

Nintendo's adoption of microSD Express cards for the Switch 2 is both a blessing and a curse. Nintendo has disabled the Switch 2 from playing games off a standard microSD card, thereby persuading gamers to pay the early adopter tax associated with new microSD Express cards if they want to play games. The new microSD Express format offers improved tangible performance compared to the regular microSD cards used in the original Switch.

The only way to expand the Switch 2's gaming storage is to buy into the microSD Express standard. The new cards have a similar resemblance to standard microSD cards. A simple way to tell them apart is to look for the 'EX' logo on the label of the microSD Express cards. If you're an experienced user, you can probably tell one card apart from the other because, although microSD Express cards have two rows of metal pins, like microSD UHS-II cards, the position and size of the pins on the second row differ.

You can still insert a standard microSD card into the Switch 2, and it'll work in a way. Usage is limited to screenshots, video playback, or file transfer, as the console doesn't allow gameplay from these media types. The funny thing is that MicroSD Express maintains backward compatibility with devices that lack support for this standard; it just defaults to UHS-I speeds in such cases. Consequently, the limitation observed in the Switch 2 is more attributable to Nintendo's design choices, potentially serving as a strategy to prevent any adverse impact on the device's reputation due to lower performance levels with standard microSD cards.

The original Switch utilizes microSD cards, specifically those that support the UHS-I interface. That's why even Nintendo advised Switch owners to select a microSD card with transfer speeds ranging from 60 to 95 MB/s (theoretical maximum for UHS-I is 104 MB/s); investing in higher standards, such as UHS-II or UHS-III, would be an unnecessary expenditure because the Switch couldn't tap into the higher transfer speeds. On the other hand, microSD Express cards offer significantly higher performance, resulting in reduced game loading and transfer times.

The Switch 2 uses microSD Express, which is based on the SD 7.1 specifications and theoretically achieves transfer speeds of up to 985 MB/s. This represents an approximately 9.5X increase over UHS-I cards. The enhanced performance is enabled by the current SD 7.1 revision's use of the PCIe 3.0 x1 interface, finally moving away from the antiquated SD bus. The standard will continue to improve, and once it leverages a faster interface, such as PCIe 4.0 x2, projected speeds could reach up to 3,938 MB/s. However, this is a topic for another time.

Like regular microSD cards, microSD Express cards also come with their own speed classes. These ratings are designated by the "E" prefix followed by a number, which represents the minimum sustained write speed. For example, a card marked with E150 guarantees 150 MB/s of sustained write performance. None of the brands, at least the ones we tested, labeled their microSD Express cards with the appropriate speed class ratings. However, our storage benchmarks include a sustained write test, and some of the cards comply with the E150 or E300 categories.

Despite their higher transfer speeds, microSD Express cards continue to fall short compared to the Switch 2's internal UFS 3.1 storage system. UFS 3.1 technology, primarily used in smartphones and tablets, achieves maximum sequential read and write speeds of up to 2,100 MB/s and 1,200 MB/s, respectively. Therefore, when performance is at stake, the most efficient method for loading games remains loading them from internal storage. But when you're out, that's when the best microSD Express cards become relevant.

Frequently Asked Questions: MicroSD Express Cards 2026

How We Test MicroSD Express Cards in 2026

We first test each microSD Express card on the Switch 2, then move it to a PC test bed for further benchmarking. We charge the battery to 100% and keep the Switch 2 connected to the wall while using the device in handheld mode during our tests. We keep the firmware to version 22.5.0 to ensure consistency for all future evaluations. We retest every microSD Express card with every firmware update.

For the transfer tests, we used two games: Mario Kart World and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We run our benchmarks on versions 1.6.1 and 2.0.2 of the aforementioned titles, with sizes of 21.9 GB and 11.2 GB, respectively, for a total of 33.1 GB. We conduct the test three times, clearing the microSD Express card data with the corresponding function before each run. We use the median result for our comparisons.

We use a consistent PC test system to benchmark our microSD Express cards. The specifications are in the table below. This system serves as the test bed for our RAM reviews. We apply our extensive SSD storage benchmarking suite to evaluate each microSD Express card. The evaluation encompasses trace tests, transfer rate tests, synthetic tests, and sustained write performance.

We use the same set of benchmarks for each microSD Express card and run them multiple times. We utilize the highest result from each test. The version of Windows on our test system is Windows 11 24H2 to ensure consistent test results, as various security updates have affected specific benchmarks over the years.

We utilize the Lexar microSDXC Express card reader (pictured above), available on Amazon for $112, to interface with our microSD Express cards. We specifically use the Lexar card reader for its active cooling design, which incorporates a built-in fan to maintain optimal conditions for the microSD Express cards during rigorous testing. The reader connects to our system via a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port.

I'm constantly tracking the Nintendo Switch 2, and it's must-have accessories and storage options since their release. Stocks of anything Switch 2 have been flying off retailer shelves faster than you can shake your fist at the sky in frustration. The Switch 2 has proved to be an insanely popular games console, and there's currently no end in sight for when the console and microSD cards will be readily available at the correct price point.

Today, PNY's 256GB microSD Express card is back in stock at Amazon with a list price of £59. This isn't a deal, as the price hasn't changed since the launch of this microSD card, but it is in stock; for how long though is the question. If you're looking for extra storage for your Switch 2 console, then this is a good microSD Express card to snap up. There are also options from SanDisk on Amazon, but the shipping lead times are one to two months, so they might as well be listed as out of stock.

The Nintendo Switch 2 makes use of the latest microSDXC Express technology, which is a far faster storage option than the previous microSD cards that have been used for earlier iterations of Nintendo's Switch console. Using PCIe Gen 3x1 NVMe tech, the latest microSD Express technology allows speeds more similar to laptop and desktop SSDs with performance up to 890MB/s read, and 750MB/s write speeds.

The native storage capacity of the Nintendo Switch 2 is 256GB, so this 256GB microSD Express card from PNY doubles the amount of software that you can install on your console. It's microSD express technology means installation, load times, and data streaming are much faster, for a better gameplay and user experience.

Check Amazon for all microSD Express cards available for the Nintendo Switch 2 games console.

The maelstrom that is Amazon Prime Day has passed, one of the better sales events I've seen over the last five years, with a lot of actually good deals. Some of the other retailer sales are still winding up, so there are still bargains to be had if you missed out on the main event.. One of the most popular items of interest for shoppers in the sales has been microSD Express cards; these are in demand because of the Nintendo Switch 2 games console. This 512GB SanDisk microSD Express card is only $78 at Walmart, a 37% price cut from its $124 MSRP price direct from SanDisk.

Much to my surprise, there is stock of this card, and even more of a shock is its price. For such a high-demand item, I wouldn't expect to see discounts like this, and with it barely being in stock the majority of the time, these will disappear very quickly at this price. The same microSD card is in stock directly from SanDisk for $124, and is also available from Amazon for $119. These cards tend to disappear very quickly, so act fast if you want one of these larger microSD Express cards for your Switch 2 console.

The Sandisk microSD card can deliver impressive read speeds of up to 880MB/s and write speeds of up to 650MB/s, with a sustained write speed of 220MB/s. The new microSD Express cards are required for the Nintendo Switch 2 console, due to the much faster transfer speeds over standard microSDXC cards. This allows games to install, load, and stream data much faster, for a better gameplay and user experience.

Check Amazon for all microSD Express cards available for the Nintendo Switch 2 games console.

Memory and storage manufacturer Silicon Power just released the Hypera microSDXC Express Card designed for the Switch 2, arriving in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities. The company says that this memory card can hit read speeds of up to 800 MB/s and write speeds of up to 700 MB/s — this reduces download, install, and load times on the new handheld, allowing you to seamlessly play AAA titles without worrying about buffering. It was also tested for reliability, ensuring that it will withstand the rigors of daily use so that you don’t lose data due to the card’s failure.

• Where to buy Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express cards during Amazon Prime Day 2025

The Nintendo Switch 2 supports older microSDXC standards, so you can view screenshots and watch videos. However, if you want to expand its paltry 256GB built-in storage and install multiple AAA titles, you need a microSDXC Express Card. This standard is far more expensive than the older UHS-I and UHS-II standards, but you’d need the SSD-like performance it delivers to avoid frustration with your new console. Most manufacturers only offer microSDXC Express Cards up to 512GB, which might be pretty limiting if you play several titles. So, Silicon Power’s 1TB capacity is an excellent choice if you plan on collecting games and keeping them ready on your device.

Although the Hypera is made for the Nintendo Switch 2, it’s also compatible with the UHS-I standard. This lets you use it on other devices that don’t support the microSD Express standard just yet, like older consoles, cameras, and smartphones. This makes it quite a flexible storage device, allowing you to use it for content creation, transferring large files, and even recording 4K video on your current equipment, but it is also ready for use with future gear.

We expect more manufacturers to start including this standard in their products, especially as the popularity of the Switch 2 drove demand for this memory card to the limit. Thankfully, companies that made these memory cards quickly scaled up their production to meet demand, allowing you to easily buy Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express cards if you know where to look — we even spotted one on sale in Walmart, but you'd better act quickly before stocks run out.

With Amazon Prime Day 2025 now well underway, we've seen some great deals emerge on our favorite tech products. But there are a few recent releases that are too new for discounts and, in some cases, still too hard to actually get your hands on, thanks to supply and demand issues. Enter microSD Express storage cards for the Nintendo Switch 2; they are a much sought-after item, with prices rising rather than falling, but there is one microSD card that is shining above all at the moment for availability and price.

The official 256GB Samsung microSD Express card for Nintendo Switch 2 is $59 at Walmart, and also the same price direct from the Nintendo store. This is currently the best value 256GB microSD card available to purchase, with the next closest price being $74 for a SanDisk 256GB microSD Express card direct from SanDisk. It's impressive how popular these storage cards are right now, and it's all due to the popularity of Nintendo's latest handheld games console.

• Check out all the microSD deals in Amazon's Prime Day Sale

So, if you've already got a Switch 2 and are desperate to expand upon the console's 256GB memory, then this is the best option available to you. Grabbing this officially licensed microSD Express card will save you $15 compared to its closest competitor.

If you're holding out for a deal on these microSD Express cards during the sales, you're going to be disappointed. The demand is far too high for any microSD Express cards to be discounted. However, if you're not desperate to have more storage immediately, then it may be worth waiting for more selection to come back into stock.

Capacities range from just 128GB to a whopping 1TB for microSD Express, and the internal system storage of the Switch 2 is 256GB. So if you want a higher amount of storage than what's already available, you will have to wait, and there's no definitive answer to when we will see more stock availability. You can keep track of the most popular microSD Express cards with our Where to Buy microSD Express stock checker.

We are working hard to find the best computer hardware deals for you this Amazon Prime Day. We cover the hottest deals in real-time at our Best Amazon Prime Day Deals Live page. If you're looking for more savings, check out our Amazon Prime Day deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

Tech enthusiast Matt Cole is the determined creator and maintainer of The Great MicroSD Card Survey, a significant investigative testing and benchmarking treasure trove that began in July 2023. Cole has “set up 8 machines with close to 70 card readers running around the clock… writing 101 terabytes of data per day,” in order to expose the MicroSD card diamonds in the rough and to find fake cards with inflated capacity ratings and cards that use sub-par 'fake flash.' Key features of the regularly updated 15,000-word report are its highlighting and charting of MicroSD cards alongside authenticity, performance, and endurance measurements.

The survey currently encompasses over 200 different MicroSD cards. In a blog post last year, Cole informed readers that running the tests to harvest data from these fingernail-sized slivers of flash storage resulted in over 18 petabytes of data being written to nearly 200 cards, and 51 were literally tested to destruction.

Too much information can make data almost as opaque as too little. So, thankfully, Cole has a number of quick and easy-to-glance charts to show the winners, runners-up, and losers according to the various metrics. If even that is too much for you, there is also a shortcut to the best overall picks the MicroSD card inquisitor has found.

Details of the testing methodologies, host machines, card readers, and software used are shared by Cole. Temperature measurements were also taken during the storage stress testing, but it isn’t known whether these are significant to measured performance metrics or endurance at this time.

Authenticity, 'fake flash' and 'skimpy flash'

When shopping for a MicroSD card, it is important to consider authenticity. Cole isn’t looking into counterfeit activity here; rather, he seeks to chart cards with what he calls ‘fake flash,’ where unscrupulous manufacturers and resellers will happily sell you a card with an advertised capacity that bears little relation to its storage capabilities. Cole also highlights ‘skimpy flash,’ where a ‘64GB’ card might just offer “about 61.89GB,’ for example. Skimpy flash is prevalent, even among the most trusted brands.

Performance, SDA checks

With a view to performance, Cole tested two key quality metrics. Firstly, he was interested in how well cards performed on an absolute level – raw performance. Secondly, his data checks flag whether a card’s SD Association speed rating logo is the correct one. This section also exposes the underlying data from sequential I/O test and a random I/O test results.

Endurance, Lenovo no go

Endurance is also crucial for flash storage buyers in maintaining the long-term integrity of their valuable data. How long can a user expect their MicroSD card to last under heavy read/write cycles? These tests should help deliver insight for reasoned expectations.

Cole explains that the endurance test suite will put MicroSD cards under a sustained heavy load. The most important insights we noted were that “Name-brand cards obtained from Amazon performed markedly better than name-brand cards obtained from AliExpress,” and that “fake flash performed significantly worse than authentic flash.”

So, be warned, from the best cards to the worst, the average durability almost halves, from 3,166 to 1,594 cycles. Meanwhile, if you are in a pinch and don’t have this data to refer to, it seems like a safe bet to buy a Sandisk or Kingston-branded card for an average of 4,634 and 3,555 read/write cycles before encountering their first error, respectively. Lenovo was the worst-performing well-known brand, with an average of 291 cycles before the first error occurred. Some off-brand memories lasted on average as few as 27 cycles.

Cole’s data goes far beyond this first error data, with additional charts for things like 10% failure and complete failure. However, endurance data doesn’t cover as many models as the performance charts due to its time-consuming nature.

Overall picks, weighing the data

Hot on the heels of Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders and the potentially wallet-straining news that the new handheld is switching to microSD Express storage technology, PNY has unveiled its new microSD Express Flash Memory Cards.

PNY says that its new cards are capable of up to 890MB/s read speeds and up to 750MB/s write speeds, 4.4 times faster than standard UHS-I microSD cards.

It features PCIe Gen3x1 microSD technology, which should, in theory, reduce load times of your favorite Nintendo Switch 2 games and even improve performance.

The Nintendo Switch 2 comes with 256GB of onboard storage as standard, so if you want any more, you'll need to invest in a microSD Express card like this one.

PNY says its microSD Express Cards maintain backwards compatibility with USH-I and USH-II host devices at their respective speeds.

They also come with unique heat dissipation technology and built-in microSD thermal monitoring PNY claims adjusts to optimize temperature and keep things running smoothly.

PNY's microSD Express cards are also rated as magnet proof, shock proof, temperature proof, waterproof, drop proof, X-Ray proof, humidity proof, and wear-out proof. They also come with a lifetime warranty.

Nintendo's latest games console is edging ever closer to its release date on June 5th, and if you're a Nintendo fan planning on grabbing a bunch of games and Switch 2 peripherals, it's best to get in early and make your orders to try and avoid any disappointment.

I've been keeping an eye on the microSD Express memory cards that are required for storing and launching installed games on the Nintendo Switch 2 outside of the console's built-in system storage, and noting the fluctuating prices and availability in our Where to buy Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express cards guide.

Over at Amazon.co.uk, you can pre-order the Officially Licensed Nintendo microSD Express SanDisk 256GB memory card for £49. Amazon is offering a pre-order price guarantee on this item (see terms) that ensures if you order the product now, and it were to go down in price before release, you would get the product at that lower price point.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will support microSD Express cards with a capacity of up to 2TB, which should be more than enough to store a large number of games, should you want them all downloaded and preinstalled for on-the-go gaming. Larger microSD cards will, however, command a very high price, and the sweet spot seems to be the 256GB sizes in terms of price per GB.

When Nintendo announced the Switch 2, it said users would require cards based on the microSD Express standard to expand device memory. Soon after this announcement, both online and physical retail sellers were cleared out, with some store staff telling Hermitage Akihabara in Japan [machine translated] that they sold more than 337 cards per hour. This surprised everyone, especially as microSD Express cards are far more expensive than regular microSD cards.

You'll pay more than double for microSD Express

The vanilla Lexar 1TB Play microSD card has a regular price of $129.99 on Amazon, but is discounted to $69.99 at the time of writing. This card has a read speed of up to 160 MB/s and a write speed of up to 100 MB/s, which is quite respectable but still not as fast as internal device storage. On the other hand, the microSD Express version of this card has a far faster 900 MB/s read speed and 600 MB/s write speed, making it more than five times quicker than the old standard. It comes at a price, though — the Lexar 1TB Play Pro microSD Express card has an original price of $199.99 on Amazon, and even though it’s on sale at $172.63 at the time of writing, it’s still more than double the price of the non-Express version.

No scalping detected

Following the grand reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2, we learned a handful of technical details about the console. Most notably, the Switch 2 is set to require a different MicroSD standard than its predecessor, named MicroSD Express. And, if current pricing for announced products is anything to go by, it will be painful on your wallet. In fact, on a capacity basis, they're pricier than many modern SSDs — MicroSD Express cards range from 20 to 25 cents per GB of storage, whereas bargain basement SSDs can retail for as little as 5 to 6 cents per GB. That's partly due to the NVMe and PCIe 3.0 support, commonly found on M.2 SSDs, that's baked right into the new MicroSD Express cards.

Sandisk's MicroSD Express cards have an MSRP of $49.99 for just 128GB of storage, with the 256GB variant at $64.99. These cards operate at speeds up to 880 MB/s read, 480 MB/s write, and 100 MB/s sustained write.

However, Lexar has announced larger capacities of up to 1TB. But, you might want to brace your wallet, as the prices are predictably not pretty for this new standard.

Lexar's Play Pro 1TB MicroSD Express card costs a staggering $199.99, with the 512 GB model at $99.99, and 256 GB at $49.99. Lexar boasts that these cards can achieve speeds of up to 900 MB/s read and 600 MB/s write.

Sandisk's MicroSD Express cards cost up to $0.39 per-gigabyte for the 128GB model, while the 256GB model costs $0.25 per-gigabyte. Lexar's options seem to be the best deal, with all three storage variants at a standardized cost of $0.20 per gigabyte, while also seemingly boasting higher-end specs.

Why storage is more important than ever for Switch 2

We know that the Switch 2 will ship with 256GB of storage as standard, but there's a catch. Even if you purchase a physical game, you might not be able to play it immediately just by inserting the cartridge. Some titles will require the full title to be downloaded and installed onto the system, with the cartridge serving as a glorified physical license key, which Nintendo calls a "Game-Key Card". This might be down to companies and publishers wanting to cut down on cartridge costs, especially as the price of NAND storage is expected to rise.

For example, if you wanted to purchase the Street Fighter 6 cartridge, you'll end up having to install an additional 50GB of data onto your system right off of the bat. This means that the meager 256GB of storage that the console ships with will inevitably fill up. This reveals a hidden cost for the privilege of using Nintendo's new system, expensive new MicroSD cards to expand storage, unless you're willing to play the frustrating game of redownloading titles and managing storage any time you insert a Game-Key Card into your system.

The Switch 2's MicroSD Express standard explained

While it might be tough to tell the difference between a standard MicroSD card and a MicroSD Express card at a glance, potentially causing some confusion for potential buyers, the technical details explain that MicroSD Express is a big jump from the UHS-I standard used by the Nintendo Switch.

The SD Association's current SD Express speed classifications divide MicroSD Express into four categories: Class 150, Class 300, Class 450, and Class 600. The numbers at the end of each classification denote the minimum read / write performance of the cards in MB/s. MicroSD Express cards also have significantly more pins than their older UHS-I brethren, at either 16 or 17, compared to just eight.

Underpinning the technology are NVMe and PCIe 3.0 interfaces, which allow for speeds of up to 2GB/s (using a PCIe 4.0 interface). You can read the deep-dive details of the tech on our sister site, AnandTech.

However, with technical details of the Switch 2's capabilities on the lighter side, we still don't know if the console will be able to match those theoretical speeds, and no currently-announced MicroSD Express card is able to achieve those peak speeds, either.

“The new microSD Express standard offers us a way to deliver a memory card with incomparable performance in that form factor,” said Joey Lopez, Director of Brand Marketing at Lexar in a press release. “We’re excited to create a card for our customers that leverages the benefits of this new standard and prepares gamers for the next generation of handheld gaming.”

So, there's a gulf between the fastest UHS-I MicroSD Card and the fastest theoretical MicroSD Express card. The fastest announced card is currently the Lexar Play Pro MicroSDXC Express card, but those speeds will inevitably have to be tested once the Switch 2, and the MicroSD Express cards, are in our hands. For now, you can check out our hands-on with the Nintendo Switch 2.

A recent Linux kernel commit (6.11) addresses key aspects of SD card compatibility and support, most namely adding support for Ultra High-Speed II SD cards (UHS-II) and Ultra Capacity SD cards (dubbed SDUC) [h/t Phoronix]. UHS-II SD cards support speeds up to 312 MB/s, while SDUC cards have a theoretical maximum capacity of 128 TB and can support yet faster UHS-III and SD Express speeds.

Regarding SDUC cards and capacity, we saw 4 TB SDUC cards back in April, and since then, an 8 TB SDUC card has also been announced. That is expected to increase over time, hence the 128 TB ceiling.

While the continued growth of SD cards has been quite impressive since they're still by far the most compact form of modern flash storage, the goal of eventually reaching 128 TB on one of these seems like a far-off dream, particularly when hard drives are still top out around 32 TB, and 128TB SSDs need much larger form factors than an SD card.

Unfortunately, the current highest-capacity cards using SDUC see an 8 TB SD card limited to UHS-I speeds of roughly 104 MB/s. That's slightly slower than a standard desktop hard drive—UHS-II, meanwhile, is 320 MB/s and more like a common SATA SSD (which tops out at ~550 MB/s) in overall bandwidth.

In its debut form, SD Express used PCIe 3.0 to reach speeds of up to 985 MB/s, but subsequent iterations have allowed SD Express to be used with PCIe 4.0 to reach speeds as high as 3940 MB/s, which is on par with proper NVMe Gen 3/entry-level Gen 4 SSDs in that same familiar SD card form factor.

Fortunately, SDUC cards will likely get better support for faster grades of UHS and SD Express in the long term—the SDUC standard already supports these features fine, but pushing the limits of SD card capacity does seem to come with some speed compromises.

Fortunately, Linux kernel 6.11 is well-prepared to deal with the still-evolving SD card market.

Aside from adding support for SDUC and UHS-II, this Linux 6.11 kernel MMC update mostly consists of added device support and miscellaneous error fixes. For those who still actively use SD cards, particularly in professional video fields where SD cards are still common, this update is sure to provide a welcome improvement to compatibility and stability.

Unlike many other modern computing devices (including other single board computers such as the Khadas VIM4, LattePanda 3 Delta, LattePanda Sigma and the Orange Pi 800), most Raspberry Pis have no internal storage, relying instead on removable microSD cards as their primary boot drives. The exception to this rule are the Compute Module 4, Compute Module 4S and the Compute Module 5 which offerd variants with onboard eMMC storage. For mainstream models of Raspberry Pi the lack of internal storage keeps the cost of the Raspberry Pi historically low as there is no need to source onboard storage and controller chips. The Raspberry Pi 5, in a break from the established norm, introduced a PCIe connector to the traditional form factor (the CM4 introduced PCIe though.) This connector has since been used with a plethora of NVMe based SSDs and offers much higher performance than the humble microSD card.

That said, microSD cards are a cost effective storage means. At the time of writing, high performance 32GB micro SD cards can be picked up for $10! But which microSD card should you buy for your Raspberry Pi? To help find the answer, we tested ten different 32GB cards on a Raspberry Pi 4, a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ and a Raspberry Pi Zero W to see which offers the best performance for the money.

We chose the 32GB capacity because it offers more than enough room for most use cases while not being appreciably more expensive than 8 or 16GB cards. Raspberry Pi OS can run on a card that’s as small as 8GB (see how to set up a Raspberry Pi) if used with the Lite version of the OS. But for the full Raspberry Pi experience you will need the full install and that leaves you very little, if any, extra space on an 8GB card. You can claw back some space on your SD card, but with micro SD card prices being so low, even for high performance cards, now is the time to expand your storage. With every update and release gradually using more and more of your card, 8GB will soon become too small for a typical setup. If emulation is your goal then 32GB should be the bare minimum as PlayStation 1 CDROM images weigh in at around 700MB, so ten games can easily eat up around 25% of your micro SD storage. PlayStation 2 and GameCube images will take up considerably more space.

Are the days of micro SD cards in the Raspberry Pi numbered? Not yet, as the release of the Raspberry Pi 5 and its SDR104 compliant micro SD card reader provides improved performance. We've used the official Raspberry Pi branded A2 SDR104 micro SD cards and in our tests we found that when using compatible SDR104 cards, the SD card speeds rival the USB 3 SSD speeds of the Raspberry Pi 4! That is plenty fast for most projects.

If you need the ultimate speed for your Raspberry Pi, then you need the flagship Raspberry Pi 5 and an M.2 HAT such as the Editor's Choice Pineboard HatDrive! Nano Pimoroni's NVMe Base, and the official Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT . We've got a guide on how to use an NVMe drive with your Raspberry Pi 5.

Quick List

The Best microSD Cards for Raspberry Pi 2025

Best microSD Card Overall

We’re honestly shocked that the best performing Raspberry Pi microSD card in our roundup is also the cheapest one and comes from a lesser-known brand. It’s also rated UHS Speed 1 rather than 3, although these ratings are largely meaningless (at least for Pi owners). In fact, we were so surprised at this card's performance that we tested a second unit to make sure the first one wasn’t a fluke.

For a price of just $6.99 (£5.99) at publishing time, the Silicon Power 3D NAND achieved the highest speeds on the Raspberry Pi 4 in almost all the IOzone tests, especially with 4K random writes. It also, by a hair, loaded all of our apps fastest on the Pi 4, though its boot time was second slowest. The Silicon Power NAND 3D card also performed well on Raspberry Pi 3 B+ and Pi Zero W, though it didn’t lead in as many categories.

During our testing we noticed that this card has one huge advantage over most of its competitors: the ability to physically write on it. Because the surface is partially white, you can scribble on it with a Sharpie marker. That helps immensely when you have multiple cards in a drawer and don’t know which is which.

Great Speeds, Best for Pi 3

SanDisk claims that the Extreme Pro can read at up to 100 MBps and write at up to 90 MBps and has labeled it with a UHS rating of 3, a Video Speed Rating of 30 and an Application Speed rating of A1. As we note below, these ratings aren’t very useful, but nonetheless, this card is indeed one of the fastest around.

On the Raspberry Pi 3 B+, the SanDisk Extreme Pro finished first in six out of eight IOzone tests, including random 4K reads and writes. On Raspberry Pi 4, the card was within a few tenths of a second of the fastest application open times on the Raspberry Pi 4 and it was 0.5 MBps or less behind the leader in the all-important 4K random read and write speeds on IOzone. It also had the fastest sequential write speed on the Raspberry Pi Diagnostic test.

SanDisk backs the Extreme Pro with a limited lifetime warranty and claims that it is waterproof, shockproof and X-ray-proof.

Fastest booting Raspberry Pi microSD

The Kingston Canvas React was in the upper performance tier on nearly all of our Raspberry Pi microSD card tests and it stood out by being the fastest booter on both the Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 3 B+. It also provided application open times that were consistently among the best.

The card’s only real downside is modest (but not terrible) 4K reads and writes on the Raspberry Pi 4. On the Raspberry Pi 3 and Zero, which have a slower microSD card reader, its 4K scores were better relative to the competition.

Kingston backs the Canvas React with a limited lifetime warranty, but it does not claim that the card is waterproof or shockproof in its market materials.

Long-lasting Raspberry Pi microSD Card

While it doesn’t win every test, the Samsung Pro Endurance is a great all-around Raspberry Pi microSD card that promises up to 25 times greater longevity than a typical card. While we can’t prove or disprove this claim, we do know that Samsung has an excellent reputation in the industry and backs the card with a limited lifetime warranty. The company also says that the card is waterproof, temperature-proof and X-ray-proof.

The Samsung Pro Endurance comes close to the leaders on application open times and boot times while achieving fast transfer speeds on every test on every Pi model. On the Raspberry Pi 4, it achieved the fastest 4K random reads on IOzone and the speediest sequential transfer rate in the Raspberry Pi Diagnostics tool. Though it is labeled as UHS 1 speed, it hangs with or outpaces cards that are labeled UHS 3. At $10.99 at publish time, it’s not the cheapest card, but also not the most expensive.

Good Raspberry Pi microSD performance for the price

Selling for a modest $8.51 (£7.29) at publication time, the Samsung Evo Plus offers solid performance from a highly-trusted brand at a very reasonable price. Samsung backs the Evo Plus with a 10 year warranty and claims that the card can survive X-rays, magnetic radiation and even 72 hours in seawater. Most of us probably aren’t worried about submerging a card in water, but it’s nice to know that if you waterproof your Raspberry Pi, the card will be fine too.

In our tests on the Raspberry Pi 4, the Samsung Evo Plus offered consistently strong application opens, coming within 0.2 to 0.3 seconds of the leader. It also booted in a speedy 24.7 seconds, only 0.7 seconds slower than the Kingston Canvas React. The card had solid transfer rates in IOzone, though its 4K random writes were a little disappointing (rates were much higher in the Raspberry Pi Diagnostic test). On the Raspberry Pi 3 B+, the Evo Plus got really good application open times and slightly better 4K writes.

Other Raspberry Pi microSD Cards We Tested

Other Raspberry Pi microSD Cards We Tested 

Not every product deserves to be listed as one of the best Raspberry Pi microSD cards. Here are some other cards we tested and our brief take on each.

• SanDisk Extreme: This card really was not bad, offering solid all-around performance for, at press time, a little more than $10 or £10. 

• PNY Performance Turbo: The most expensive card we tested at $14.90 (UK price N/A), this card did not live up to its name or its price tag. The Raspberry Pi Diagnostic tool gave the Performance Turbo a failing grade, thanks to an awful 4K random write speed of 0.8 MBps. Its sequential numbers were also subpar. 

• Lexar 633x: The second least expensive card we tested, the Lexar 633x isn’t all bad. Its app open and boot times were good, but its 4K random write speed and its sequential write speed were poor enough for it to flunk the Raspberry Pi Diagnostic test. 

• Silicon Power Elite: This card costs a few dollars more than the Silicon Power 3D NAND and yet it performs so much worse. It was the slowest card to boot by far, taking more than twice as long as the fastest booting card on both the Pi 4 and Pi 3 B+, the Kingston Canvas React. It had the slowest app open times and also failed the Raspberry Pi Diagnostic Test. 

• Fatty Dove: You wouldn’t expect much of a no-name brand like Fatty Dove so you won’t be disappointed. This card was rated UHS 3, proving how meaningless these speed numbers are. It failed the Raspberry Pi Diagnostic test, thanks to really poor 4K random writes and overall sequential writes.  

MicroSD Speed Ratings and Types: What Do They Mean?

MicroSD Speed Ratings and Types: What Do They Mean? 

When you’re shopping for a microSD card, whether it’s for Raspberry Pi, a phone, a camera or a Nintendo Switch, you’ll see as many as four different types of speed ratings listed, the first three of which measure minimum sequential write speed in MBps. The SD Association provides a detailed explanation by to keep it simple, here’s a brief list:

• Speed Class: The oldest class system appears with a circle around the number. The highest class, class 10, is a mere 10 MBps so any new card will meet this standard. 

• UHS Speed Class: This is the most common spec and appears as either a 1 or a 3 inside of a U symbol. The 1 promises 10 MBps and the 3 offers 30 MBps. However, in practice, we’ve tested cards rated as UHS 1 that were just as fast as 3s. 

• Video Speed Class: This is shown as a V with a number after it and is commonly shown as V30 (30 MBps), V60 (60 MBps) or V90 (90 MBps). 

• Application Speed Class: This is a newish metric that measures IOPS rather than sequential throughput. Cards can be rated either A1 (1,500 IOPS random read / 500 IOPS random write) or A2 (4,000 IOPS random read / 2,000 IOPS random write). Few of the cards we tested were rated for A1 (and none for A2) as 32GB cards don’t tend to have this classification. However, several users in the Pi community report that the A2 cards make no difference in Pi performance. Jeff Greeling has a comprehensive article comparing A2 and A1 microSD card performance on Raspberry Pi where he finds zero benefit. 

Almost all cards are marked with the UHS rating or 1 or 3, fewer have the Video Speed and only a few high-end cards are marked with the Application Speed. In addition to labeling their cards with some of these classes, vendors will offer their own estimates that are much more generous. For example, Samsung claims that its Pro Endurance card can get up to 100 MBps reads and 30 MBps writes, even though it is only labeled as UHS class 1 (10 Mbps). In practice, these classes meant nothing, because cards with UHS class 1 often outperformed those with class 3.

You’ll also see that some cards are listed as microSDHC while others are specked as microSDXC. These standards mean nothing for performance and only tell you something about the capacity that you already know from the number of GB. microSDHC (high capacity) cards are those that go up to 32GB and microSDXC cards support higher capacities (but could also be 32GB). Either type works fine in a Raspberry Pi.

How We Tested Raspberry Pi microSD Cards

How We Tested Raspberry Pi microSD Cards 

We used a combination of synthetic and timed tests to measure microSD card performance on Raspberry Pi. Because it has the highest possible transfer speeds, we ran the full suite of tests on the Raspberry Pi 4, including FIO (Flexible Input / Output tester), which usually took more than five hours to complete. On the Pi 3 B+, we ran just IOZone and the application and boot time tests and, on the Pi Zero W, which is slow to open every app, we used IOZone alone.

IOZone Results on Raspberry Pi microSD Cards 

IOzone is a popular Linux storage benchmark that measures read and write speeds. We owe a huge hat tip to Jeff Geerling whose excellent article on microSD card benchmarks inspired us to use IOzone in our testing. We configured it to test both random and sequential reads of 4K and 1,024K blocks with a total file size of 100MB. We also enabled the direct I/O option that bypasses the operating system’s cache so we’re getting a better idea of the card’s performance on its own.

When we tested on the Raspberry Pi 4, the Silicon Power 3D NAND card, which coincidentally is listed as UHS Speed 1, comes out on top in the all-important 4K random write, 4K sequential write, 4K sequential read, 1,024K random read and 1,024K sequential read tests. The SanDisk Extreme Pro, Samsung Pro Endurance and Kingston Canvas React all put in strong showings as well. The Silicon Power Elite, while more expensive than the company’s 3D NAND did very poorly as did the Lexar 633x, the PNY Performance Turbo and the Fatty Dove 32GB card.

The SanDisk Extreme Pro dominated the IOzone tests on the Raspberry Pi 3 B+, placing first in every category but 1,024K random writes and 4K sequential writes. The same cards that did poorly on the Raspberry Pi 4 were equally awful on the Pi 3 B+.

IOZone performance on the Raspberry Pi Zero W was more of a mixed bag, with a more even spread of top performers in different rounds. However, the SanDisk Extreme Pro won the most rounds.

Application Open Times of Raspberry Pi microSD Cards 

One of the most visible manifestations of Raspberry Pi microSD card performance is how quickly your favorite apps load. To measure, we timed four popular pieces of software: Chromium Browser, GIMP, LibreOffice Calc and Scratch Desktop 3. For better or worse, on both the Raspberry Pi 4 and 3 B+, there was very little difference between the best and worst open times, with differences of tenths of a second separating the competitors.

Despite the minor differences between cards, on the Pi 4, the Silicon Power 3D NAND had the fastest times on every app while different cards came out on top for each application on the Pi 3 B+.

Boot Times on Raspberry Pi microSD Cards 

Eight out of the ten cards booted Raspberry Pi 4 in between 24 and 26 seconds, with the Kingston Canvas React taking the crown at 24 seconds. Though the Silicon Power 3D NAND card did so well on application opens, it had a significantly slower boot time. And, at 49.3 seconds, the Silicon Power Elite card was a disaster.

The boot times on the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ told a similar story. All of the non-Silicon Power cards were within two seconds of each other, with the Kingston Canvas React again taking the booting crown. The Silicon Power 3D NAND card wasn’t awful at 28.9 seconds, but the Elite took a leisurely 50 seconds.

Raspberry Pi Diagnostics SD Card Speed Test 

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has its own speed test, which measures 4K random reads and writes, along with sequential writes (of an undisclosed size). The test not only provides numbers, but also a pass or fail rating, based on the results.

We tested all of our cards on the Raspberry Pi 4, using the Diagnostics test and four of them -- the PNY Performance Turbo, Lexar 633x, Silicon Power Elite and Fatty Dove outright failed -- due to horribly slow 4K random writes. While the numbers were sometimes higher than we saw for the same cards in IOzone, they told a similar story.

The fastest card for 4K random writes was the Silicon Power 3D NAND while the leader in 4K random reads was the Samsung Evo Plus and the sequential winner was the SanDisk Extreme Pro.

Bottom Line 

The differences between the best cards are subtle enough that you may not be able to tell our top choice from one further down the list in every workload. However, our testing shows that clearly not every Raspberry Pi microSD card is the same and there are many poor performers you should avoid. And just because a card carries a particular speed rating, for example UHS 3, that doesn’t mean that it will be faster than another card that has a lower rating.

Finding Discounts on the Best microSD Cards

Finding Discounts on the Best microSD Cards

Whether you're shopping for one of the best microSD cards for Raspberry Pi or one that didn't make the cut, you may find savings by checking out our lists of the latest Amazon promo codes, Newegg promo codes, Staples coupons, Micro Center coupons or Samsung promo codes

Check out this amazing discount on one of the best bang-for-buck microSD offerings ahead of Black Friday. This deal may not last long. See our Best Black Friday Raspberry Pi Deals for the latest microSD bargains.

The Lexar High-Performance SD 8.0 card promises read and write speeds up to 1,700 MB/s and 1,000 MB/s, respectively. According to PetaPixel, the new SD 8.0 card is ahead of its time since it is not fully compatible with any devices that use this standard, especially cameras, downgrading its performance to the UHS-I standard.

Lexar recently rolled out a series of flash storage-based cards, including the Stainless steel variant in Gold and Silver Pro, which comply with UHS-II standards. But the one that gained the attention was the SD 8.0 standard, which utilized PCIe 4.0 lanes to achieve this speed—similar to its Lexar Professional CFexpress 4.0 card. This was possible because the new standard allowed theoretical transfer speeds up to 2 GB/s.

There is a significant caveat. Only card readers or cameras that comply with the SD 8.0 standard can take advantage of the card's speed. However, none exists, as the standard was finalized a month ago. The SD 8.0 standard was designed to use multiple PCIe interfaces: PCIe Gen 4 x1, PCIe G3 x2, and PCIe Gen4 x2. While the SD card will function with currently available cameras and card readers, the performance is downgraded to a UHS-I standard at 30 MB/s transfer speeds. Hence, the whole purpose of buying a high-speed SD card is that it cannot be used effectively.

The card was designed to operate similarly to its CFexpress 4.0 counterpart, such as the Lexar Professional series, to have similar read/ write speeds that use PCIe 4.0. However, the similarity ends there, as no devices can exploit it. The SD Association introduced the new standard using the same form factor while using one PCIe lane. Lexar could have showcased the SD 8.0 card to show its performance as a concept, but having it announced as a final product is puzzling. No other storage maker showcased any SD 8.0 cards yet.

High-speed storage is essential for cameras because of the growing need for high speed and high storage for 8K RAW footage or high-resolution images with faster burst rate RAW images. This is where CF cards are preferred over SD cards. While SD cards are convenient, the pros outweigh any benefit they could offer professionals. There is also the question of whether camera manufacturers will see the importance of implementing the new SD standard sooner rather than later.

Despite the announcement, the card is not featured on Lexar's website, though its new stainless steel-based UHS-II SDXC cards are featured. We may not see SD 8.0 cards available because no cameras or card readers take advantage of this, or if they ever will. However, only time will tell if the hopes of having high-speed SD cards comparable to current CF cards will bear fruit. There's always the SDUC standard for those needing a higher-capacity SD card.

Western Digital showcased three major new SD cards: a 4TB SDUC SD card, a 2TB SDXC SD card, and even a 256 GB SD Express-supported card. Below, we'll examine some finer details, including why SDUC cards are still rare and how SD Express compares.

First, review the 2TB SDXC cards, the SanDisk Extreme Pro V30. The SanDisk Extreme Pro V30 comes in standard and microSD card formats, and this is stated to be the Extreme Pro's debut with 2TB of storage. The world's first 2TB microSD cards were released in January, so this is a brand-first and not a world-first anymore. However, 2TB is not a sufficient storage area to sneeze at— in fact, this officially tops out the range of the SDXC spec by hitting that 2TB target.

According to Western Digital, this SD card's use of UHS-I should make it one of the world's fastest microSD cards designed around these mainstream SDXC specifications for SSDs.

Next, let's look at the SanDisk SD Express (or microSD Express) cards, which join a market where similar SD Express cards already exist. WD's SanDisk SD Express and microSD Express cards look pretty similar to other SD cards, but using a faster PCIe interface can achieve storage read speeds of up to 880 MB/s and storage write speeds of up to ~650 MB/s. Unfortunately, the SD Express cards seem limited to only 256GB— but these speed feats place them somewhere between the best SATA SSDs and many early NVMe Gen 3 SSDs.

These speeds are pretty impressive for SD cards, and if costs get low enough while support continues to improve, the future of upcoming devices like Switch 2, Steam Deck 2, etc., looks just a bit brighter. Since many games are beginning to require SSDs and several pro workloads are better with them, continued improvements to SD card speeds like this bode well for the future.

Finally, look at the crowning jewel: the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDUC V30, which weighs a whopping 4TB capacity. Even by the standards of full-sized drives, that's a lot of storage, and achieving it is finally starting to make good use of the SDUC specs. While SDXC caps out at 2TB anyway, SDUC-supported SD cards could one day get as big as 128TB. 

So, while a 2TB SDXC card shows that the limit has been reached, a 4TB SDUC card like this indicates that the absolute limit is one we have yet to go. While these are optimistic looks at the near future of SD cards from Western Digital-owned SanDisk, we do not have any actual pricing or lease date information to share.

Western Digital's new SDUC cards will be available in 2025. Pricing remains a mystery as the company didn't share many details about the upcoming products.

Valve was quick to push out a remedial fix centering on the Steam Deck’s expandable storage capability. As Gaming on Linux noticed, the recent stable Steam Client Update for desktop and Steam Deck broke the handheld device’s microSD card handling. Valve issued a new client update on Sept. 12 to directly address the issue.

The microSD card jinxing updates were delivered alongside the recent SteamOS 3.4.10 release. Shortly after they brought their systems up to date, Steam Deck owners started to report that their microSD cards weren't being mounted by the system.

According to reports, the microSD card issue was annoyingly inconsistent. For example, users could sometimes get their microSD card readers to work again if they pulled out and reinserted their microSD cards. Some users had to resort to a system reboot to get it to recognize an inserted microSD card.

Valve’s update page offers no background detail regarding the underlying problems fixed, nor any details about how the bug occurred. A single bullet point on the Steam Deck Client Update: Sept. 12 page says “General: Fixed a failure to recognize the microSD card after a system reboot.”

We don’t recall any prior issues with the Steam Deck’s handling of microSD cards. The same cannot be said for the Asus ROG Ally, though. The Asus handheld’s design seems to have located the microSD card reader hardware in a particularly hot area of the PCB — with unfortunate but somewhat predictable results.

To get the best performance from their games, users of these handhelds are steered to get the biggest built-in SSDs they can afford when buying their device. However, sometimes it might make sense to just upgrade the storage yourself — check out our roundup of the best M.2 2230 SSDs for handhelds (such as the Steam Deck).

If the best SSDs can't satiate your hunger for ultra-fast storage, you should try HighPoint's latest RocketAIC card, an enterprise-class PCIe 4.0 Add-In Card (AIC) designed for reliability and endurance. The RocketAIC is available with storage densities of up to 122 TB at whopping read and write performance up to 54 GB/s and 36 GB/s, respectively.

The RocketAIC communicates with your system through a regular PCIe 4.0 x16 expansion slot. Unlike other PCIe 4.0 AIC solutions, such as the Sabrent Apex X21 Destroyer or the ASRock Blazing Quad M.2 Card, the RocketAIC doesn't leverage M.2 SSDs. On the contrary, HighPoint's AIC taps the Solidigm D7-P5520 E1.S, a 114-layer TLC drive.

The RocketAIC features eight E1.S NVMe ports to house up to eight E.1S drives. You can't feed eight SSDs with only the expansion slot, so the RocketAIC has a standard 6-pin PCIe power connector for external power. An undisclosed Broadcom PCIe 4.0 switch ensures that each E.1S SSD has its own PCIe 4.0 x4 interface.

The AIC features a tools-free design where you can access the E.1S ports by pressing a switch. HighPoint developed a robust cooling solution to keep the E.1S SSDs cool. Heat is always the biggest enemy in AIC setups. The aluminum casing has integrated heatsinks with corresponding vents for heat dissipation. A pair of small, low-decibel cooling fans at the rear of the RocketAIC push air into the card to cool the SSDs.

The RocketAIC comes in two capacities: 30.72 TB and 61.44 TB. However, you can pair two in a dual-drive (cross-sync) setup to hit 122.88 TB of storage. The performance is similar between both capacities. However, the 61.44 TB model delivers read and write speeds up to 27 GB/s and 18 GB/s, respectively. In a dual-drive configuration, however, the performance jumps up to 54 GB/s reads and 36 GB/s writes.

HighPoint RocketAIC Specifications

The 30.72 TB drive consumes around 137.28W of power, while the 61.44 TB model's power draw is rated for 161.298W. For the dual-drive configuration, just multiply the power consumption by two. The RocketAIC supports three RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10 arrays so you can pick between the best performance, added security, or a combination of the two. The only caveat is that it only supports data RAID and not boot RAID, an aspect that may be a deal breaker for some.

The RocketAIC comes in a standard full-height, full-length, dual-width form factor, measuring 7.68 x 4.37 x 0.85 inches (195.07 x 111 x 21.59mm).

The RocketAIC is compatible with macOS, Linux, and Windows operating systems. However, you must pay attention to the part number. The RA7749EM with the "EM" suffix is for macOS, while the RA7749EW with the "EW" suffix denotes the variant for Windows and Linux systems. Regardless of the operating system support, the drives have identical pricing, so you don't have to worry about one being more expensive than the other because you're on a Mac.

The RocketAIC has a three-year warranty regardless of the capacity or configuration. It's mind-boggling why HighPiont's warranty is so short, considering that the RocketAIC is a workstation product that costs an arm and a leg. Even Solidigm stands behind its D7-P5520 SSD with a five-year warranty. While the three-year warranty is equal across the board, the endurance limits vary between each RocketAIC SKU. In a single drive configuration, HighPoint backs the 30.72 TB and 61.44 TB drives with 7 PBW and 14 PBW, respectively. In contrast, the dual-drive 61.44 TB and 122.88 TB setups correspond to 56 PBW and 112 PBW, respectively.

The RocketAIC targets the professional and workstation markets and has a price tag that reflects that. The 30.72 TB drive retails for $4,999.99, and the 61.44 TB drive will set you back $9,999.99. HighPoint hasn't listed the dual-drive configurations on the company's eStore yet. However, the pricing should be twice the single models since the dual-drive package combines two single AICs.

Today, Asus has released a BIOS update for the ROG Alloy gaming handheld. However, among the blurb there is no specific mention of last week's hot topic - MicroSD cards getting so cooked they become unusable.

In Asus ROG Ally BIOS update v323, only a quartet of UX improvements are highlighted by Asus:

• UX improvement: Added 30W support when plugging in 65W or higher wattage PD adapters or Type-C hub. 
• UX improvement: Modified minimum panel backlight value from 25nits to 10nits to improve usability in dark environments.
• UX improvement: On future BIOS updates, the "Memory Assigned to GPU" setting won’t be reset to default; it will now keep its previous value.
• UX improvement: Optimized performance in Performance mode when plugged in.

The Asus community post also provides some explanatory information which talks about issues with third party USB Type-C docks, power draw, and Turbo mode. The discussion of power might give some hope that BIOS update v323 will address MicroSD card malfunctioning issues. At the time of writing Asus hasn't responded to users on forums or social media who have raised this burning question. Was it too optimistic to hope for a fix a week after the admission of this issue?

Asus admitted its MicroSD card overheating issue last week after simmering voices of complaint about ruined memory cards reached boiling point. To recap that news, an Asus rep wrote on the ROG Ally's Discord channel that "under certain thermal stress conditions the SD card reader may malfunction." The conditions didn't seem extraordinary, with complaints about toasted memory cards quite common.

Also last week, Asus pledged to push out an update to its ROG Ally customers which would tweak the device's fan curves. Enthusiasts had actually shown tuning the fans was a potential fix for MicroSD card frying issues several weeks earlier.

Until Asus comes out and officially says it has delivered an update to address potential MicroSD card overheating we therefore advise caution. Users might want to either tweak with their own fan curve settings to make sure the APU and VRM areas located near the card slot don't get too toasty. Or alternatively, try and simply avoid using the supplementary storage for a little while longer.

If your built-in storage is cramped, you might also consider an internal SSD upgrade. We recently looked at the best Steam Deck and ROG Ally SSD upgrade options, with prices starting at 11 cents per GB.

An Asus representative has admitted that the ROG Ally handheld can have a problem operating with MicroSD cards. Whitson Gordon shared an Asus HQ statement on Discord, where the firm says that its testing has revealed a thermal issue in play. For those currently suffering from memory card issues, Asus is opening up RMA programs. Furthermore, it hopes to mitigate further MicroSD card issues with an update that will modify the device’s fan curves.

Users of the Asus ROG Ally handheld have been complaining about memory card issues for quite some time. Some might get be able to use these memory cards again later, or after checking them on another computer, but for others the cards might become e-waste.

So, what is happening here? Asus has this to say about the ROG Ally’s heat problem: “under certain thermal stress conditions the SD card reader may malfunction.” The statement certainly suggests there is far too much heat at this location.

Around the Tom’s Hardware office we pondered over how much heat is being directed at the microSD card reader area of the ROG Ally’s PCB, and how it could damage a MicroSD card. According to WD / SanDisk, for example, its memory cards “are capable of withstanding operating temperatures from -13ºF to 185ºF (-25ºC to 85ºC).” Such temperatures aren’t beyond reason when we are talking about AMD APUs and components in near proximity.

In late June, well ahead of Asus’s admission, YouTuber CPPC TEK analyzed this ROG Ally MicroSD card overheating issue. In the video embedded above you can see how close the MicroSD card reader is to the power delivery VRMs, which feed the AMD APU.

CPPC TEK asserts that creating a manual fan curve, to keep things cooler than default has meant that he and various acquaintances have never had MicroSD card problems. The YouTuber went on to predict that Asus was going to have to deliver an update with more aggressive fan curves, to avoid this issue cropping up in the larger and perhaps less technically-minded user base.

Indeed, if we continue to read through today’s Asus HQ statement, it says that “To alleviate the issue, we will be releasing an update that further fine-tunes the default and minimum fan speeds on the device to improve reliability while keeping fan noise in check, as we know this is a concern for many of you.”

It sounds like Asus ROG Ally users are going to have to put up with a bit more fan noise so that their MicroSD cards aren’t fried. In our detailed review of the Asus handheld, we noted it was significantly quieter than the Steam Deck, and hopefully, that will continue to be the case.

Those who are having major problems with MicroSD cards in the ROG Ally can contact their local customer service center, or cl-adrian@asus.com (in the US).

Don’t forget that if you have a bigger handheld gaming system SSD, then you probably won’t need to use MicroSDs so much. Please check out our recent Best Steam Deck and ROG Ally SSD roundup if you decide to go this route.

Chinese customs have another unsuccessful smuggler in custody. In the latest unfortunate episode, a man was caught trying to smuggle 6,000 microSD cards from Hong Kong island to mainland China. Hong Kong residents benefit from zero sales tax on goods, but the rate on the mainland can be up to 13%.

MicroSD cards are very compact and smaller than an adult fingernail, so it isn’t surprising that 6,000 of these flash storage devices could be hidden within the structure of a bicycle. In the bike diagram, the customs authority outlined the sections filled with memory cards, including the large structural crossbar and the seat.

The smuggler rolled his bike through the 'nothing to declare' channel in transit from Hong Kong to Guangdong Province but gave away his illegal intent with his behavior. According to machine translations of the foreign language reports, the man "often looked away and acted suspiciously." We guess from this translation that he attempted to avoid eye contact with officials on his way through the green channel due to the secret stash of microSD cards. 

The source report also highlights additional recent attempts to smuggle undeclared / misdeclared goods from low / zero tax regions to the mainland. For example, at the end of March, a foreigner tried to smuggle 56 boxes (1.3 tons) of used smartphones and replacement screens to China. Somewhat amusingly, earlier this month, someone was caught attempting to import over 200 iPhones and iPads for "personal use."

We have reported on other failed Hong Kong-to-mainland China smuggling attempts in recent weeks and months. For example, at the end of March, we saw reports of around half a million items seized attempting this route, with a large portion of the haul comprising PC components like CPUs and SSDs. These misdeclared goods were worth HK$30 million (nearly $4 million).

As well as the smuggling attempts that are interesting for their audacious scale, there is another newsworthy category – the bizarre or comical attempts to smuggle high-tech goods. Addressing this category, we recently reported on a man trying to smuggle nearly 240 Intel Raptor Lake processors into China by taping them to his body and legs. In addition, late last year, a woman tried to pass off a prosthetic belly full of 200 CPUs and nine iPhones as a pregnancy. Also, a plan to smuggle 84 M.2 SSDs into China within a scooter frame just last month was foiled.

Remember, crime doesn't pay, especially if you are a suspicious-looking smuggler.

Western Digital this week announced that it has expanded its family of WD Purple SC QD101 microSD cards designed for compact and mobile surveillance applications with a 1TB model. In addition to offering a record capacity, the new card can survive harsh environments and, if used properly, promises to have an extremely long lifespan of up to 16 years. 

The WD Purple SC QD101 1TB microSD card is based on Western Digital’s BiCS4 96-layer 3D NAND memory and use a proprietary controller that supports card health status monitoring capability enabling operators to replace a card that is about to fail for some reason. The card uses a UHS-I bus, so its peak sequential read/write speeds will be comparable those of other modern WD Purple microSD cards (i.e., 60 MB/s reads and 100 MB/s writes), it also carries the Speed Class 10 as well as UHS Speed Class 1 badges, so it guarantees a minimal write speed of 10 MB/s. 

The WD Purple SC QD101 card can withstand temperatures from -25°C to 85°C and can survive bad weather as well as high humidity. Quite naturally, the microSD product is also designed for a 24/7 operation. 

Western Digital says that its WD Purple SC QD101 1TB microSD card is rated for up to 512 program/erase cycles (i.e., 512TB to write), which does not seem good enough by SSD standards. Meanwhile, there are three things to point out. Firstly, SD controllers do not support an advanced LDPC-based ECC technology, so memory cards cannot provide the same level of endurance as SSDs. Secondly, surveillance flash cards write data sequentially in most cases and that pretty much guarantees a low write amplification and a higher endurance when compared to applications that write randomly in most cases (e.g., SSDs). Thirdly, at ~60 MB/s, it will take 5926 days, or over 16 years, to write 512TB of data on this card. The product is covered with a three-year warranty, so its actual capabilities well exceed the warranty. 

There is a catch about endurance though. When using the card for non-surveillance applications that do many random writes, some cells might fail after some time since the card is optimized primarily for sequential workloads. 

Western Digital’s WD Purple SC QD101 1TB microSD card will be available this November. The price is to be announced later, but given that the product is intended for surveillance solutions, it is likely that makers of the latter will pay a price that will depend on volumes and other arrangements.

Writing an SD card, the first thing you need to do to set up a Raspberry Pi, typically involves a computer, card reader and software such Raspberry Pi Imager. But what happens when you are away from a computer and need to write a new OS for your Raspberry Pi? Well luckily there is a very useful app for Android phones and tablets. 

Raspi SD Card Imager from Mike Redrobe is a tool to write operating system images for use on the Raspberry Pi. It can download and flash from a selection of images, from Raspberry Pi OS, to Ubuntu and RetroPie, all from one handy app.

If you have your own custom images, these can be written to an SD card while you are on the road. Let's take a look at this application and learn how to write the latest Raspberry Pi OS 32-bit to a microSD card for a spare Raspberry Pi 4.

What You Need

• Android device
• Adapters to connect a micro SD card reader
• Micro SD card
• Raspberry Pi and accessories

How to Install Raspberry Pi OS with Raspi SD Card Imager

1. On your Android device open the Google Play Store and install Pi SD Card Imager. 

2. Insert your micro SD card (and reader) into your Android device. If your device has a built-in micro SD card reader, use that.

3. Open Raspi SD Card Imager app and press the three dots in the top right of the screen. Select Choose OS and use the filters at the top of the screen to select Pi 4. 

4. Choose Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit) (3.2GB). This will download and cache the installation files to your Android device. 

5. Select Choose SD or USB via the three dot menu. Select the drive which contains your micro SD card. 

6.  Click on “Enable SSH for remote login” for out of the box SSH support. 

7.  Click on “Write to SD” to start the process. Depending on the Android device, this should take no longer than 10 minutes. 

8. Eject the micro SD card and then insert the micro SD card into your Raspberry Pi.

9. Power up the Raspberry Pi and it will go through the final stages of the install process. Once complete, the Pi will reboot and you will see the Raspberry Pi OS Desktop.

Hat tip to leepspvideo who provided the inspiration for this article. 

If you feel as though you're endlessly running out of digital storage space, you probably are. With file sizes going up, SD cards and other removable storage solutions are expanding.

• Get the SanDisk 200GB SD Card for $24.00.

If you find yourself in need of some additional storage space, Amazon has the SanDisk 200GB Ultra microSDXC on the cheap as part of a Deal of the Day sale going on now.

The deal nets you the 200GB Ultra microSDXC card for just $24, which is 26% off the typical asking price of $32.49. Amazon is also offering free one-day shopping for Prime members, so it'll be at your home in no time. Considering the next biggest card is 256GB for $42.99, this is a great deal for stocking up on extra cards – you never know when you're going to need one, after all.

This mini but mighty Deal of the Day nets you plenty of space to expand your smartphone’s memory, download your favorite Netflix shows to binge to your tablet, or save all those hilarious Super Smash Bros. Ultimate stage creations from your Nintendo Switch. These cards feature up to 100MB/s transfer read speed.

SanDisk's Ultra microSDXC cards are backed by a limited lifetime warranty, save for certain countries like Canada and any others that aren't eligible. In those cases, you're still covered by a lengthy warranty of 30 years. That's probably still plenty long enough, seeing as how storage needs will have almost certainly changed drastically by then.

Do you love taking photographs and recording videos on your smartphone, but always run out of storage? Are you sick of not having enough space for your Nintendo Switch games? Here's your opportunity to expand your storage space with PNY's U3 Pro Elite microSD card. The 256GB model, which retails for $139.99, is down to $59.99. The larger 512GB model that has a normal $189.99 is selling for $99.99.

• Get the PNY U3 Pro Elite 256GB microSD card for $59.99.
• Get the PNY U3 Pro Elite 512GB microSd card for $99.99.

Starting with the obvious, the PNY U3 Pro Elite is a microSDXC card that has earned the Class 10, U3 (UHS Speed Class 3), V30 (Video Speed Class 30) and A2 (Application Performance Class 2) certifications. In layman terms, PNY's offerings are fully capable of keeping up the latest 4K devices whether they be smartphones, action cameras, DSLRs and other devices.

Independent of the capacity, PNY's U3 Pro Elite microSD cards deliver up read and write speeds up to 100 MB/s and 80 MB/s, respectively. Whether you achieve the rated speeds depends on your device though. PNY also affirms that its U3 Pro Elite microSD cards are magnet-proof, shockproof, temperature-proof, waterproof and X-ray-proof. An SD adapter is included in case you want to use the U3 Pro Elite in a device with a standard SD slot.

They PNY U3 Pro Elite microSD cards are backed by PNY's limited lifetime warranty.

At the Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona today, the SD Association announced the new microSD Express standard based on the PCIe and NVMe interfaces.

New SD 7.1 Specification

The SD Association announced the microSD Express interface as part of the new SD 7.1 specification and some manufacturers have already announced microSD cards that support it.

The need for higher-speed microSD has increased primarily due to more smartphones gaining support for 4K resolution video recording at 60 frames per second (fps), as well as for 960 fps slow-motion videos, which can turn into very large files very quickly. Higher-speed microSDs are also increasingly needed for the ever-evolving gaming systems, multi-channel IoT devices, numerous automotive uses, action cameras, 360-degree videos and VR use cases.

Hiroyuki Sakamoto, SDA president, in a statement said: “microSD Express gives the mobile industry a compelling new choice to equip mobile devices with removable SSDs. SD 7.1 prepares consumers and mobile device manufacturers to meet ever increasing storage demands for years to come.”

SSD Speeds for microSD Cards

The microSD Express interface uses the PCIe 3.1 and NVMe v1.3 specifications defined by PCI-SIG and NVM Express, respectively. PCIe 3.1 comes with support for low-power states, which enable the low-power implementation of SD Express for mobile devices. The power utilized by microSD Express cards for data transfers is expected to be less than what traditional microSD cards consumed.

The SD Association and NVM Express Inc believe that microSD Express cards could be rapidly embraced in future products as consumers start to treat microSDs more like removable SSDs for their mobile devices.

Amber Huffman, NVM Express Inc. president, said: “NVMe is the industry-recognized performance SSD interface from the client to the data center to mobile, shipping in millions of units. By SDA adopting NVMe technology into the new microSD Express cards, users can experience lower latency and increasingly fast transfer speeds across various applications.” 

The era of 1TB microSD cards is here. Micron and Western Digital both announced 1TB microSDXC UHS-I cards at MWC Barcelona 2019. Micron's is called the Micron c200 1TB microSDXC UHS-I, which is as descriptive as it is easy to remember, while Western Digital's offering will be sold as the SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I.

Our need for more storage rises in step with the capabilities of the computers in our pockets, so it's no longer enough to store a few gigabytes worth of data. Now we're playing graphically intense games, shooting 4K video, and storing other content on our phones. As such, both cards are primarily meant for use in smartphones.

As Micron said in its press release about the new 1TB card:

“Micron’s technology leadership in 3D NAND with CMOS under the array and 96-layer QLC has been instrumental in developing and launching the world’s first 1TB microSD card,” said Aravind Ramamoorthy, senior director of NAND solutions for Micron's Embedded Business Unit. “The new c200 1TB microSD card gives consumers the freedom to capture, share, store and enjoy more content while supporting their mobile-centric lifestyles.”

It also isn't enough to offer high capacity storage--otherwise, people would be content to connect external hard drives to their phones. Storage has to be small enough to fit into the phone itself, have a high enough capacity to handle everything we want to store and be fast enough that we don't grow impatient.

These cards are supposed to meet all those criteria. They fit everywhere a microSDXC card does boast up to 1TB of storage, and offer up to 100MB/s read and 95MB/s write (Micron), or 160MB/s read and 90MB/s write (Western Digital) speeds. That's said to be fast enough to handle 4K UHD video recording and playback easily.

Both cards also meet the A2 Application Performance Class specification, which means they're fine to use for mobile apps. As we said, they should be good-to-go for data-hungry smartphones.

Micron said it plans to release the Micron c200 1TB microSDXC UHS-I card in 2Q19; it didn't reveal pricing information. Western Digital plans to release the SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I in April 2019 in two capacities, 512GB and 1TB, for a respective $200 and $450. The card's available to reserve on SanDisk's website.

That price discrepancy highlights the fact that the era of 1TB microSD cards is really only beginning. Most people aren't going to spend $450 on 1TB of storage--especially as prices for desktop storage continue to fall--instead of buying the $200 offering. Enthusiasts will, of course, but the average consumer won't.

Still, it won't be too long until the price of the 1TB card falls in line with the 512GB offering. People are getting too data-hungry (and too used to paying a pittance for storage) for prices to remain that high for too long. This is a glimpse at the future, not a sign that everyone will have 1TB microSD cards in a month.

HyperX, Kingston's renowned gaming division, has just launched a new line of gaming microSD cards that promises high levels of performance and reliability for demanding gamers.

Nowadays, it's pretty common to find the gaming monicker on every type of computer product, whether it be components, like motherboards or memory, or peripherals, such as mice, keyboards and headsets. There are even routers and network switches out there labeled and marketed as gaming-grade devices. HyperX's latest gaming-oriented microSD cards aren't a novelty by any means since SanDisk released its own microSD cards for gamers not so long ago. However, what really surprised us was that HyperX was so late to the game considering it's one of the major players in the gaming market and owned by parent company Kingston.

The Class 10 UHS-I HyperX Gaming microSD cards feature A1 and U3 speed class performance with read speeds of 100MB/s and write speeds of 80MB/s. HyperX will offer the microSD cards in capacities of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. HyperX emphasized that its gaming microSD cards are compatible with a wide selection of devices, which include the Nintendo Switch console, mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and basically any other portable gaming devices with a microSD slot.

Consumers in the United States and Canada can purchase the new HyperX Gaming microSD cards through Amazon, HyperX said in its announcement. The 64GB (HXSDC/64GB) model goes for $49.99, while the 256GB (HXSDC/256GB) will set you back $199.99. At the time of writing, HyperX hasn't revealed the price tag for the 128GB (HXSDC/128GB). As is custom, all HyperX Gaming microSD cards are backed by a lifetime warranty and technical support.

HyperX Gaming microSD Card Specifications

• Capacity: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
• Performance: 100MB/s read and 80MB/s write, UHS-I, CL10, Speed Class (U3), A1 App
• Dimensions: 11 x 15 x 1mm
• Format: exFAT (SDXC 64GB-256GB)
• Operating Temperatures: -25°C to 85°C
• Storage Temperatures: -40°C to 85°C
• Voltage: 3.3V

Since the start of Computex 2018, a number of companies have announced 512GB microSD cards, but the first product came from Integral Memory based in London back in January. Since then Adata, PNY, and now Lexar have unleashed products with the same capacity. But the new Lexar is different from the rest: it's the only product to gain A2 certification, making it the fastest available for running applications on your smartphone or tablet.

"Turning it up to two" just doesn't have a strong enough ring to it, but it's the equivalent to 11 when it comes to SD application performance, because the rating indicates that a product is capable of at least 4,000 read and 2,000 write IOPS. Here's what having an A2 certification entails:

"The Application Performance Class 2 (A2) is defined by SD Physical 6.0 specification. It makes SD memory card much higher performance than A1 performance by using functions of Command Queuing and Cache. Efficient flash memory management can be supported by Maintenance functions. Application Performance Class can be applied to UHS SDHC/SDXC Memory Card product family."

We broke the story of Lexar's acquisition last August, and since then the company has focused on building its brand and establishing a network of retail sellers. Its parent company, Longsys, is the largest buyer of Samsung flash memory and the largest SSD manufacturer in China. You probably don't recognize the Longsys name but you do know its products; it manufactures SSDs and SD-type products for the world's largest brands.

It's easy to see how the acquisition of Lexar, one of the most trusted brand names in the U.S., will play out over time with the backing of such a strong and diverse company behind the wheel. The company has a number of interesting products in the works that are just begging to be revealed.

Aside from the A2 certified microSD card, Lexar also announced a new high-speed USB portable SSD called the SL100 Pro. This drive reaches up to 850 MB/s sequential performance and will ship in capacities of 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB. The USB 3.1 Gen 2 drive features a small, yet sturdy enclosure that fits well in your shirt or jeans pocket with room to spare.

PNY just announced the new 512GB Elite microSDXC memory card, which is large enough to take the capacity crown away from the 400GB device SanDisk released in February. For $350, mobile data hoarders can store over 80 hours of Full HD video or 100,000 18MP pictures.

The 512GB Elite satisfies the performance requirements to meet Class 10 and U1 ratings but not the hefty A1 requirement for application performance in a mobile device. PNY claims up to 90 MB/s performance over the UHS-1 interface but doesn't specify random performance, which is used to achieve the A1 rating.

Compatibility is always a concern for large capacity microSDXC products. PNY includes an SD adapter with the 512GB Elite for use in a PC or Mac but didn't publish a list of supported mobile devices.

PNY is the first to announce a 512GB microSD card, but we know more will come in a few weeks at the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan. The increase in density is a direct result of advances in flash technology. PNY didn't disclose the technology used to make the 512GB Elite microSDXC possible but it's likely the result of new 4-bit per cell memory (QLC) from Toshiba.

What worries us about the 512GB Elite microSDXC is the lack of any published endurance specifications. QLC is new, unproven memory technology for consumer devices and will require powerful software error correction technology that increases power consumption over the life of the device.

SanDisk announced the new Extreme UHS-I microSD Card at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The drive fits 400GB on a card the size of your fingernail and takes the "world's fastest" honor with up to 160 MB/s sequential read performance.

SanDisk says the new model is 50% faster than the previous generation. Sequential write performance tops 90MB/s, according to the company's internal testing. The SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSD Card meets or exceeds the A2 specification for random performance used to launch apps at high speeds on mobile devices. The cost is less micro--expect to shell out $300 for the largest capacity and fastest SD card available.

Here's what SanDisk said about its new card in a press release:

“Consumers expect an increasingly better mobile experience, and with our 3D NAND technology, we are pushing the boundaries of innovation to enable them to create and enjoy more rich content on their devices. Our expertise in flash memory and microSD card electronics enables us to achieve unmatched performance. The breakthrough SanDisk microSD card is evidence of Western Digital’s commitment to delivering more advanced solutions that enable data to thrive,” said Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager, Client Solutions, Western Digital.

Parent company Western Digital is also showing a new mobile storage technology based on PCI Express "in anticipation of the next generation of high-performance mobile computing requirements."

The technology uses the latest PCIe 3.0 standard with a single lane capable of up to 985 MB/s. This technology has been discussed several times in the past but lacks the device support needed to spur production of the storage component. We may see moves in PCIe-based mobile storage this year, however, as companies look to new technology to increase performance and reduce power consumption.

Nintendo announced that SanDisk will release Switch-branded microSDXC cards in October. The cards themselves won't be unique, aside from their inclusion of the Switch logo, but the partnership could allow SanDisk to become the brand of choice for Switch owners looking for extra storage.

Two cards will be available. The first bears Link from The Legend of Zelda on its packaging and, more important, boasts a 64GB capacity with up to 100MBps sequential read and 60MBps sequential write speeds. The second features Mario from, well, you know. That card has a 128GB capacity and up to 100MBps sequential read and 90MBps sequential write speeds. Nintendo didn't reveal pricing information or a firm release date for either card.

The announcement of these cards featured all of the usual PR speak—praise for each company's market share, talking up the Switch's reception, etc.—but it also contained an interesting tidbit about upcoming games. Here's what Nintendo said about why people will want these cards:

Additional storage enables players to download more digital games and content, and take it all on the go. Also, a microSD card will be needed for certain Nintendo Switch games that contain an especially large amount of content and require additional storage for players to enjoy the full experience.

It's not clear if the second sentence refers to digital games that exceed the Switch's 32GB of built-in storage or to physical games that won't fit on a single cartridge. The former wouldn't be surprising; games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild require at least 13.8GB of storage if they're downloaded from the eShop. (And that doesn't even include save game data, expansions, and updates that could take up even more space.)

That means you could buy two particularly large games and run out of storage on the Switch. In that case, you either have to remove something from the console or purchase an SD card. Unless you plan to research the best cards—and we're sure you would, dear reader—chances are good that you'll just buy the Switch-branded SD cards with the familiar characters on their packaging right next to everything else Nintendo related.

The more intriguing possibility is that a single game will require more storage than the Switch's carts provide. We imagine that would be a tougher sell—part of the reason why people buy physical versions of games is to sidestep the storage problem. Still, we'd be interested to see how something could escape the bounds of those carts, even if the rise of digital gaming is the more likely explanation for Nintendo's statement.

Nintendo said these cards will be available at "select retail outlets" in October.

In 2015, SanDisk released the world's first 200GB microSDXC storage media using TLC flash technology. Today the company announced a successor, the Ultra MicroSDXC UHS-I, which doubles capacity to a massive 400GB housed within a card roughly the size of your finger nail.

This form factor is now the de facto standard for several classes of devices that span a wide range of product types. Most modern cell phones and tablets have standardized on microSD, and the technology has also penetrated other devices, such as drones and game consoles.

“Mobile devices have become the epicenter of our lives, and consumers are now accustomed to using their smartphones for anything from entertainment to business. We are collecting and sharing massive amounts of data on smartphones, drones, tablets, PCs, laptops and more. We anticipate that storage needs will only continue to grow as people continue to expect more sophisticated features on their devices and desire higher quality content,” Jeff Janukowicz, research vice president, IDC. “We estimate mobile device users worldwide will install over 150 billion applications alone this year, which require a ton of memory on all of our favorite devices.”

This new 400GB model can hold up to 40 hours of Full HD video and has a transfer speed of up to 100 MBps. That comes out to transferring up to 1,200 photos per minute. The card also meets the A1 App Performance Class specification built by the SD Association to ensure high random performance. The specification insists that products carrying the logo can meet or exceed 1,500 random read IOPS and 500 random write IOPS for quick loading of mobile optimized applications.

SanDisk pairs the new high-capacity, high-performance microSD drive with an updated app called SanDisk Memory Zone, which offers you greater control of your device's storage. The app is currently available on Google Play as a free download.

The new 400GB microSD card costs a bit more. Priced at $250 through major retailers, you'll pay a premium for the best-in-class user capacity.

Western Digital achieved this capacity breakthrough by leveraging its proprietary memory technology and design and production processes that allow for more bits per die.

The obvious question is if Western Digital just released a product with quad-level cell (QLC) memory technology. The press release leads us to believe so. because other companies have hinted that QLC will make an appearance in limited form before the end of the year, and Toshiba demonstrated working QLC at Flash Memory Summit with a massive 768Gbit die capacity.

SanDisk, which is now a Western Digital Company, introduced two new beefy 256 GB microSDXC cards at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China. SanDisk went through a quiet period as it worked out the kinks of its acquisition by WD, but now the company appears to be back to normal operation as it released several new products this week.

SanDisk has not indicated what type of NAND its new capacious cards employ, and the company has not released its new BiCS 3D NAND in any products yet. It is unlikely that BiCS would make its debut in the microSDXC format, so the new cards likely utilize 15nm planar NAND. This is an important distinction, because Samsung manufactures the only competing 256GB microSDXC cards on the market, which employ 3D TLC V-NAND.

The new cards are an evolutionary capacity increase in comparison to the previous-generation 200 GB SanDisk Ultra offerings.

SanDisk Extreme MicroSDXC UHS-I 256 GB

SanDisk claimed the Extreme variant is the fastest card in its class, and the company designed it for intense 4K use cases such as action cameras, drones and 4K-capable smartphones. SanDisk claimed the Extreme features a "data transfer speed" (which we interpret as a read speed metric) up to 100 MB/s, and its sequential write speed is listed at 90 MB/s. SanDisk declined to reveal the write speed of the previous-generation 200 GB Ultra card, likely because it is less than impressive, so the inclusion of the write speed with this model is noteworthy. SanDisk noted that the card can store up to 14 hours of 4K UHD video.

SanDisk indicated that the 256 GB Extreme will retail for $199.99 in Q4 2016, which is significantly less than the $249.99 price tag on the competing Samsung Evo Plus. However, Samsung originally scheduled the Samsung Evo Plus for general availability this month, but it is not for sale at any major retailers (that we can find). Both cards offer a ten-year warranty, but the SanDisk card provides 5 MB/s more of sequential read performance.

SanDisk Ultra Premium Edition MicroSDXC UHS-I 256 GB

SanDisk designed the Ultra Premium Edition for more mundane non-4K workloads, and the company positioned it specifically for Android-based smartphones and tablets by touting that it can hold up to 24 hours of Full HD video. SanDisk listed its transfer speed (sequential read) at 95 MB/s but did not disclose its sequential write speed, which likely indicates anemic performance.

The Ultra microSDXC will come to market in August 2016 with an MSRP of $149.99, and it features a ten-year warranty.

Features

SanDisk indicated that both models feature the usual repertoire of features, such as being waterproof; temperature resistant (-25C to 85C); and X-Ray, magnet and impact proof -- which are fairly standard qualities of all microSDXC cards. Both cards also support the SanDisk Memory Zone app for Android devices.

Paul Alcorn is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware, covering Storage. Follow him on Twitter and Google+.

Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

This week in storage was a somewhat quiet affair, as all of the major storage vendors are holding new product announcements prior to Computex, which takes place at the end of the month. We are going to have a full complement of reporters on hand for the show in hot and humid Taipei, so expect the news deluge to begin soon.

WD and SanDisk are hearing wedding bells as the MOFCOM Chinese regulatory agency approved the Western Digital acquisition of SanDisk. Both companies have multiple products from their previous marriages, and there are a few SSD overlaps, so the situation will get dicey as WD slices out redundant products. The companies manufacture inherently dissimilar products, for the most part, so the axes will likely swing hardest in many of the support roles, such as marketing and HR.

In either case, WD's investor friends are not particularly impressed with the acquisition, as evidenced by the plummeting stock price during the process (it's now trading at a four-year low). WD has lost more than 60 percent of its value in the last year, and Bank Of America downgraded the company due to reduced NAND pricing. (Poor WD...first it loses value on reduced HDD sales, so it buys its way into flash, then loses value due to reduced NAND prices.)

Samsung announced that it is bringing an incredible amount of storage to hand-held devices with its new 256 GB EVO Plus MicroSD card. Suddenly, my meager 128 GB MicroSD card feels inferior to the well-endowed EVO Plus, as does SanDisk's competing 200 GB Ultra MicroSD card. The EVO Plus serves yet another example of the performance and density advantages provided by 3D TLC NAND in comparison to planar (2D) NAND.

The SanDisk 200 GB Ultra does not have a sequential write speed listed in its specifications. Usually, when a key specification is missing, it means the company would rather not talk about it because it is horridly slow. SanDisk does note, however, that the Ultra's "write speed is lower" in comparison to its read speed, but the lack of a listed specification tells me all I need to know.

Meanwhile, the prodigious Samsung is thrusting its extra 56 GB of capacity into SD slots with 95/90 MBps of sequential read/write speed. Now if Samsung would just reduce its $249.99 price to a sane level...

Phison Predicts NAND Drought In Midst Of NAND Flood

The burning question around any computer component is whether we should buy one today or wait until prices go down. In the case of SSDs, according to Phison, prices are headed the other direction.

Khein-Seng Pua, the Company Chairman of Phison, predicted a looming third-quarter NAND shortage in the Chinese Economic Daily News. Pua indicated that the transition to 3D NAND is not progressing smoothly for several of the large NAND fabs, which will ultimately lead to an industry-wide shortage.

Phison is a well-known SSD controller manufacturer, but few know that it actually builds the entire SSD for several of the third-party SSD vendors. Companies such as Corsair, Patriot, PNY, and others buy the complete SSD from Phison and then sell it under their own brand.

To fuel its manufacturing efforts, Phison maintains a large supply of NAND, which is currently valued at NT$9.27 billion (~$284 million USD), so it is keenly aware of NAND market trends. It appears the company is building up its NAND stockpile, which was valued only at $160 million USD at the end of 2015.

SSD prices, which are largely driven by the price of NAND, are currently at historic lows. The price of a 256 GB SSD has fallen from roughly $125 last year to sub-$60 this year, so it is clear that there is an abundance of NAND on the market.

The low SSD prices are the result of the declining smartphone and desktop PC markets, which weaken demand. The depth and extent of the decline varies depending upon the analyst firm that is reporting them, but all foresee a continued desktop PC slump for the remainder of the year, along with uncharacteristic single-digit growth numbers for the mobile phone market.

Many analysts contradict the Phison predictions, and instead foresee an increasing oversupply as 3D NAND from other fabs, such as Intel/Micron 3D NAND and SK Hynix 3D NAND V2, come to market. When 3D NAND does take hold, it will magnify the amount of capacity shipped due to its increased density, and pouring more capacity onto a market that is already swimming in NAND should only intensify the oversupply condition.

Samsung certainly believes there is a pending possibility for an oversupply situation, as evidenced by its February 2016 announcement that it postponed the expansion of its 3D NAND fab in Xi'an, China. SanDisk is also rumored to have its 3D BiCS NAND very close to shipping, but the company has been quiet during its pending (now final) acquisition by WD. Speaking of NAND oversupplies, Bank Of America just downgraded WD due to weak NAND ASPs.

However, the 3D NAND transition has been painfully slow, and most fabs are still not shipping 3D NAND in volume. We also have yet to see any 3D NAND-powered products from third-party SSD vendors, which we expect to see teased at Computex, but it is unlikely that many will be available in the near term.

Many of the fabs are transitioning their NAND bit output to 3D and have not increased 2D NAND output, which Khein-Seng Pua contends will open a window of opportunity for the NAND drought. If his predictions come to fruition, there will be a sudden increase in SSD prices across the board, and some cite an increasing price gap between 2D TLC and MLC as a sign that there is already an MLC NAND drought brewing.

If there is not an impending drought, as the industry at large tends to believe, then Phison has a stockpile valued over a quarter of a billion dollars that will lose value rapidly as 3D NAND continues to dilute the average selling price. If a drought materializes, then Phison made a particularly wise investment that will pay big dividends.

Such is life in the NAND game. If one were to believe the Phison predictions, and just happen to have a lot of skin in the game, the time to buy an SSD is now.

Paul Alcorn is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware, covering Storage. Follow him on Twitter and Google+.

Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.