How to choose the appropriate MicroSD card for Nintendo Switch

Play your favorite game whenever you want with the MicroSD card for Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo has adopted an old-fashioned approach to Nintendo Switch using cartridge-based games (the game uses the previous key press). The benefit of this is that you don't need to install them directly on the system. When you choose the console and game - specifically The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - you can simply turn on the cartridge (play box) and play without installing any data.

On the other hand, if you choose to download Breath of the Wild, the file size will be a whopping 13.4GB. Even if you plan to buy physical copies of most AAA games, if you include system updates, bug fixes, eShop games and Virtual Console, the 32GB storage space of The console will 'evaporate' pretty quickly.

Thankfully, the Switch has a MicroSD card reader that allows you to expand the onboard memory. This is what you should consider when choosing MicroSD card for your Switch, along with a few suggestions.

MicroSDXD and MicroSDHC

The switch supports MicroSDHC cards as well as MicroSDXD cards. So what is the difference between them? That is the storage limit.

SDHC stands for Secure Digital High Capacity, but these cards only have a maximum capacity of 32GB. SDXC stands for Secure Digital Extended Capacity and these cards have storage capacities ranging from 64GB to 512GB.

Depending on the gaming habits, 32GB of additional storage capacity of MicroSDHC may be enough for you, but for those who plan to use eShop and Virtual Console, MicroSDHC may be a better choice.

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How much storage space do you really need?

If you have decided to choose a MicroSDXC for your Switch, but you are not sure how much to buy? It is difficult to give exact numbers, but here are some general principles:

If you tend to buy physical AAA releases and sometimes only buy eShop and Virtual Console games, 64GB capacity will be more suitable.

For those who regularly download AAA games, VCs and AAA games, it is probably best to choose a card with 128GB capacity.

If you want to download many AAA games, you should probably consider the type with at least 200GB of storage. For example, Dragon Quest Heroes 1 and 2 will consume 32GB.

Up to now, the largest retail MicroSDXC card available is 512GB, but keep in mind that the maximum supported MicroSDXC switch has a capacity of up to 2TB.

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Speed

Besides storage capacity, another extremely important factor in choosing the right MicroSD card is speed. Speed ​​is divided into levels such as 2, 4, 6 or 10 - to note the minimum baseline speed of the card. Level 2 means that the baseline speed is 2MB / s, 4 means 4MB / s, etc. . However, for Switch, you will only want to buy the card classified at level 10. Because the console will read the games saved on the card, so the level 10 card will be able to minimize latency and slow loading.

A level 10 card does not mean it can only read and write data at 10MB / s. Each MicroSD card also has a rated speed, the number indicates the maximum transfer rate, usually significantly higher than 10MB / s. Since we can't predict how MicroSD cards will work in the Switch and that can completely change with each game, it's best to choose level 10 cards.

Also, if you find a MicroSDXC card with a UHS level, everything will become clearer. Levels range from UHS-1 (10MB / s) to UHS-3, sometimes with numbers 1, 2 or 3 printed on the front of the card instead of number 10. Nintendo recommends compatible cards UHS-1 and has a transmission speed of 60 to 95MB / s.

Trademark

Another important component when choosing a MicroSD card is choosing a manufacturer. As with all other technologies, you can sometimes save money by choosing lesser known brands, but of course the quality of these products is not guaranteed. With external storage, whether it's a hard drive, flash drive or SD card, reliable testing and warranty are all important. The same logic applies to MicroSD cards, because you don't want the card to crash, especially if it has a short warranty period or no warranty at all.

Samsung and SanDisk are the most famous manufacturers. Each card of Samsung and SanDisk undergoes rigorous testing and is usually heat resistant, waterproof, shockproof and X-ray resistant. Heat-resistant design can be the most positive point for those who are own Switch, because you can be sure that you will bring this device.

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Besides SanDisk and Samsung, another big brand is Lexar, the MicroSD card maker that received many positive reviews. The company's card also underwent the same thorough testing.

Most importantly, however, all three companies offer a long warranty period for microSD cards. That proves they are quite good quality. Samsung offers a warranty period of 5 to 10 years depending on the type of card, for all manufacturer faults and faults. SanDisk also offers a 5 to 10-year warranty period for its cards, and some cards even have a lifetime warranty. Lexar offers limited lifetime warranty offers on nearly all of its MicroSD cards.

You can save a few dollars by choosing another brand, but the advice is to stick with familiar names like SanDisk, Samsung and Lexar.

Recommendations

If you have decided on a level 10 card from a quality manufacturer, that is 90% a wise decision. However, there are also recommendations for each specific storage capacity.

It's hard to find a card with 200GB storage capacity at reasonable prices. However, in recent months, the cheap 256GB card option has appeared. If you can find a 256GB card for less than $ 100 (VND 2,300,000), that's a pretty bargain. For example, the SanDisk card has a much lower price. Take a look at the price comparison table below for more details!

SanDisk Samsung Lexar 32GB Ultra 32GB microSDHC UHS-I with adapter ($ 10 / 230,000VND) EVO Select microSDHC ($ 16 / 370,000VND) High-Performance microSDHC 633x UHS-I ($ 14 / 326,000VND) 64GB Ultra 64GB microSDXC UHS-I with adapter ($ 15 / 350,000 VND) EVO Select microSDXC ($ 26 / 605,000VND) High-Performance microSDXC 633x UHS-I ($ 27 / 630,000 VND) 128GB Ultra 128GB microSDXC UHS-I with adapter ($ 31 / 720,000VND) EVO Select microSDXC ( $ 46 / 1,070,000VND) High-Performance microSDXC 633x UHS-I ($ 47 / 1,095,000VND) 200GB Ultra microSDXC ($ 55 / 1,280,000 VND) No 256GB Ultra microSDXC UHS-I with adapter ($ 68 / 1,580,000 VND) EVO Select microSDXC ($ 164 / 3.820.000VND) High-Performance microSDXC 633x ($ 180 / 4,193,000VND) 400GB Ultra microSDXC UHS-I with adapter ($ 100 / 2.300.000VND) No Yes No

In February 2018, UK Integral manufacturer released a 512GB MicroSDXC card, which is available through UK retailers. However, as this is a new product, it has not yet proven performance or capability. Its compatible with Switch. Therefore, you should still stick with the 256GB card (or 400GB from SanDisk) for the time being.

Wish you can choose the right product!

See more:

1. 3 ways to increase storage capacity on Android with a microSD card
2. How to choose to purchase microSD card to upgrade Android memory
3. Things to know about Samsung Galaxy Note 7 microSD memory card