The Steam Deck has to this point confirmed to be a terrific little machine for gaming, however one factor you want is not less than a microSD card for storage, and we expect we have rounded up the very best. for evaluate.
Now, should you ended up with the 512GB model of the Steam Deck, it’s possible you’ll solely have sufficient space for storing for the video games you propose to play. 512GB is not lots of storage, particularly for the way large video games are nowadays, however should you’re the kind of one who organizes your installs when it is advisable make room for one thing, it is could also be sufficient.
In case you are like us and don’t wish to cope with such troubles, then a microSD card for Steam Deck is certainly the appropriate answer. That is simpler than changing the inner SSD, and should you’re unsure how, chances are high you will need to pay another person to do it for you. Make the microSD choice cheaper too.
In brief, for many customers, a microSD card shall be one of the best ways to get extra recreation area on the Steam Deck. However, which one do you have to take into account? You should not simply use any previous microSD card. You possibly can, however you should not, since you need one with optimum velocity to load video games. So here’s a record of the very best microSD playing cards for Steam Deck that may meet these requirements.
Finest microSD Playing cards for Steam Deck
| micro SD card | Worth | The place to purchase |
| SanDisk Excessive Professional microSDXC UHS-I (128GB – 1TB) | From $21 | Amazon |
| PNY XLR8 Gaming Class microSDXC UHS-I (128GB – 512GB) | From $14.99 | Amazon |
| Samsung Evo Choose microSDXc UHS-I (512GB) | From $123 | Amazon |
| Lexar microSDXC UHS-I 512GB | $49.99 | Amazon |
| SanDisk Excessive microSDXC UHS-I 1TB | From $164.99 | Amazon, B&H, Newegg |
| Lexar Play microSDXC UHS-I (256GGB – 1TB) | From $29.99 | Amazon, B&H, Newegg, Adorama, Buydig |
| Lexar Skilled 1066x microSDXC UHS-I 512GB | $94.61 | Amazon |
| Samsung Evo Plus microSDXC UHS-I 512GB | $81.68 | Amazon, B&H, Newegg |
SanDisk Excessive Professional microSDXC UHS-I (128GB – 1TB)
- Value: From $21
- The place to purchase: Amazon
To start out issues off, we suggest the SanDisk Excessive Professional card for a lot of causes. For starters, it comes from Western Digital’s SanDisk model that has been round without end and is a trusted identify in storage merchandise. The Excessive Professional, then again, is one in all its newer playing cards and is available in quite a lot of sizes. Whereas we would not suggest something beneath 128GB and for our personal functions, we’d in all probability go larger than that. As a result of as famous above, many AAA video games nowadays are extraordinarily giant.
Extra importantly, nonetheless, this card particularly gives you quick learn and write speeds. This may assist with load instances. Basically, you wish to see one thing that gives learn/write speeds of round 100MB/s. This card has learn speeds of as much as 170MB/s and write speeds of as much as 90MB/s. So it is best for you ought to be searching for.
The one draw back to this card is that 1TB and even 512GB are a bit costly. That being stated, there are different choices on this record that price much less and gives you the identical quantity of storage. Nevertheless, for us, this has labored nice throughout our testing to this point.
PNY XLR8 Gaming Class microSDXC UHS-I (128GB – 512GB)
- Value: From $14.99
- The place to purchase: Amazon
That is truly the primary card we began utilizing with the Steam Deck, and just like the SanDisk Excessive Professional, it has quick learn and write speeds. It additionally is available in sizes as much as 512GB. We have now the 512GB mannequin in our Steam Deck, and it is an actual boon to permit us to put in extra video games.
Since we used the 256GB model of the Steam Deck, storage began filling up rapidly with video games like Elden Ring and Ultimate Fantasy XIV. So a bigger dimension tag is certainly wanted. PNY additionally designed this card particularly for use to play video games on gadgets like Nintendo Swap, cellular gadgets, and the Steam Deck. That does not imply it will possibly solely be used for these gadgets. However that helps PNY take into consideration cellular gaming when making this product.
As for learn and write speeds, you are learn speeds as much as 100 MB/s and write speeds as much as 90 MB/s. Place it totally on par with the cardboard above. And simply make this among the best microSD playing cards for Steam Deck.
PNY XLR8 Gaming 128GB – 512GB
Samsung Evo Choose microSDXc UHS-I (256Gb & 512GB)
- Value: From $123
- The place to purchase: Amazon
Samsung is one other trusted model in reminiscence and storage gadgets, so we naturally suggest the Evo Choose card as an choice. It has the identical learn and write speeds because the PNY XLR8 Gaming class card, however proper now you are seeing its value on Amazon greater than double. Usually, it retails for $69.99, simply $10 greater than the 512GB PNY card above.
However all 512GB fashions appear to return from third-party resellers. Sadly, Samsung’s web site is out of inventory on this one, so Amazon might be your greatest guess if you need this explicit card. Nevertheless, we’d suggest PNY as you’ll spend much less.
That being stated, it’s also possible to decide up the Evo Choose in 256GB for $29.99, which is fairly reasonably priced.
Samsung Evo Choose 256GB & 512GB
Lexar microSDXC UHS-I 512GB
- Value: $49.99
- The place to purchase: Amazon
One other good choice is that this Lexar card that is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage sizes. That is additionally a high-speed card with learn speeds of as much as 100MB/s. One draw back is the marginally slower write speeds as much as 30MB/s. So in comparison with every other card to this point, it loses there.
Nevertheless, this will likely not make a lot of a distinction for you. And if that is the case you possibly can’t go improper right here. We nonetheless suppose the PNY is a greater worth albeit with larger write speeds and the identical quantity of storage at a cheaper price level.
Nonetheless, it is nonetheless among the best microSD playing cards for the Steam Deck.
Lexar MicroSDXC 512GB
SanDisk Excessive microSDXC UHS-I 1TB
If you happen to actually just like the SanDisk card however do not wish to pay loads, then you possibly can take into account the SanDisk Excessive as an alternative of the Excessive Professional. You possibly can decide up this microSD card mannequin with 1TB of storage for $167.71 on Amazon on the time of writing. That is only a fraction of the Professional mannequin’s $399.99 price ticket at 1TB.
As for learn and write speeds, you are as much as 160 MB/s learn and as much as 90 MB/s write. So actually, it is not going to price you a lot by not getting the Excessive Professional, and you are still getting a SanDisk card with 1TB of storage for all these video games.
SanDisk Excessive 1TB
Lexar Play microSDXC UHS-I (256GGB – 1TB)
One of many different greatest playing cards is the Lexar Play card, which will be obtainable in capacities as much as 1TB and has learn speeds of as much as 150MB/s. And, the 1TB mannequin is barely $133.99 on the time of writing, so it is a fairly whole lot in comparison with the opposite 1TB playing cards on this record. That is additionally designed with gaming in thoughts and works effectively in gadgets just like the Nintendo Swap. So naturally it could even be a terrific various to the Steam Deck.
If you happen to do not want lots of further storage, the 128GB model of this card prices solely $16.99. Not unhealthy, not unhealthy in any respect.
Lexar Play 256GB – 1TB
Lexar Skilled 1066x microSDXC UHS-I 512GB
- Value: $94.61
- The place to purchase: Amazon
One ultimate choice from Lexar is the Skilled 1066x card. This one is available in capacities as much as 512GB, and for beneath $100 you get a fairly good card with quick learn and write speeds. Particularly, learn speeds as much as 160MB/s and write speeds as much as 120MB/s.
It isn’t the most affordable 512GB card mannequin on this record, however it actually has sooner write speeds than any of the opposite choices on this record. So make what you need.
Lexar Skilled 1066x 512GB
Samsung Evo Plus microSDXC UHS-I 512GB
Rounding out this record is the Samsung Evo Plus in a 512GB mannequin card. It’s kind of cheaper than the Lexar card above, and it is from Samsung so it is a well-known model. Nevertheless, the learn and write speeds aren’t as quick as a number of the different choices.
For worth, we lean towards one of many earlier choices, however it’s nonetheless among the best microSD playing cards for the Steam Deck, and it is not terribly costly. Once more, although, the 512GB card from PNY is the most affordable 512GB choice obtainable on this record. And for the mix of learn and write speeds and value, plus it is a card designed for cellular gaming gadgets, we expect it is a greater choice.
That being stated, all the playing cards listed ought to work effective for the Steam Deck. So it actually is determined by what you need.
Samsung EvoPlus 512GB