If you own a Nintendo Switch, or you’re getting one soon, one of the first purchases you should make is a microSD card. Why? Well, because most Switch consoles have just 32 GB of internal storage (the Switch OLED has 64 GB), and part of the storage is allocated to system files. So, downloading just a couple of games could fill it all the way up. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, for example, will take up about 16 GB of it alone.
The best microSD cards for the Nintendo Switch
You’re going to need space for more games sooner or later
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Cameron Faulkner (he/him) is Polygon’s commerce editor. He began writing about tech and gaming in 2013, and migrated from The Verge in 2023.
By inserting a microSD card into the Switch’s dedicated slot, you can greatly expand its storage, so you won’t have to worry about hitting the limits when you download more games from the Nintendo eShop. A microSD card also gives you more space for DLC, as well as screenshots and video clips that you take with the Switch’s capture button. If you buy one with a large enough capacity, you may never need to upgrade in the future.
We’ve already covered the best Nintendo Switch accessories to buy, and getting a solid microSD card is one of our top recommendations. Here are a few of the best models that are commonly discounted, all of which exceed Nintendo’s speed requirements for microSD cards in the Switch.
