The Best MicroSD Cards for Your Camera, Switch, and More

What’s Happening

Real talk: Everything you need to know about memory cards for cameras, video game systems, and more.

Brad Bourque Gear Feb 28, 2026 7:00 AM The Best MicroSD Cards I ve Tried Everything you need to know about memory cards for cameras, video game systems, and more. Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Shopping for a MicroSD card can be a little daunting. (plot twist fr)

There are a ton of numbers to consider, a huge number of brands producing cards with similar-sounding features and names, and words like Pro, Extreme, and Express getting thrown around everywhere.

The Details

To make a long story short, unless youre shooting a ton of photos and videos, and doing so even semiprofessionally where losing those shots might be detrimental to your professional reputation, youre fine to buy a MicroSD card from any company whose name youve heard before. I prefer cards from PNY, SanDisk, and Lexar.

Keep an eye out for the “U” symbol with a 3 inside, or a “V30” on the card for the best balance of speed and price. There are two exceptions to that suggestion: If youre shooting on a high-end camera , you should consider a V60 MicroSD card, if you can find one for a reasonable price.

Why This Matters

Some cameras have extra video features you can enable with a faster MicroSD card, so check your manual for more info on whether you need to upgrade. If youre buying for a Nintendo Switch 2, youll need an unfortunately more expensive MicroSD Express card. While you can transfer images and videos from your Switch 2 with most regular MicroSD cards, youll need an Express version to use it for actually running games.

Tech companies have been making moves like this as competition heats up.

Key Takeaways

• Capacity How much storage you need will largely depend on your needs, but there are a few things to consider when debating between 128 GB and 1 TB.
• The first is that MicroSD cards are tiny, and having to swap them out on the road can be a risky proposition.

The Bottom Line

The first is that MicroSD cards are tiny, and having to swap them out on the road can be a risky proposition. Costs tend to go up exponentially for 1 TB and 2 TB cards, but the gap between 256 GB and 512 GB isnt that large, so I recommend sizing up a bit.

Is this a W or an L? You decide.