by To be able to fit many games in your Nintendo Switch , you need to have enough storage space in the console. What you need then is a memory card, or a so-called microSD card, to get more space in the game library. The number of GB the console is equipped with from the beginning does not go very far.
If we take regular Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite , they have 32 GB of internal memory, but only 25.9 GB is available for you to save on, the rest is occupied by system files. Nintendo Switch OLED has 64 GB of internal memory, but only 57.9 GB is available to save.
There are a lot of memory cards to choose from and it can be difficult to know which is the best for the Nintendo Switch. However, expanding the memory on the console is easy and done without hassle, but since the range of memory cards is large, it is important that you choose the right one. We have therefore listed the 6 best memory cards for the Nintendo Switch in different sizes and price ranges.
Overview best memory card for Nintendo Switch 2022
1. SanDisk Nintendo Switch 128 GB
Best memory card for Nintendo Switch overall
- Fast memory card with good capacity
- Officially licensed by Nintendo
- Up to 100 MB / s transfer speed
- Easy installation
- Lifetime warranty
2. SanDisk Nintendo Switch 256 GB
Best Nintendo Switch memory card for you with many games
- Fast memory with room for lots of games
- Up to 100 MB / s transfer speed
- Officially licensed by Nintendo
- Smooth installation
- Lifetime warranty
3. Samsung Evo Plus 256 GB
Expensive and fast memory card
- Games load fast
- Up to 130 MB / s transfer speed
- Reliable card with good capacity
- Affordable
4. SanDisk Nintendo Switch 64 GB
Cheap memory card for Nintendo Switch
- For you who just want a little extra space
- Up to 100MB / s transfer rate
- Officially licensed by Nintendo
- Easy installation
- Lifetime warranty
5. SanDisk Ultra 128GB
Affordable memory card for Nintendo Switch
- Fast memory card for reasonable money
- Available in many sizes
- Up to 120 MB / s transfer speeds
- Smooth installation
6. SanDisk Nintendo Switch 512 GB
Best Nintendo memory card for a lot of space
- For you who like to vary between several games
- Up to 100 MB / s transfer speeds
- Officially licensed by Nintendo
- Lifetime warranty
- Easy installation
Buying Guide Memory Cards for Nintendo Switch
We have put together a buying guide with information and answers to common questions about what to think about when buying a memory card for Switch. All so that you can make as well-informed a purchase as possible!
Do all micro SD cards work on the Nintendo Switch?
All micro SD cards, including micro SDXC and SDHC, are compatible with the Nintendo Switch. To get the best performance possible, however, certain requirements are recommended by Nintendo, the memory must have UHS-I support and a read speed of at least 60-95 MB / s. We have of course included memory cards that follow Nintendo’s recommendations in our top list, so that the cards really meet the basic criteria.
Need to format a new memory card for Nintendo Switch?
When you insert a memory card for the first time in your Nintendo Switch, the console should be turned off and when you then start it up again with the memory card in, your Switch console should find the memory.
If a micro SD card is not recognized by the console and the card is inserted correctly (the label should appear on the outside of the console), it needs to be formatted to work properly.
How to format your microSD card in Nintendo Switch
From the Home screen (touch gear), tap System Preferences > Scroll down and select System > Scroll down again and select Formatting options > Then select Format microSD card .
This will clear your memory card of all data and allow it to communicate with your Switch console.
Speed of a Nintendo Switch memory card
In order to be able to play without the games feeling choppy and dull, the memory card needs to meet a certain speed in the data transfer. According to Nintendo’s recommendations, the read speed should be at least 60 MB / s and preferably more than that. It should also support UHS-I (Ultra High Speed). As long as your micro SD card meets these requirements, the gaming experience will be excellent.
How big a memory card can you have for the Nintendo Switch?
This is the limitation for different memory cards in Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch OLED:
- microSD support up to 2 GB
- microSDHC support between 4 GB – 32 GB
- microSDXC supports 64 GB and up
Today it is possible to buy microSDXC cards up to 1 TB (1000 GB) commercially. This means that it is also the maximum limit for what you can buy in extra memory for a Nintendo Switch.
How much extra memory is needed on the Switch?
We recommend that you do not go lower than 64 GB on a memory card and preferably a little larger than that even. For many players, 128 GB is an optimal size and if you like having a larger library with many games, we think you should at least have a 256 GB memory card.
How much memory a Nintendo Switch game takes is different, it can be from a few hundred MB to several GB. We can take some examples of popular games for Switch and how much memory they take up:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 13.4 GB
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 7 GB
- FIFA Games – 13 GB
- Apex Legends – 24.8 GB
- Super Mario Odyssey – 5.3 GB
With that said, we take and dive among our top picks of memory cards for the Nintendo Switch!
Best memory card for Nintendo Switch 2022
1. SanDisk microSDXC Nintendo Switch 128 GB
Best memory card for Nintendo Switch overall
- Capacity : 128 GB
- Read speed: 100MB / s
- Write speed : 90MB / s
- Warranty : Lifetime
This microSDXC memory card for Nintendo Switch is an excellent choice for you who want high-performance storage with reliability. We think this size of memory gives the best value for money and the card design is also a big plus in our opinion.
Another great advantage is that the transfer speed of 100MB / s results in faster downloading of games. In short, the SanDisk microSDXC memory card for the Nintendo Switch gives you a secure guarantee that your games always have room to store them, while providing high performance.
2. SanDisk microSDXC Nintendo Switch 256 GB
SD card for Nintendo Switch with plenty of space
- Capacity : 256 GB
- Read speed: 100MB / s
- Write speed : 90MB / s
- Warranty : Lifetime
With 256 GB more memory, this microSDXC card offers a significantly larger amount of storage space for your Nintendo Switch. This means that you can trust that the storage covers what it should as you play intensively and collect several different games.
The transfer speed is up to 100MB / s, which is very advantageous. The formatting is simple and the card is very reliable. This card is suitable for you who are an intense player with a need to be able to store quantities without feeling stressed over the memory. However, this card is one of the more expensive. If it suits your budget and your needs, you should definitely choose this micro SD card for your Nintendo Switch.
3. Samsung Evo Plus microSDXC 256 GB
Fast memory card for Nintendo Switch
- Capacity : 256 GB
- Read speed: 130MB / s
- Write speed : 130MB / s
- Warranty : 10 years
With this memory card for the Nintendo Switch, you are guaranteed speeds like no other, which is a huge advantage for most gamers. The card is easy to install and easy to handle.
The nice Nintendo symbol that the official Nintendo memory cards from SanDisk have is missing on this card, but if it’s a petitess for you, do not let it get in the way. The speed of the Samsung Evo Plus is simply unbeatable, and the price is very affordable considering what you get.
4. SanDisk microSDXC Nintendo Switch 64 GB
Cheap memory card for Nintendo Switch
- Capacity : 64 GB
- Read speed: 100MB / s
- Write speed : 90MB / s
- Warranty : Lifetime
Not everyone needs that much storage space. If you are a person who only downloads from time to time with your Nintendo Switch, this 64 GB card is perfect for you. Then you should be pretty sure that you will not need more memory sooner or later anyway. It is not as good to have two memory cards as to have only one, which is then large enough.
If you know that you do not download much and that it will continue to do so, then you should choose this SD card for your Switch – otherwise it is better with a card with greater storage options.
5. SanDisk Ultra microSDXC 128GB
Affordable memory card for Nintendo Switch
- Capacity : 64 GB
- Read speed: 120MB / s
- Write speed : 100MB / s
- Warranty : Lifetime
SanDisk Ultra is an affordable memory card for Nintendo Swich that suits you who are looking for a lot of storage for the money. At the same time, it maintains a high speed, which is necessary to be able to play games directly from memory cards.
The memory card is available in several sizes, where we think 128 GB gives the most value for money, but you will find sizes from 32 GB up to 1000 GB. Something for everyone simply! Can you imagine buying an SD card that is not officially licensed by Nintendo Switch, so this is a top choice in our opinion.
6. SanDisk microSDXC Nintendo Switch 512 GB
Best Nintendo memory card for a lot of space
- Capacity : 512 GB
- Read speed: 100MB / s
- Write speed : 90MB / s
- Warranty : Lifetime
This memory card is, like the above card, officially licensed for your Nintendo Switch and for maximum storage space. The number of GB – a full 512 – means that you will never have to worry about getting rid of the progress you have made and the levels you have managed in your games.
The storage capacity really lives up to its promise, so you as a heavy gamer can sit back with your Nintendo Switch controller and look for a fun game in your large game library. So this is an SD card for you who know with you what needs you have. The price may be juicy, but on the other hand you know what you are getting.
Summary best memory card for Nintendo Switch 2022
With the help of a memory card, you can expand the relatively small memory that the Nintendo Switch consoles have internally. The standard Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite have 32 GB of internal memory, but only 25.9 GB is available, the rest is occupied by system files. Nintendo Switch OLED has 64 GB of internal memory, but only 57.9 GB is available for you to save on.
Fortunately, it is possible to buy a micro SD card and as long as it has at least 60 MB / s speed, you can play Switch games directly from the memory card.
We have named the best Nintendo Switch memory cards 2022 in our opinion, the list follows:
- SanDisk microSDXC Nintendo Switch 128 GB
- SanDisk microSDXC Nintendo Switch 256 GB
- Samsung Evo Plus microSDXC 256 GB
- SanDisk microSDXC Nintendo Switch 64 GB
- SanDisk Ultra microSDXC 128GB
- SanDisk microSDXC Nintendo Switch 512 GB
