If you've got a Switch, cheap Nintendo Switch SD cards (AKA Nintendo Switch memory cards) are essential. Regardless of whether you've got the standard console or a Switch Lite, the system only has 32GB of internal memory. That's not very much in the grand scheme of things; game downloads and updates will fill it up pretty quickly. Want to avoid deleting old saves? An SD card is what you need.
That's makes Nintendo Switch SD cards some of the most useful Nintendo Switch accessories out there. In terms of which ones you should get, we'd recommend SanDisk products. They're one of the biggest names around when it comes to digital storage solutions, and they have an excellent reputation in terms of Nintendo Switch memory cards as well. Because you don't need to grab an official card; it's absolutely fine to pick up a normal SanDisk SD card instead. In fact, doing so helps you avoid an unnecessary premium. Any Micro SD card should do the trick.
In terms of which size you should choose, we'd recommend the 128GB option. There's more than enough room to keep you going for a long time, though 64GB will still do you just fine.
To make sure you're getting maximum value for money, our team's been busy searching for good deals, bargains, and discounts as well. Why pay more than you have to? For more reductions, be sure to pop back every now and then - this page is always being updated.
Cheap Nintendo Switch SD card deals
Sandisk is one of the biggest and best names in MicroSD cards, and this is probably the best value model you can buy. For about $23 / £22 you get 128GB of storage, a reliable MicroSD card with decent file transfer speeds, and you even get an adaptor should you want to use this in an SD-based device like a digital camera. That makes it hugely versatile. Nintendo partnered with SanDisk for the official SD card for Switch, so it's a make Ninty trusts too. And yes, we have tested this MicroSD card and it 100% works with your Switch.
Want a solid amount of Switch storage while still remaining in the ‘impulse purchase’ price bracket? You’ll want to check out this 64GB beauty. It’ll take a respectable amount of games before filling up, adding double the Switch’s onboard 32GB capacity for a total of triple what you get straight out of the box. That likely won’t last forever, without intermittent deleting install management, but at the same time, it won’t cost you must at all to get started and you'll still get all the current best Nintendo Switch games on there. Reckon you'll get between 7-15 games on this SD card, depending on what games they are. The biggies take up 5GB-15GB, whereas some indies only take up 500MB or less.
If you're worried about causing damage to your SD card (so, you take it out with you loads, you regularly travel and have it going through X-ray machines etc) then you should invest in the Toshiba 128GB Exceria card. It's not much more than most other SDs, but you get a card that's shock-proof, waterproof, X-ray proof, and can operate in lower or higher temperatures (Toshiba claims -25C to 85C, but we didn't test the card to such extremes). It has decent speeds too, offering read speeds of 98MB/s and 65MB/s write speeds - ideal if you're loading from this card. And if you're planning to use the SD card for other purposes, the Toshiba is great with 4K video, and full HD recording for cameras. You also get a five year warranty on this one, so Toshiba is pretty confident about how long it'll last.
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Hitting the ‘Goldilocks window’ for Micro SD cards (being more than big enough for most game storage needs, but not excessively so, at a price that’s entirely fair), the 200GB SDXC will evaporate all your storage worries for a good, long time, without breaking the bank. For the price of roughly one AAA Nintendo Switch game, you’ll get a home for dozens and dozens more – you could fit Super Mario Odyssey on this thing 33 times. If you’re not on a particularly tight budget, and want a robust Micro SD card that still won’t cost the Earth, this is the one to go for. It's worth noting that the cost of SD cards continues to fall, so you can pick this one up much cheaper today than it was 6 months ago, so it's worth stretching your budget a little.
If you'd like something a little more official, this Legend of Zelda SD card by SanDisk (featuring the Triforce symbol and a crisp white color scheme) may be up your street. Plus, it looks really cool with that Triforce symbol sitting pretty on the front.
This is more expensive than the officially licensed Hyrulian SD card shown above, but it's also potentially more worthwhile. At just a few dollars more, you can get a card that's double the size. This offers better value for money in the long run.
If you're looking to get as much storage as possible for your money, the PNY Elite is a great pick. We've tested the 128GB version, which is more reliable than the 256GB, and it works just fine. Read and write speeds vary per device, it seems, but they are among the higher speeds for Switch and very comparable with the SanDisk cards. As long as you're careful not to bash the PNY cards around, they operate fine, and in the event you do have problems the company is great at offering refunds and replacements. The Elite is shock, water, and magnet proof so is handy to have if you're storing it in a Switch case, but we wouldn't recommend exposing it to any of these conditions for long periods of time. It comes in a pleasing green color, and - as is standard - also includes an adaptor for other devices.
Looking to play some multiplayer? Check out our guide on how to get a Nintendo Switch controller cheap for tips. And if you want to stay charged on the go, don't forget about the best Nintendo Switch chargers.