A cheap Nintendo Switch SD card can completely revolutionise your console. Whether you're looking to keep all your eShop purchases to hand, or you're kitting yourself out for the long haul, a Nintendo Switch memory card should be close to the top of your shopping list when you get your device home. Sure, the new Nintendo Switch OLED model doubles your in-house storage to 64GB, but even that will come up short after just a few weeks of play and many of us are still working with the paltry 32GB of the original model.
The best Nintendo Switch SD cards can expand your system all the way up to 2TB. Of course, very few Ninty fans need that much space. In fact, many can get by on 128GB if splitting between downloads and game carts, potentially upgrading to 200GB or 256GB further down the line. While this is one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories to pick up on day one, you don't need to future proof yourself too much thanks to those relatively low prices.
The average first party Nintendo Switch game sits at around 6.7GB (though there are outliers on either side of that figure), so it's fairly easy to work out which size you need based on your current or future library. Indie games are tend to be far smaller, so there's wiggle room here as well.
Thankfully, cheap Nintendo Switch SD cards are so popular that they often form part of the vast majority of Nintendo Switch bundles and Nintendo Switch Lite deals that we see in the US.
The best Nintendo Switch SD cards
Sandisk is one of the biggest and best names in MicroSD cards, and this is the best value model you can buy. For about $20 / £20 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.
How many games will it hold? Roughly 18 first party Nintendo titles*
Want a solid amount of Switch storage while still remaining in the ‘impulse purchase’ price bracket? You’ll want to check out this 64GB Nintendo Switch SD card. 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. 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've just picked up a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you may be hoping to substitute a larger SD card with that cloud storage. However, it's worth noting that your save data will still also remain on your system, so it's often worth upgrading your size.
How many games will it hold? Roughly 8 first party Nintendo titles*
Hitting the ‘Goldilocks window’ for Nintendo Switch SD cards (being more than big enough for most game storage needs, but remaining at a price that’s entirely fair), the 200GB SDXC will evaporate all your storage worries for a long time. 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 Nintendo Switch memory 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.
How many games will it hold? Roughly 28 first party Nintendo titles*
If you're worried about causing damage to your Nintendo Switch SD card (if you regularly take it out or travel through security x-rays, for example), 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.
How many games will it hold? Roughly 18 first party Nintendo titles*
If you're ever thinking about being completely, utterly, and totally future-proofed in terms of your Switch's capacity then the Silicon Power 1TB Superior SD card is for you. Yes, the 1TB capacity will mean it is a larger investment by default to begin with but the sheer value here is ridiculous, and you'll literally never have to worry about storage space again. Pop this in and even the most storage conscious of future-proof worried among us will have their minds eased.
The Superior 1TB SD card also comes with an adapter so you're good to go with any kind of mobile device or laptop should you need to shift gears, and there's a five-year warranty so you can have peace of mind. Simple, massive stuff.
Note: The stock of this Nintendo Switch memory card is fluctuating wildly at retailers right now but it is usually out there, seen in the wild. You may have to bookmark this page and refollow the links after giving it a chance to come back into stock. It'll be absolutely worth it - good luck!
How many games will it hold? Roughly 148 first party Nintendo titles*
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. While it looks great with that Triforce symbol sitting pretty on the front, you are paying a premium for the official Nintendo stamp here. SanDisk Ultra 64GB is usually a little cheaper than this more aesthetically pleasing design.
How many games will it hold? Roughly 8 first party Nintendo titles*
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. Similarly, though, you are paying extra for that design, with the standard SanDisk Ultra 128GB card coming in cheaper most of the time.
How many games will it hold? Roughly 18 first party Nintendo titles*
If you're looking to get as much storage as possible for your money, the PNY Elite Nintendo Switch SD card 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.
How many games will it hold? Roughly 18 first party Nintendo titles*
*Based on an average of 6.7GB per title, allowing for unusable storage space on the card itself
Which SD cards are compatible with Nintendo Switch?
The Nintendo Switch is compatible with microSDXC cards over 64GB and microSDHC cards between 4GB and 32GB. That really means that pretty much any SD card you have will slot neatly into your console already. However, if you're buying new it's always recommended to grab one with a Class 1 UHS Speed (you'll see a small bucket with a one inside it on the card itself) for the best experience.
What size Nintendo Switch SD card should you buy?
Nintendo Switch games typically take up between 5 and 10GB of storage , though larger titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can use up far more space.
We'd recommend a 128GB SD card for most users; this will give you enough room for about 15-18 Nintendo Switch games on your console, but it's worth noting that smaller indie titles will take up far less space. If you're going to be playing mostly with physical games, and you don't envision yourself buying too many larger titles from the eShop, you should be able to get by on 64GB. However, if you're going all-digital, a 256GB card will see you through around 35 full sized games.
What is the maximum Nintendo Switch SD card size?
The Nintendo Switch can only run up to 2TB of additional storage in an SD card. However, it should be noted that that's a ton of space, so you'll certainly have to be an eShop pro to fill it to the brim.
Common Nintendo Switch game sizes
It's easiest to find the right Nintendo Switch memory card when you know what you're going to be piling into it. You'll find the install sizes for the latest and greatest Nintendo Switch games just below. It's also worth noting that these are some of the largest titles on the eShop; smaller indie games can be as little as MBs in size.
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 6.7GB
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 13.4GB
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons - 6.2GB
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - 13.6GB
- Super Mario Odyssey - 5.7GB
- Metroid Dread - 4.1GB
- Luigi's Mansion 3 - 6.3GB
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus - 6.2GB
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - 2.9GB
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land - 6.2GB
- Mario Party Superstars - 2.7GB
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - 5.8GB
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - 7.5GB
We can see, then, that the average size for a first party Nintendo title is around 6.7GB.
If you're after even more accessories, you'll find all the best Nintendo Switch chargers available now, as well as the best Nintendo Switch headsets. We're also rounding up the all the best Nintendo Switch controllers and the latest Nintendo Switch game deals as well.
