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Best microSD card for Steam Deck 2024

Upgrade and expand your handheld with the best Steam Deck microSD card. These are the tried-and-tested options we use ourselves.

Best microSD card for Steam Deck - three microsd cards on a colorful gradient background

Getting the best microSD card for Steam Deck is a quick and easy way to expand the storage of your handheld beyond its internal SSD. More space is almost always better when it comes to storing the best Steam Deck games. After all, even the 512GB version will only just fit Call of Duty: Warzone, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla before filling up.

Whether you have the Steam Deck OLED or the original Steam Deck LCD model, an affordable microSD card is probably one of the best Steam Deck accessories you can buy. It allows you to add more storage instantly, although if you’re using one of the best Steam Deck cases, you might need to remove it first.

All of them are microSDXC with a UHS-I interface, making them compatible with both Steam Deck models. Most cards start at 32GB and max out at 1 TB, but we recommend investing in at least 512GB capacity so that you don’t fill them up too quickly. Using the memory card slot of your handheld gaming PC couldn’t be simpler. To help you expand your on-the-go Steam library, we’ve tried and tested the best microSD cards for Steam Deck in 2024.

Why you can trust our advice ✔ At PCGamesN, our experts spend hours testing hardware and reviewing games and VPNs. We share honest, unbiased opinions to help you buy the best. Find out how we test.

Samsung Pro Plus

Best microSD for Steam Deck

Today’s best deals (512GB)
Samsung Pro Plus specifications:
Storage capacity 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Max read speed 180MB/s
Reasons to buy
  • Waterproof, shockproof
  • Comes with full-size SD adapter
Reasons to avoid
  • No 1TB option

Samsung’s Pro Plus microSD card is the best option for most Steam Deck users, balancing durable build quality, price, and speed. The max read speed is lower than that of Samsung’s Pro Ultimate card, but it’s more than enough for loading up intensive games.

Like the SanDisk Extreme card in our second spot, the Pro Plus has protection against water, high or low temperatures, X-rays, and drops, with a 10-year limited warranty against your purchase. We’ve been using these cards for years – even predating the Steam Deck – and have so far never had to test the warranty, as the build quality is so incredibly durable. The main downside is that there’s no 1TB capacity option yet.

SanDisk Extreme

Speediest microSD for Steam Deck

Today’s best deals (512GB)
SanDisk Extreme specifications:
Storage capacity 64GB, 128GB, 512GB, 1TB
Read speed 190MB/s
Reasons to buy
  • Speedy, seamless performance
  • Shockproof, waterproof build
Reasons to avoid
  • Not the cheapest

The SanDisk Extreme microSDXC 1TB model is the fastest in our guide. It can’t hit its 160MB/s read speed ceiling because of the Steam Deck’s limitations, but it performs better than its competition with heights of 100MB/s.

The build quality is as extreme as the name suggests, too. Western Digital claims the card is waterproof, shockproof, and even x-rayproof. We don’t recommend putting any of those claims to the test, but it comes with a lifetime warranty if you do, which is more than most alternatives and explains the higher cost.

SanDisk is an incredibly reliable name in storage. While even faster microSD cards are available, anything more would likely be overkill for the Steam Deck, and this is the fastest option we’d recommend investing in.

Lexar Play

The most affordable microSD

Today’s best deals (512GB)
Lexar Play specifications:
Storage capacity 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Read speed Up to 160MB/s
Reasons to buy
  • Value for money
  • Designed for portable gaming devices
Reasons to avoid
  • Not the fastest

Lexar Play microSD cards are designed for portable gaming consoles, and offer the best value for money of all the cards on this list. You get a shorter limited warranty of five years instead of ten, but in reality, who keeps cards for that long, anyway?

The maximum read and write speeds are 100MB/s and 160MB/s respectively, and having tested Lexar’s card against the SanDisk Extreme and Samsung Pro Plus cards, it’s hard to tell the difference in real life. The Lexar Play is the most affordable option, meaning you can bump up the capacity for the same price as smaller alternatives.

FAQs

What microSD can Steam Deck use?

The microSD requirements for the Steam Deck LCD and Steam Deck OLED are pleasingly simple. Both models have a UHS-I interface that supports microSD, SDXC, and SDHC cards.

When shopping for the best microSD cards, you’ll notice that they have classifications and their capacity printed on the card itself – things like A1 or A2, then a number inside a U; U1, or U3. We recommend an A2 and a U3 speed class for the best performance, which is why all the cards in the list have these numbers.

Can a Steam Deck use a 2TB MicroSD card?

Yes, in theory, but 2TB cards aren’t readily available yet. Earlier this year, we wrote about the news of Steam Deck’s first 2TB MicroSD card. Manufacturer AGI is behind the SDXC card which should make it possible for MicroSD storage to max out at 2TB, and we’ll be reviewing the card for this guide as and when it does.