What is the best microSD card for Steam Deck? Getting to a quality microSD is a quick and easy way to expand the storage of your gaming handheld beyond its internal SSD. Getting a reasonably fast and spacious drive will provide plenty of space for future game downloads, plus it's easy to swap microSD cards to load different games.
Whether you're an Xbox Ally X or Steam Deck owner, our current top choice is the Samsung Pro Plus as it perfectly balances performance, capacity, and price. The fastest drive, meanwhile, is the SanDisk Extreme. Such speed isn't necessary on a Steam Deck but can come in handy on other handhelds, plus it's nice to have and means you can copy files to it when connected to your PC. A budget option is the Lexar Play, which isn't the fastest but does the job for a low price. For more choices as well as buying advice, see the full list below and check the how to choose and FAQ sections of this guide.
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Samsung Pro Plus
Best microSD for Steam Deck
Today's best deals (512GB)
| Storage capacity | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Max read speed | 180MB/s |
- Waterproof, shockproof
- Comes with full-size SD adapter
- 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
Fastest microSD for Steam Deck
Today's best deals (512GB)
| Storage capacity | 64GB, 128GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Read speed | 190MB/s |
- Speedy, seamless performance
- Shockproof, waterproof build
- 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
Best budget microSD for Steam Deck
Today's best deals (512GB)
| Storage capacity | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Read speed | Up to 160MB/s |
- Value for money
- Designed for portable gaming devices
- 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.
How to choose a microSD for Steam Deck
More space is almost always better when storing the best Steam Deck games. After all, even a 512GB card will only just fit Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Assassin's Creed: Shadows before filling up.
Whether you have the Steam Deck OLED, the original Steam Deck LCD model, or any of the Windows gaming handhelds, such as the Asus ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go, or Xbox Ally X, an affordable microSD card is one of the best upgrades you can make. It allows you to add more storage instantly, saving you having to buy the highest-capacity Steam Deck option up front, or mess around with upgrading your Steam Deck SSD, and it means you can expand even the largest Steam Deck storage.
All of the cards in the above list are microSDXC with a UHS-I interface, making them compatible with both Steam Deck models. Most cards start at 128GB and max out at 2TB, but we recommend investing in at least a 512GB capacity, so that you don't fill them up too quickly.
When looking for a microSD for your best handheld gaming PC option, don't be too tempted to pick the very fastest cards available, unless you have another need for that speed. That's because the Steam Deck's UHS-I microSD interface is limited to 104MB/s read/write speed. Some cards can double that speed but you won't see the benefit in use on a Steam Deck.
Steam Deck microSD 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, absolutely. 2TB cards do still tend to be quite expensive - often more than double a 1TB card - though so you may want to get two 1TB cards instead.
Now that you've got the storage for your Steam Deck sorted, why not complete your setup with one of the best Steam Deck accessories such as one of the best Steam Deck cases or best Steam Deck docks for easily plugging the Deck into other devices.