The five best microSD cards for Steam Deck Which one to buy? Tips and recommendations

The Steam Deck is a console that has gained an impressive following since it hit the market last year. Against all odds, Valve’s portable console has managed to establish itselfand I say that because the latest adventures of the company led by Gabe Newell have not been entirely fruitful, especially in terms of hardware, with cases such as the Steam Machine or the Steam Controller.

However, with the Steam Deck the company has managed to make a radical turn to the success of its products, and seeing it month after month in the top sales of Steam only consolidates it as The Most Popular Portable PC Gaming Platform Console. This has been achieved especially thanks to the great performance that this “small” (because its dimensions are really large) device is capable of offering, with hardware that, although it lags behind alternatives such as the Asus Rog Allyallows a more complete experience.

The highlight of the console is the possibility of having access to hundreds and hundreds of games from our Steam library, since the vast majority of titles that are available on the platform currently have compatibility for Steam Deck. Also, some of the ones that haven’t received verification yet can also be moved on console without much trouble, messing up the graphics settings a bit.

However, if there is a problem that can affect many console users, it is storage. Although it is true that in its two most expensive models they offer a 256 GB or 512 GB SSD respectively, the most basic model has 64 GB eMMC, which may end up being little for the vast majority of us. Best of all is that the console supports microSD cardsand getting hold of one of them can considerably increase the speed of the device.

What to consider when buying a microSD card for Steam Deck?

When expanding the storage of our Steam Deck through a microSD card, it is necessary to keep several factors in mind. This is especially due to the fact that not all the models on the market are compatible with the console, which can cause us some headaches if we see that it doesn’t work when we try to use it. For this reason, we are going to talk about some of them below. aspects to consider when choosing a microSD card for Steam Deck.

Type of microSD cards supported by the Steam Deck

Anyone who is somewhat into the market for these types of devices will know that there are many models of microSD cards on the market. Depending on which one we choose, we could be squeezing or not the maximum potential that these devices would be able to offer in our Steam Deck, which is why it is important to know which model is the best for Valve’s laptop.

As pointed out the official Steam Deck pagethe compatibility of the console with this type of cards are UHS-I compatible with SD, SDXC and SDHC. If we choose a card of any of these types, we can take full advantage of them to improve the storage of the device. Of course, it is important to note that the microSDUC models are not compatible, so if we try to use one of this type on the console, we will not get it to work.

What kind of microSD to choose?

In addition to the different types, microSD cards fall into a wide variety of classes. Depending on the one we choose, the card will be able to offer a minimum writing speed or another. For this reason, it is important that, if possible, we go to those cards that are capable of having the most current class, in order to have the best possible performance. Although if our budget is limited, the recommended minimum will always be 10 MB/s.

The types of classes that exist at the moment are the following:

reading speed

While in the PC Gaming market and desktop consoles the speed of the SSD is crucial to have a better or worse experience, the same is true for portable consoles with microSD cards. In this sense, it is key to pay attention (as we mentioned before) to read and write speed that is capable of offering the model that we are going to acquire.

We have already said that the minimum writing speed to choose is 10 MB/s, but that does not mean that it is the only one. Currently we can find cards capable of exceeding 160 MB/s read speed. Therefore, the higher the speed of the device we choose, the better performance we will have when playing directly from the card itself, instead of in the console’s memory.

Storage

The size of the games on Steam (and all platforms) is growing more and more, to the point that many titles seem to have found in 100 GB a standard that they are not afraid to exceed. For this reason, and if we also have the basic 64 GB model, it is important what the storage capacity that the microSD card will offer us will be. Keeping all aspects in mind, so as not to have too many problems, the recommended minimum will be 256 GB.

Which microSD card for Steam Deck to buy? Tips and recommendations

Samsung MB-ME512KA/EU EVO Select 512GB

The best cheap high-capacity model we can find for our Steam Deck right now is this Samsung microSD card. Specifically, this model has been a true best seller during the past Prime Day, due to the fantastic specifications it offers, such as the 130MB/s transmission speed. In addition, it meets the standards we need to use it on the console. The 512 GB model on Amazon for 47.68 dollars.

Lexar Play Tarjeta micro SD 512GB

This Lexar model is one of the most taken by the community. The reason is the fantastic balance that it presents in its specifications, with a 150MB/s read speed and a writing speed of the same figure. Of course, it is important to note that the model chosen must be 512 GB or higher, since the 256 GB version means a reduction in the class of the card, which goes from A2 to A1. The 512 GB model on Amazon for 68.78 dollars.

SanDisk Extreme Pro 256 GB

SanDisk is a really well-known brand in the microSD card market, and it couldn’t be left out of this ranking. On this occasion, we are talking about a model that offers up to 170 MB/s read speed, although it is true that the maximum transfer speed remains at 90 MB/s, moving away from other models. The 256 GB model currently costs 44.79 dollars.

SanDisk Extreme 512GB

Again, we are faced with a model from the SanDisk brand. On this occasion, the “pro” tag disappears from the model, leaving speeds somewhat lower, but not noticeable at all, since we go to a reading speed of 160 MB/s and a writing speed of 90 MB/s. Therefore, it does not have the best speeds on the market, but it will be a very balanced device for our Steam Deck. The 512 GB model on Amazon for 82.87 dollars.

Lexar Professional 1066x Tarjeta micro SD 512GB

One of the options most chosen by users is that of this Lexar brand model. The main reason is the speed that the device supports in its two aspects, with a 160MB/s read speed and 120MB/s write speed thanks to UHS-I technology. The only negative is that its price is higher than that of other devices. The 512 GB model on Amazon for 101.19 dollars.

Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may bring financial benefit to iGamesNews. In case of non-availability, offers may vary.

Image | Samsung Memory in UnplashSteam, Samsung, SanDisk, Lexar

In iGamesNews Selection | Improving the speed of your Gaming PC with 32 GB of DDR5 RAM now means a 40-euro discount

In ExtraLife | The five best video capturers for Twitch, which one to buy? Tips and recommendations