The 2 Best microSD Cards for 2025
Top pick
This Samsung card is easy to find, speedy, and inexpensive compared with rivals. With 512 GB of storage capacity, it has space for dozens of game downloads or hours of 4K drone footage.
The 512 GB Samsung Pro Plus microSD card is our pick for tablets, game systems such as the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck, drones, security cams, and action cameras. The Pro Plus was speedy in our tests and has all three of the speed certifications we look for (U3, V30, and A2); it’s also relatively inexpensive and available from multiple online retailers and big-box stores. Samsung’s 10-year warranty protects you against defects, but be sure to back up your data often.
It’s one of the fastest cards. The Samsung Pro Plus was faster than its competitors in our latest round of testing. In particular, it was fastest at random reads and write functions, which are important for loading small files. This can reduce load times in between game levels or while you’re saving a game, shaving off precious seconds and avoiding nail-biting waits. Also, the card’s sequential reads and writes are fast enough for viewing and recording 4K and 5K videos.
It can hold dozens of games. Games such as Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom occupy about 16 GB each. With a 512 GB capacity, you can store 30 copies of similarly sized titles on the Samsung Pro Plus, but many excellent independent titles occupy a fraction of that (Hades, for example, takes about 6 GB).
It’s reasonably priced. At around $35 to $40, the Samsung Pro Plus 512 GB microSD card is more affordable than the most expensive cards we tested, which cost closer to $60.
It’s easy to find. We’ve been able to find this particular model on the Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo/Video, Micro Center, Newegg, and Staples sites, and we confirmed its availability in the respective physical retail stores in our area. The same can’t be said for some of the lesser-known brands we’ve evaluated for this latest update to this guide and in the past.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
While these Samsung microSD cards have a 10-year warranty, some of the competitors we tested have limited lifetime warranties. However, we think that 10 years is more than enough time. In 10 years there will likely be another generation of game consoles and action cameras, and you’ll probably want fresh cards for those.
