The Best MicroSD Cards I've Tried

"Unless you're shooting a ton of photos and videos, and doing so even semiprofessionally where losing those shots might be detrimental to your professional reputation, you're fine to buy a MicroSD card from any company whose name you've heard before. Keep an eye out for the "U" symbol with a 3 inside, or a "V30" on the card for the best balance of speed and price."

"If you're buying for a Nintendo Switch 2, you'll need an unfortunately more expensive MicroSD Express card. While you can transfer images and videos from your Switch 2 with most regular MicroSD cards, you'll need an Express version to use it for actually running games."

"How much storage you need will largely depend on your needs, but there are a few things to consider when debating between 128 GB and 1 TB. The first is that MicroSD cards are tiny, and having to swap them out on the road can be a risky proposition. Costs tend to go up exponentially for 1 TB and 2 TB cards, but the gap between 256 GB and 512 GB isn't that large, so I recommend sizing up a bit."

MicroSD card selection involves understanding speed ratings and capacity needs. For casual users, cards from established brands like PNY, SanDisk, and Lexar with U3 or V30 ratings provide optimal performance. Professional videographers should consider V60 cards for enhanced camera features, while Nintendo Switch 2 users require more expensive MicroSD Express cards for game functionality. Capacity decisions depend on usage patterns; swapping cards frequently poses risks, making larger capacities preferable. Storage sizes follow different standards, with 64GB and higher cards classified as SDXC, the current standard. Capacity gaps between 256GB and 512GB are minimal in cost, justifying size upgrades.

Read at WIRED