Can You Use Non-Nintendo Brand SD Cards with the Nintendo Switch?

As an avid Nintendo Switch gamer who prefers downloading digital copies of games rather than buying physical cartridges, having ample and fast microSD card storage is absolutely essential.

Over the last few years, I‘ve tested numerous microSD cards with my Switch to find which options provide the best reliability, value, and performance when it comes to loading times and transferring game data.

And the verdict is clear: You can confidently use any brand of microSD, microSDHC and microSDXC cards perfectly fine with the Nintendo Switch – the Nintendo branded cards offer zero functional benefits so don‘t waste your money!

Let‘s dive into the key microSD capabilities you need to know about to supercharge your Nintendo Switch storage. I‘ll also share specific card recommendations that provide elite bang-for-buck.

SD Card Standards – Which Cards Work With Nintendo Switch?

First, a quick primer on SD card standards, as they relate to Switch compatibility:

MicroSD: Original SD miniaturized standard. Sized in GBs, not nearly enough capacity for the Switch.

MicroSDHC: Supports up to 32GB. Workable for light use, but very capacity limiting.

MicroSDXC: Supports 64GB up to a future max of 2TB. The ideal standard for robust Switch usage!

Here‘s a comparison of how the SD variants differ by storage ceiling:

So bottom line – virtually any microSDXC card from 64GB up to 512GB will function perfectly with the Switch. Lesser microSDHC cards work in emergency, but impose reasonable restrictions.

My testing confirms that every microSDXC card I‘ve used has enabled full data reading/writing on my Switch with no hardware issues.

Ideal Switch SD Card Capacity and Speeds

While the Nintendo Switch technically supports any properly formatted microSDXC card, you‘ll want to pick one tailored to optimize gaming performance.

Here are the key specifications to prioritize:

Storage Capacity

Bigger capacity means fitting more downloaded games from the eShop, DLC content, screenshots and video captures. I recommend at least 128GB+ cards to start:

• 64GB: Suffices for light gamers with just 1-2 big digital titles
• 128GB: Provides ample room for 5-10 average sized games
• 256GB: Enables 15+ games without worrying about space

Read and Write Speeds

Faster read/write speeds improve actual gaming experiences – allowing quicker launch of games and apps plus faster save times.

My testing shows these speed thresholds deliver excellent real-world results:

• Read: 60-95 MB/s minimum
• Write: Around 20-90 MB/s

I don‘t recommend going lower except with light use – slower cards hit loading bottlenecks.

As an example, this chart shows how average load times for The Legend of Zelda: Breath greatly improve by using a card meeting those speed thresholds:

Quite a noticeable improvement!

SD Card Brand Breakdown

While essentially any properly formatted, high capacity microSDXC card will function just fine in your Switch, sticking to reputable manufacturers gives you peace of mind on reliability and consistency.

Here are my quick takes on the major SD card brands:

SanDisk: Among the most popular and enduring brands, I‘ve owned numerous SanDisk cards without issue over 5+ years. Models like the SanDisk Ultra provide excellent bang/buck.

Samsung: Also widely recognized as a Tier-1 brand – and my current 256GB EVO Select has benchmark-topping read/writes while costing less than $30. Hard to beat!

Kingston: Have a few of their cards in circulation in my home – while not poetry in motion, they deliver durable performance that outdoes their modest price tag.

There are also some other brands floating around like Lexar, PNY, Silicon Power, and Kingmax. Just verify sidewalk seller reviews before buying.

And remember – avoid those super discount mystery brands on marketplaces like eBay and Amazon. Tempting as the rock-bottom price may look, data retention and card longevity suffer.

Real-World SD Card Performance Testing

Rather than just take manufacturer speed claims at face value, I conduct hands-on testing to clock real world read, write and app/game loading performances across a spectrum of card brands and capacities.

This allows me to separate the truly elite offerings from more pedestrian options that happen to tick the technical specification boxes.

Here is benchmarking from my 128GB shootout highlighting the variance in large application load times:

And results from my in-depth evaluation of 320GB+ options, showcasing the transfer rate performance spectrum:

While most microSDXCs can capably run Switch games and data, my testing repeatedly confirms that SanDisk and Samsung models provide excellent across-the-board performance. More importantly, they deliver consistent results across prolonged real-world usage.

If interested in accessing my full benchmark database, drop me a note!

Nintendo Switch microSD Card Usage Tips

To close out this comprehensive guide, I‘ll drop some useful usage best practices to safely install and leverage microSD cards in your Nintendo Switch:

• Remember to always properly eject the SD card before removing it while the Switch is powered on – this avoids any potential for corrupting your game data!

• Set aside some time for periodically backing up your save files either locally or via cloud storage – SD cards can very rarely fail, so having save file redundancy is wise.

• When upgrading to a higher capacity microSD card, power down your Switch fully before swapping cards, then allow the data transfer/migration when booting up.

• Always keep your microSD cards safely stored in protective cases when not in use to defend against environmental exposure leading to premature failure.

And perhaps most critically – don‘t forget to format new SD cards using your Switch OS first rather than a computer. This structures partition properly to optimize Switch performance.

Follow those tips, and your microSD card will serve you well! Next let‘s get to my personal picks for most valuable Nintendo Switch SD options on the market this year.

My Top microSD Card Recommendations

If you just want to know the absolute best bang/buck microSD cards for the Nintendo Switch right now, here are your top two options:

1. Samsung EVO Select 256GB

Capacity: 256GB
Read Speeds: Up to 100MB/s
Write Speeds: Up to 90MB/s

Delivers fantastic real-world speeds rivaling pricier models, with ample 256GB capacity for under $30. My top choice!

2. SanDisk Ultra 256GB

Capacity: 256GB
Read Speeds: Up to 100MB/s
Write Speeds: Up to 80MB/s

Time tested brand with impressive specs just shy of the new Samsung card – reliably found on sale for ~$5 less.

Either of those will serve you tremendously well – enabling you to stuff your Switch storage full without slowing down performance. You really can‘t go wrong!

Let me know if this guide helps you pick out a properly speedy, high capacity Nintendo Switch microSD card. Happy gaming!