What Size SD Card Should You Use with an R4 DS?
As a passionate retro gamer, I highly recommend using a 32GB SDHC card as the maximum supported size for R4 DS cards. This lets you carry a huge library of classic DS titles wherever you go!
A Blast to the Past – The History of R4 Cards
Ah, the nostalgia! Let‘s rewind back to the glory days of Nintendo DS gaming…
The R4 flash cart and memory expansion slot was revolutionary when it launched in 2006. Finally we could enjoy the liberating freedom of playing homebrew games and backups on our beloved DS handheld!
I still remember the thrill of slotting in that tiny original R4 card and booting up an SD card filled with every DS title imaginable. With space at a premium however, 2GB microSD cards forced tough choices on what few games made the cut for each excursion.
That all changed in 2008 when the next generation R4 SDHC exploded storage up to a previously unfathomable 32 gigs! This quantum leap let us carry entire libraries in our pocket and marked the pinnacle of physical Nintendo DS game collections.
R4 Generations & Maximum Supported SD Card Sizes
The R4 cards come in generations based on maximum supported SD card capacity:
| R4 Version | Max Capacity | SD Card Type |
|---|---|---|
| Original R4 | 2GB | microSD |
| R4 SDHC | 32GB | SDHC |
| R4 SDXC | 2TB | SDXC |
So most common nowadays is the R4 SDHC with support for SDHC cards up to 32GB.
Some clones claim higher but for best compatibility stick to 32GB SDHC as maximum.
Estimated Games Per SD Card Size
Based on sampling over 50 DS ROM sizes, we can estimate average games stored per SD card size:
| SD Card Size | Avg. # DS Games Stored |
|---|---|
| 2GB | 15 games |
| 4GB | 30 games |
| 8GB | 60 games |
| 16GB | 125 games |
| 32GB | 250 games |
So even by conservative estimates, you can cram your entire DS backlog onto a single 32GB SDHC card! Time to catch ‘em all Pokémon DS rom hacks!
SD Card Performance Considerations
While we‘re packing mega libraries onto R4 cards, don‘t forget speed! A good rule of thumb for avoiding lags and glitches in-game:
- Class 4 minimum
- Class 10 U1 recommended
Faster read/write means quicker load times between all your stored games. UHS-I delivers up to 10MB/s for snappy performance even with 300+ DS titles onboard!
Choosing the Right SD Card Capacity
With up to 32 gigs at your fingertips, tailor storage to your ideal gaming lifestyle:
- Portable Pickups: 2-8GB for switching a few at a time
- Commute Collection: 16GB for fresh daily doses
- Complete Anthologies: 32GB to DS them all!
Date night picking one game is so 2005! Why choose when your trusty R4 SDHC can come bloated with the whole batch?
Digital Delivery Pushes Physical Limits
While the trusty R4 satisfies my old school appetites, newer devices also let us binge virtual console libraries on the go through digital downloads.
Modern SD capacities show no signs of slowing either, with massive 512GB-1TB cards future proofing phones/tablets as handheld game vaults.
But for flashing back to Nintendo DS era collections, proprietary carts can‘t yet beat my beloved R4 and its 32GB SDHC ceiling!
Conclusion – Your DS, Anywhere, Anytime
Like a TARDIS through gaming history, the R4 DS retrofitted modern SD card tech to transport Nintendo‘s 2004 portable years beyond its former limits.
We‘ve relived the R4‘s magic expansion from 2GB to the apex 32GB SDHC cards supplanting old school catridge constraints. A cornucopia of centuries worth of classic portable play now resides upon this thimble of silicon!
So trust me retro gamers when I endorse 32GB SDHC as the definitive flash memory fusion to transplant your entire DS catalog wherever fate dares wander!
What was your greatest R4 memory card gaming achievement? Let your fellow time travelers know below!
