• The list in brief
1. Best overall
2. Best on Amazon
3. Best size options
4. Best multi-purpose
5. Best performance
6. Best budget
7. How to choose
8. How we test
Valve offers the Steam Deck with a choice of storage options ranging from 64GB eMMC to 512GB NVMe SSD, which, besides the fancy tech jargon, is just how much space you have to install games and apps. Naturally, bigger is better for extra content, so take advantage of the console's class UHS-I expansion slot to find the best SD card for Steam Deck to match its 104MB/s microSD speeds.
You can also use a microSD card for more than just expanding storage in a Steam Deck. Depending on how semi-permanent its place will be in your handheld console, I'm recommending a few brands and models that are well-suited to moving across devices. Still, there's nothing wrong with leaving one inside your Steam Deck for the long term.
Expanded storage is one of the best Steam Deck accessories I always recommend to anyone tempted to buy Valve's handheld since it's a great way to avoid limiting how many games you install.
Ben is the channel editor for all things tech-related at Windows Central, with a keen interest in Valve's Steam Deck handheld and the Linux-based operating system inside.
The quick list
If you're in a hurry, check out a quick roundup below of my top picks for the best SD cards for Steam Deck. To learn more about why I chose these particular models, use the links below to jump to my full write-up with pros and cons.
Best overall
Samsung EVO Plus microSD cards are just about perfect for Steam Deck, capable of consistent read and write speeds close to the console's maximum. Available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.
Best on Amazon
Exclusive to Amazon, Samsung EVO Select microSD cards are ideal for home delivery. They're functionally identical to EVO Plus, so the choice comes down to personal convenience. Choose 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB.
Best size options
The SanDisk Extreme microSD cards match Samsung's performance. They are a little more expensive but available almost anywhere you find electronics. Its larger range includes 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants.
Best multi-purpose
The Samsung PRO Plus barely outperforms the EVO series if you want to use your microSD card in more than a Steam Deck. It won't make much difference on Valve's console, but other devices will feel a slight advantage. Available in 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB.
Best performance
For high-end UHS-I class SD cards, the PNY PRO Elite is a bit over-the-top for Steam Deck, but it'll satisfy the console's full potential and anything else that supports it. Get it in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB.
Best budget
If you're not too concerned about slightly increased loading times and focused more on grabbing extra storage, the A1 SanDisk Ultra class 10 cards will do just fine. Available in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
The best SD cards for Steam Deck in 2023
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Below, you'll find full write-ups for each of the best SD cards in our list. It's a category full of almost identical products, but each has strengths and weaknesses. I've used so many microSD cards over the years that I've lost count, so I have first-hand experience with this tiny storage medium.
The best overall SD card for Steam Deck
Samsung had a legitimate reason to make its microSD cards the best they could be when producing hundreds of smartphones and tablets designed to use them. The design hasn't changed since our initial Samsung EVO Plus microSD (2021) review, and neither has its reputation as the most reliable option for devices needing fast read and write speeds.
The wide availability of the EVO Plus helps its position as the best overall SD card for Steam Deck because you can buy it practically anywhere. It's available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB variants, with prices adjusted to match. Plus, it comes with a full-size SD card adapter, perfect for quickly transferring files from your Steam Deck to a compatible laptop or desktop with a card reader.
The best SD card for Amazon shoppers
The EVO Select is identical to Samsung's EVO Plus microSD card, only carrying a unique branding due to an exclusive deal with Amazon, making it the best choice for those who frequently shop here. It's the variant I use in my personal Steam Deck, having bought two for the console alone. I can attest that booting Windows on Steam Deck works perfectly with the EVO Select.
Available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB, whether you choose this or the EVO Plus is purely down to your shopping preferences. You still get a full-size SD card adapter for transferring files, which helps prep a card for a portable Windows install on Steam Deck or quickly move screenshots to a desktop. The only reason this isn't my best overall pick is because of its exclusivity to Amazon.
The best SD card for size options
It was a tough decision to put Sandisk in third place because I've used them extensively for years inside various devices. Between Raspberry Pi projects and a handful of smartphones, the Extreme range of its microSD cards doubles as a perfect option for Steam Deck storage expansion. If I didn't have essential files already taking up my box of these golden cards, I'd have repurposed mine.
However, coming in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants makes it a more flexible option for storage sizes than Samsung. The smaller options might seem a little needless for Steam Deck, given how gigantic modern game installations have become in recent years. However, there is still an argument to be made for convenient backups of your retro games to play with the best emulators for Steam Deck.
The best multi-purpose SD card
Samsung's PRO Plus variants are remarkably similar to its EVO range, but the read and write speeds are increased, as are the price tags. Nevertheless, despite its potential maximum speeds exceeding the Steam Deck's capabilities, it comes in handy as a multi-function SD card. If you only temporarily transferred files to and from Valve's handheld, you'd appreciate the rapid transfers. Aiming slightly above hardware limits makes sense, rather than trying to match them perfectly.
Being a 'pro-grade' microSD card, this model is only available in 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB. It's not necessarily a bad thing, and I often recommend 256GB as the sweet spot between storage space and value for money, but if you need anything smaller, you won't find it in the PRO Plus family. This card makes sense for someone with a high-speed card reader on their desktop or laptop and a Steam Deck at close reach.
The best performance SD card
The clue is in the name here: these PNY microSD cards are completely over the top for a Steam Deck, but that means they won't struggle to hit the console's maximum potential read and write speeds, perfect for backing up larger AAA titles. It would be a waste if you plan to leave this card inside your Steam Deck forever since you'll never see its potential performance.
However, if you own multiple high-end devices like action cameras, smartphones, or tablets and want to quickly transfer files or screenshots from your Steam Deck, you won't find it better than the PRO Elite family. Available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB, it's another that skips the low-end storage sizes, mainly because the target audience doesn't really exist. Grab this if your Steam Deck will share the card with other hardware.
The best budget SD card for Steam Deck
If you're less concerned about ultra-precise performance matching, Sandisk's more affordable Ultra series of microSD cards are totally compatible with the Steam Deck. Installing high-profile AAA titles to a budget SD card is generally not advisable, but it does work. You'll just be faced with longer loading times on modern titles, significantly longer than the internal drive. However, older games won't suffer as obviously.
Available in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants, each is incredibly well priced at practically any storefront you'll find them. If you just want an SD card to get the job done, the Sandisk Ultra cards are the best budget option for you. I've personally used them in lightweight hardware and cheaper smartphones, and they are good enough for transferring images, screenshots, and game saves from emulators.
How to choose the best SD card for your Steam Deck
How to choose
The Steam Deck offers plenty more than just playing games. Built around a version of the Linux operating system, it can run practically any software you would expect to find on a full-sized desktop PC or laptop. When paired with some of the best Steam Deck accessories, it starts to feel less like a novelty handheld and more like a real, portable gaming computer.
Expanding your external storage with a high-quality microSD card like the Samsung Evo Plus will allow extra space to install Discord on Steam Deck and chat with your friends alongside a wide variety of other apps and games outside the Steam library. Naturally, SD cards work in plenty of different devices, so forking out for a higher-end card like the Samsung PRO Plus will be useful outside of Valve's capable console.
Decide if you value high-speed transfers or prefer the convenience of offloading files, and this will help you decide between the more expensive performance options from PNY and the budget alternative from Sandisk. After that, you only need to choose a size, and I generally recommend 256GB cards as a perfect middle ground between usefulness and cost.
How we test SD cards for Steam Deck
I've used microSD cards for over a decade with various devices. Once I got my hands on a 256GB Steam Deck, it wasn't long before I ordered a few Samsung EVO Select cards. Very little housekeeping is needed besides formatting the SD card on Steam Deck, and even that is incredibly straightforward. Using one primarily to dual boot into Windows 11 and test various apps, my second SD card is full of multiple apps, backups, and screenshots that are otherwise too tedious to back up in the cloud.
Unless a new brand releases a microSD card somehow more perfectly suited to the Steam Deck than Samsung and Sandisk, my choices will remain the same until they're eventually discontinued. At that point, I'll update each with the most appropriate replacement.
