What is the best SD card for a Steam Deck?

Adding “just one more” game to your Steam Deck is always tempting, but it also means you can quickly run out of storage space. If you want more fun at your fingertips, then a microSD card is an easy way to increase storage. But which SD card should you use for the Steam Deck? Let’s find out.

The best SD card for a Steam Deck

When looking to buy an SD card for your Steam Deck, it’s essential to get a microSD. There are various sizes of SD cards, and anything other than a microSD simply won’t fit.

The other important thing is to ensure your microSD card meets the UHS-1 standard. UHS stands for Ultra High Speed and is ideal for devices such as the Steam Deck that require high capacity and speed. UHS 2 and UHS 3 SD cards are also available and will work great with your console. However, they are typically more expensive, and since the Steam Deck only supports UHS-1, you won’t gain any extra benefits by buying one.

Which size of SD Card should I buy for a Steam Deck?

The last thing to consider when buying a microSD card for your Steam Deck is storage capacity. It goes without saying that the larger the size, the more games you’ll be able to store, so go for the biggest you can afford. Currently, the largest card available is 1TB, and while 2TB cards are on the way, it’s unknown if they will work in the Steam Deck.

Which brand of SD card should I buy?

If you go shopping online for a microSD card with the specifications needed for your Steam Deck, you’ll be spoilt for choice. With so many makes and models, how do you choose?

A good place to start is with a well-known brand such as Samsung, SanDisk, Integral,or Kingston. While a cheaper option with an obscure-sounding name may do the job just as well, it’s always a gamble and not recommended. After that, all that remains is to pick one that fits your budget. While higher-priced cards should be better, it’s difficult to say for sure. I’ve tested a 512GB Integral card at £50 and a Samsung Evo Plus at £90. Both worked well, and I could find no discernible difference in the speed at which games loaded on either card.

One last thing

Not everything on the Steam Deck works well with a microSD card. For example, if you wish to install games from the Epic store through Heroic Games Launcher, you can currently only put those games on the internal storage. Thankfully, if a microSD card won’t solve your Steam Deck storage needs, you can always upgrade the Steam Deck’s internal SSD. It’s a simple enough job if you’re happy to do a bit of tinkering. However, if taking your Steam Deck apart makes you nervous, I’m sure your local computer repairer can help.