User:Ihaveahax/SD card recommendations: Difference between revisions
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This page documents recommendations for purchasing SD cards. | This page documents recommendations for purchasing SD cards. | ||
== Brands and stores == | ==Brands and stores== | ||
Only well-known brands are recommended. These generally include: | Only well-known brands are recommended. These generally include: | ||
* Samsung | *Samsung | ||
* Kingston | *Kingston | ||
* Lexar | *Lexar | ||
* SanDisk (except for Wii) | *SanDisk (except for Wii) | ||
Other brands may work but are not as widely tested for reliability. | Other brands may work but are not as widely tested for reliability. | ||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
SD cards larger than 2 TB do not currently exist (as of January 2026). | SD cards larger than 2 TB do not currently exist (as of January 2026). | ||
== Wii == | ==Wii== | ||
SD cards up to 2 TB can be used. Very old games cannot read SD cards larger than 2 GB. | SD cards up to 2 TB can be used. Very old games, and the Wii Menu before 4.0 cannot read SD cards larger than 2 GB. | ||
SD cards above 32 GB must be formatted to FAT32. Use the [[Formatting an SD card]] guide to do this. | SD cards above 32 GB must be formatted to FAT32. Use the [[Formatting an SD card]] guide to do this. | ||
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Avoid SanDisk cards if possible, due to the issues the newer ones produced tend to have with certain software, such as BootMii. | Avoid SanDisk cards if possible, due to the issues the newer ones produced tend to have with certain software, such as BootMii. | ||
== Nintendo 3DS == | ==Nintendo 3DS== | ||
SD cards up to 128 GB are recommended. Anything larger will cause slowdowns, such as increased boot time. | SD cards up to 128 GB are recommended. Anything larger will cause slowdowns, such as increased boot time. | ||
| Line 36: | Line 36: | ||
Any brand new genuine SD card will be faster than what the 3DS can handle. Class 4 (4 MB/s) is the fastest the 3DS can handle, and any cards produced today will be much faster than that. The only reason to buy faster SD cards is for data transfer speeds between PCs and other devices. | Any brand new genuine SD card will be faster than what the 3DS can handle. Class 4 (4 MB/s) is the fastest the 3DS can handle, and any cards produced today will be much faster than that. The only reason to buy faster SD cards is for data transfer speeds between PCs and other devices. | ||
== Nintendo Switch == | ==Wii U== | ||
SD cards up to 2 TB can be used. | |||
SD cards above 32 GB must be formatted to FAT32. Use the [[Formatting an SD card]] guide to do this. | |||
SD cards cannot normally be used to store Wii U games and will not appear in the data management section of System Settings. With [[Wii U:ISFShax|ISFShax]], it is possible to use the [https://gbatemp.net/threads/655744/ SDUSB Plugin] to emulate a USB hard drive with a partitioned SD card. | |||
Any brand new genuine SD card will be faster than what the Wii U can handle. The Wii U can only read up to 25 MB/s. The only reason to buy faster SD cards is for data transfer speeds between PCs and other devices. | |||
For running rednand or SDUSB, a high endurance SD card is recommended. | |||
==Nintendo Switch== | |||
SD cards up to 2 TB can be used. | SD cards up to 2 TB can be used. | ||
Latest revision as of 06:16, 2 January 2026
 | This page is a work in progress. Notes:
I tried my best to make this generic, but my knowledge is very 3DS-specific. I need other people who are experienced with other consoles to edit or provide guidance. |
This page documents recommendations for purchasing SD cards.
Brands and stores
Only well-known brands are recommended. These generally include:
- Samsung
- Kingston
- Lexar
- SanDisk (except for Wii)
Other brands may work but are not as widely tested for reliability.
Only buy brand-new SD cards. The best place would be a local brick-and-mortar store if possible, as this has the highest chance of avoiding fake cards, while also letting you get a new card in your hands immediately. Amazon is the second best place, but be wary of fake cards. Don't buy from other online marketplaces like AliExpress, Temu, or eBay.
Nintendo-branded SD cards do not offer anything different compared to other cards, and should be treated as just another option. These generally do not come with a microSD-to-SD adapter, meaning one would need to be acquired separately to use on a console that only accepts full-size SD cards.
SD cards larger than 2 TB do not currently exist (as of January 2026).
Wii
SD cards up to 2 TB can be used. Very old games, and the Wii Menu before 4.0 cannot read SD cards larger than 2 GB.
SD cards above 32 GB must be formatted to FAT32. Use the Formatting an SD card guide to do this.
Any brand new genuine SD card will be faster than what the Wii can handle. The Wii can only read up to 25 MB/s. The only reason to buy faster SD cards is for data transfer speeds between PCs and other devices.
Avoid SanDisk cards if possible, due to the issues the newer ones produced tend to have with certain software, such as BootMii.
Nintendo 3DS
SD cards up to 128 GB are recommended. Anything larger will cause slowdowns, such as increased boot time.
SD cards above 32 GB must be formatted to FAT32. Use the Formatting an SD card guide to do this.
Any brand new genuine SD card will be faster than what the 3DS can handle. Class 4 (4 MB/s) is the fastest the 3DS can handle, and any cards produced today will be much faster than that. The only reason to buy faster SD cards is for data transfer speeds between PCs and other devices.
Wii U
SD cards up to 2 TB can be used.
SD cards above 32 GB must be formatted to FAT32. Use the Formatting an SD card guide to do this.
SD cards cannot normally be used to store Wii U games and will not appear in the data management section of System Settings. With ISFShax, it is possible to use the SDUSB Plugin to emulate a USB hard drive with a partitioned SD card.
Any brand new genuine SD card will be faster than what the Wii U can handle. The Wii U can only read up to 25 MB/s. The only reason to buy faster SD cards is for data transfer speeds between PCs and other devices.
For running rednand or SDUSB, a high endurance SD card is recommended.
Nintendo Switch
SD cards up to 2 TB can be used.
The recommended filesystem is FAT32. Use the Formatting an SD card guide to do this. While exFAT can be used, the filesystem driver used by Nintendo is buggy and prone to corruption.
To get the fastest read speeds, get a card that is rated for UHS-I or higher.