We tested Zelda’s 1TB microSD card: say goodbye to Nintendo Switch storage woes

We tested Sandisk’s new Nintendo 1TB microSD card, with which you can greatly expand your hybrid console’s storage, and do it in style with a big…

At this point in the Nintendo Switch’s life cycle, few can deny that a microSD card is an essential accessory for Nintendo’s hybrid console. Even if you have a Nintendo Switch OLED, the only device with 64GB of storage, which seems like a rarity at this point.

Fortunately, the high demand for microSD cards has brought prices down every time, and a good proof of that is one of the latest models launched. We are talking about SanDisk Zelda microSD 1TB Limited Edition.

Sandisk has already released several microSDXC UHS-I cards with Nintendo game trappings, such as the 256GB card with Mario star, but without a doubt this 1TB model arrived just in time, with the launch of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom (which takes up 16.6GB, The biggest game in the saga) plus the iconic triforce logo.

its enormous capacity 1 TB ensures that you can take your entire digital library with you Without the need to delete games and download them again, if you are one of those who no longer buy physical games.

as a reminder Nintendo Switch games that take up the most storage spaceand that only with them you’ll take up about half of that 1TB card.

• NBA 2K23 (56.7 GB)
• Mortal Kombat 11 (32.5 GB)
• DOOM Slayers Collection (32.3 GB)
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (31.5 GB)
• DOOM Eternal (with DLC, over 29 GB)
• L.A. Noire (27.5 GB)
• GTA The Trilogy: Definitive Edition (25.4 GB)
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (23.7 GB)
• Warframe (23.7 GB)
• Apex Legends (22.5 GB)
• Dom (22 GB)
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood (20.9 GB)
• Attack On Titan 2: The Final Battle (20.1 GB)
• South Park The Broken But Whole (20.1 GB)
• Fortnite (20.7 GB)
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (18.4 GB)
• DC Universe Online (18.3 GB)
• Alien Quarantine (18.2 GB)
• Naruto Shippuden Trilogy (18.1 GB)
• Monitor (18 GB)
• Super Smash Bros. (17.7 GB)

While we’re not talking about the latest in microSD card technology, it’s more than enough to take full advantage of what the Nintendo Switch has to offer. We are talking about microSDXC UHS-I cards with up to 100MB/s read speed (Your games will load as fast as a hybrid console can) Write 90MB/s.

As we said, these numbers are somewhat behind SanDisk’s more advanced models, such as the Extreme Pro, which reach 240 MB / s read and 140 write … although as we said, you don’t need those speeds on Nintendo either.

Logically, we are not talking about cheap memory: the higher the capacity, the higher the price. In this case, Zelda’s 1TB microSD card is the highest capacity in this group Licensed by Nintendo, and price accordingly. We are talking about an existing microSD 179.99 euros now.

We’ve been testing it for a week, and in our tests with 1 TB microSDXC UHS-I card licensed by Nintendo (downloading games, playing them, transferring screenshots…) Read and write speeds are in line with those indicated by the manufacturer.

Despite its great capacity, We didn’t notice it going any slower than the lower-capacity modelsand we suffered no data loss during our tests (also transferring data to a PC, using it as mobile storage or on Steam Deck and Rog ALLY…).

What makes the difference here is the design, both the packaging (with Kingdom Tears art, as you can see a bit above) and the siggraphy covering the card deck, which as mentioned before, is Triforce logo in gold.

Finally, unlike previous Nintendo-licensed Sandisk models, this time around SD adapter not includedAlthough, chances are that once you put it in the microSD slot on your Nintendo Switch, you won’t be taking it out again for a long time…