Samsung's EVO Select and EVO Plus microSD cards get a speed boost for handheld gaming

microSD cards are still one of the easiest and most convenient ways to expand the storage of portable devices, from tablets to handheld gaming consoles and PCs like the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Nintendo Switch. This week, Samsung has announced its latest iteration of EVO Select and EVO Plus microSD cards, which it states have been designed specifically for handheld gaming consoles.

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This means the latest generation of Samsung EVO Select and EVO Plus microSD cards has seen their transfer speeds increase by 23% to 160 MB/s - making them great for storing games, large files, and media like photos and videos.

To double down on the gaming side of these new microSD cards, Samsung adds that it's planning to release 1TB EVO Select microSD cards later this year - perfect for the age of PC games requiring tens of gigabytes of storage to install.

"With the mobile and handheld gaming market on the rise, we sought to make data transfers on those devices even faster with these updated EVO Select and EVO Plus lines," said Jose Hernandez, Senior Director of Memory Product Marketing at Samsung.

"We also heard the need for more space options like a 1TB memory card for digital files like games, video footage from phones, cameras and drones, photos, and creative designs. With this addition to the lineup, you can be confident you'll have plenty of space, fast speeds, and the durability needed to last for years."

The 160 MB/s transfer speed makes them great for video. These cards feature a video speed class rating of V30 and an application performance class of A2 (for 128GB and higher), so they can handle 4K video. Durability-wise, Samsung's microSD line-up can withstand water, extreme temperatures, x-rays, drops, and magnetic impact.

Here's a look at the various pricing and capacities - check out the full line-up here.

EVO Select microSD card with faster speeds

• 64GB ($14.99 MSRP)
• 128GB ($18.99 MSRP)
• 256GB ($29.99 MSRP)
• 512GB ($55.99 MSRP)
• 1TB (Coming later this year)

EVO Plus microSD card with faster speeds

• 64GB ($15.99 MSRP)
• 128GB ($20.99 MSRP)
• 256GB ($31.99 MSRP)
• 512GB ($60.99 MSRP)