Nintendo’s stated maximum for the 3DS family is 32 GB, using an SDHC or microSDHC card. The card you need depends on your console: original Nintendo 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS models take full-size SD cards, while New Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS XL and New Nintendo 2DS XL models take microSD cards. Nintendo does not consider SDXC or microSDXC cards compatible.
What is the biggest card Nintendo officially supports?
Nintendo lists SDHC and microSDHC cards from 4 GB through 32 GB for the relevant 3DS models. Standard SD and microSD cards are listed up to 2 GB. That makes 32 GB the official capacity ceiling for the 3DS family; Nintendo Support says SDXC and microSDXC cards “are not considered compatible.” Nintendo’s compatibility guidance also cautions that it cannot guarantee products other than the card included with a system.
You may encounter user reports of larger SDXC cards formatted as FAT32. Those reports do not establish a Nintendo-supported limit or a dependable maximum that works across consoles and setups. If you want a card within Nintendo’s stated compatibility guidance, choose a card no larger than 32 GB in the format your console uses.
Which card fits each 3DS model?
| Console | Card slot and supported card types | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS | Full-size SD: standard SD up to 2 GB or SDHC from 4 GB to 32 GB. A microSD card can be used with an SD adapter. | 32 GB SDHC, or 32 GB microSDHC with an SD adapter |
| New Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS XL, New Nintendo 2DS XL | microSD: standard microSD up to 2 GB or microSDHC from 4 GB to 32 GB | 32 GB microSDHC |
The word “New” matters: the New Nintendo 3DS family uses microSD, but the original 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS have full-size SD slots. A microSD card alone will not fit an original model; it needs a full-size SD adapter.
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- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
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What can the card store?
Nintendo says downloaded software other than DSiWare is saved to the SD card. Other data use depends on the software. Its listed content-count limits are up to 300 software titles, 180 sound files, 3,000 photos and 3,000 music files; these are count limits, not a guarantee that a particular collection will fit in 32 GB. For music, Nintendo also lists up to 100 files per folder and 1,000 folders. See Nintendo’s explanation of SD and microSD card content.
How to move your data to a replacement card
If you are replacing a card, copy its contents rather than starting with an empty card. Nintendo’s instructions use a computer and an SD card slot or a compatible card reader/writer; the illustrated example uses Windows 10.
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- Turn off the console and remove the old card.
- Connect the old card to a computer using its SD slot or a compatible card reader/writer.
- Copy every folder from the old card to a location on the computer.
- Connect the new, empty card and copy all those folders onto it.
- Keep the old card and its data until you have confirmed that the transfer is complete.
Follow Nintendo’s card-transfer instructions for the full process. Nintendo warns that downloaded software stored across multiple cards cannot simply be merged by copying the cards’ contents onto one card. Its guidance also says not to keep using duplicate copied data as a second active copy.
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Choosing between SDHC and microSDHC
- For an original 3DS, 3DS XL or 2DS: choose SDHC, or use microSDHC with a full-size SD adapter.
- For a New 3DS, New 3DS XL or New 2DS XL: choose microSDHC.
- For a data transfer: use a card reader/writer only if your computer has no suitable slot or other way to connect the card.
- For capacity: choose up to 32 GB to stay within Nintendo’s stated limit. The cited guidance does not endorse a particular retail brand or model.
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