What You Need To Know Before Buying A Temu microSD Card For Your Nintendo Switch

The library of games for the Nintendo Switch is a varied blend of high-end AAA titles and fun indie exploits, making it difficult to choose just a small handful of titles to store on your console. Unfortunately, across all models of the Switch, from the classic to the Lite, the console only has 32GB of onboard storage. This will be very quickly gobbled up if you're stocking up on top-tier experiences like "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," which requires nearly half the console's storage. Enter the need for an external microSD card and the echoed groans of gamers tired of paying top dollar just for the basics needed to keep a console playable.

Dropping anywhere from $60 to $120 on a workable 1TB microSD card is a hefty cost after spending $300 on the console, another $60 on a game, and possibly even more on peripherals. That's why websites like Temu, a Chinese-based online retailer, are enticing when they list a 1TB microSD card for just under $20. But is it a deal that's too good to be true? Before we can recommend whether a microSD card from Temu is safe, let's take a quick look at what Temu is behind the curtains.

If you were on TikTok or YouTube at all in Q4 2023 or Q1 2024, chances are you've seen advertisements for products sold through Temu. The aggressive advertising led to Temu being the most downloaded free app across all mobile platforms and with good reason. Temu promises heavy discounts on everything from off-brand gaming peripherals to women's apparel, a practice that may sound familiar from its oft-criticized competitor site, AliExpress.

Temu's practices are similar to AliExpress, though it tends to be cheaper, offers faster and more accurate shipping times, and credits for delivery delays. For all the perks that may come with shopping on Temu's marketplace, the red flags start waving when you look at the site's Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile. In 2023, the company received over 1,580 complaints and holds a 2.5 out of 5-star rating.

However, it's worth noting that, after scrolling through many of the low reviews, product quality rarely comes up. Many of the complaints are about the website's customer service, shipping issues, and accounting errors. While those are troublesome, unlike AliExpress and its D- BBB rating, Temu actually responds to customer complaints, albeit with canned responses. It's still something, and that $20 1TB microSD card may seem enticing enough to ignore the risks, but we wouldn't rush to a purchase yet.

While a counterfeit card or one modified to have less storage than advertised may seem more like an inconvenience than anything else, fake microSD cards can put your data at risk. Temu may not intentionally sell these cards, but as some shoppers have found, some sellers are using the platform for that purpose. One popular scam involving fake microSD cards is a mislabeled card. You may purchase a 1TB card only to find it has 64GB of available space. Your device may read it as if it's a 1TB card, but as you transfer games over, you may get space warnings well before you hit the expected threshold.

If you do insist on buying a low-price microSD card for your Switch from Temu, there are things to watch for that can protect you from wasting money and risking game data. First, if the card is branded with a recognizable name like Lenovo or Huawei, verify through the company's official site that:

1. It even sells a card with that capacity.
2. The branding and logos are accurate.
3. The information printed on the card is consistent.

Sometimes counterfeits are easier to spot, especially if the printing on the card is off, there are spelling errors, or the packaging makes inaccurate claims. Before you try to transfer files between your Switch and the microSD card, run it through a test on your PC. Tools like Howtorecover's H2testw and Fight Flash Fraud will scan the card to determine whether it's real.

It seems wrong to be critical of Temu and not look at the bigger picture. Fake microSD cards can be purchased virtually anywhere without your knowledge. Even Amazon and other trusted marketplaces like eBay are known to have issues with counterfeit cards, as well as SSDs and hard drives. Unfortunately, when it comes to online selling platforms like Amazon, it's easy for a private seller to sneak these fake cards through alongside authentic ones, as well as individual scammers who take advantage of the buyer's side of the equation.

For example, someone can purchase a 1TB card sold directly by Amazon, swap it out for a fake, and then return it for a refund. Amazon won't check the return, save for a simple spot check to ensure the card is in place, before reselling it to an unsuspecting buyer. When you're looking for a new microSD card for your Switch, scrutinize the product at every step. It's way too easy to be taken advantage of, whether you're shopping on Temu or trusting your purchase with Amazon.