How to Install Games to an SD Card on your ROG Ally or ROG XBOX Ally

Every handheld in the ROG Ally family packs enough storage to bring your favorite PC games on the go, and the SSD is easily upgradeable if you want more space. But if you have a particularly vast collection, you can instantly expand your storage even further with a microSD card, too. The ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, ROG XBOX Ally, and ROG XBOX Ally X all feature a UHS-II microSD card slot, while the ROG XBOX Ally X20 ups the ante with an ultra-fast microSD Express slot for your ever-expanding backlog.

Key Points:

• The ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, ROG XBOX Ally, and ROG XBOX Ally X all feature a UHS-II microSD card slot, while the ROG XBOX Ally X20 comes equipped with a faster microSD Express slot.
• Ally handhelds with a UHS-II slot can read standard UHS-I cards as well as speedier UHS-II cards, while the microSD Express slot on the ROG XBOX Ally X20 can make use of even faster microSD Express cards.
• UHS-II cards inserted into the ROG XBOX Ally X20 will run at slower UHS-I speeds, as UHS-II and microSD Express are two separate standards that are not inherently backwards compatible.
• Most game launchers on Windows, including XBOX, Battle.net, Steam, Epic Games, and others support installing games to external storage such as SD cards.

What to look for in a microSD card for your ROG Ally

While any microSD card will work in your ROG Ally, different cards have different capabilities when it comes to speed — the faster your card, the faster your games will load. UHS-I cards are the most basic standard, though certain cards may advertise higher speeds in certain “overclocked” readers like that on the ROG Ally X and newer. UHS-II cards offer faster speeds on compatible readers, including the ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, ROG XBOX Ally, and ROG XBOX Ally X. microSD Express is the fastest standard, using a PCIe-based interface capable of extremely fast speeds when used with a compatible microSD Express slot, like that on the ROG XBOX Ally X20. (Note: The X20 is also compatible with UHS-II cards, but they will run at UHS-I speeds.)

As you shop, check the rated speeds of the cards on sale, and line them up with your own needs. If you’re only using the card for indie and retro games, a UHS-I card is plenty, while UHS-II and microSD Express cards might be worth the extra cash if you’re storing a lot of large, AAA, open-world titles with lots of assets to load. Don’t worry about V60 vs V90 ratings — these mostly refer to write speeds, which are important for ultra high definition video recording but not for game load times.

You can find microSD cards at Best Buy and other electronics retailers. Look for capacities large enough to hold your games — we recommend at least 512GB to 2TB, like the SANDISK microSD Card for ROG XBOX Ally.

Device	Internal Storage (SSD)	microSD Slot Type
ROG Ally	512GB M.2 2230 (Upgradeable)	UHS-II
ROG Ally X	1TB M.2 2280 (Upgradeable)	UHS-II
ROG XBOX Ally	512GB M.2 2280 (Upgradeable)	UHS-II
ROG XBOX Ally X	1TB M.2 2280 (Upgradeable)	UHS-II
ROG XBOX Ally X20	1TB M.2 2280 (Upgradeable)	microSD Express

Once you’ve got your card in-hand, insert it into the microSD slot of your Ally. A popup will appear asking you what do do with the drive – tap that popup, and choose Configure Storage Settings from the list. (If you miss the popup, you can also configure storage settings by pressing the XBOX button, going to the Settings tab, and heading to More Settings > Open Windows Settings > System > Storage.)

From this window, scroll down to Advanced Storage Settings, tap Disks & Volumes, and expand the SD Card Reader option. Next to the volume (likely labeled D: or something similar), choose Properties and then press Format.

Give the volume a name, format it as NTFS, and click Start. This will erase all the data on the card, so make sure there isn’t anything important on it!

Now you can install games to the SD card. Different launchers have their own way of separating libraries between two drives, but here are instructions for a few of the most popular.

XBOX: When you begin the installation for a new XBOX game, you’ll be presented with a dialog that says “Choose a drive,” with your volumes listed. Click the "Choose a folder for your games on (D:)" button under that dialog (assuming your SD card is on Drive D), select a folder on your SD card, and click Install.

Battle.net: When you start the installation process for a game on Battle.net, you'll be presented with the option to change your install location. Click the Install Location button, then select the SD card folder you want to install your game to. Click Start Install.

Steam: Head to Steam > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders and click the plus sign along the top to add a new Steam Library Folder. Select your microSD volume from the dropdown list and click Add. Now, when you go to install a game, your new library will appear in the dropdown under “Choose Location for Install,” as shown above. 

Epic Games: When you begin the installation for a new Epic game, you’ll be presented with an option to Choose an Install Location. Click Browse and navigate to a folder on your microSD card to install the game there instead of your C: drive. 

EA App: When you install a new game, you’ll see an option for “Install Location” in the wizard. Click the Change button to choose a folder on your microSD card for installation, then click Next to install. 

Ubisoft Connect: Install a new game as normal, and you’ll be asked for a “Folder Location” upon download. Click the Change button to choose a folder on your microSD card instead of your C: drive.

GOG Galaxy: When installing a new game from GOG, you’ll be given an “Install To” dropdown that will let you select a location other than the default. Just click Browse to select a folder on your SD card, then continue installing the game. 

If you have a launcher that isn’t listed here, look up instructions on how to install games to a secondary drive, and it should be the same process for your microSD card. Enjoy that ever-expanding library! For more tips and tricks, check out our full guide to the ROG Ally.

FAQ

Do the ROG Ally, ROG XBOX Ally X, and ROG XBOX Ally X20 support UHS-II microSD cards?

Yes. Every current ROG Ally handheld — the original ROG Ally (2023), ROG Ally X (2024), ROG XBOX Ally (2025), and ROG XBOX Ally X (2025) — uses a UHS-II microSD card reader that's also backward-compatible with UHS-I cards. UHS-II cards add a second row of pins compared to UHS-I, which roughly doubles to triples real-world speeds. The ROG XBOX Ally X20, however, features a microSD Express slot, capable of even faster speeds up to multiple gigabytes per second. You can insert a UHS-II card into this slot, however, it will fall back to UHS-I speeds, meaning a microSD Express card is your best bet for ultra-fast load times on the X20.

Do any ROG Ally handhelds support microSD Express?

Yes, the latest ROG XBOX Ally X20 supports the microSD Express standard, which uses a PCIe-based interface capable of far higher speeds than UHS-II.

What's the difference between UHS-I, UHS-II, and microSD Express?

These are three generations of the same physical card format, but differ in their maximum speeds. UHS-I tops out around 104MB/s of interface bandwidth, though some devices — including the ROG Ally X and newer — can make use of “overclocked” cards that bring speeds up to 200MB/s. UHS-II adds a second row of electrical contacts, allowing for much faster speeds. microSD Express is newer still, using a PCIe interface capable of up to incredibly fast speeds on devices with a capable microSD Express slot.

Should I buy a V60 or V90 rated card for my ROG Ally?

Both V60 and V90 cards will work in your Ally, though the differences aren’t night and day for gaming. V60 and V90 are Video Speed Class ratings that guarantee a minimum sustained write speed (60MB/s and 90MB/s respectively) — which is important for 4K/8K video recording. However, loading a game relies more on read speed, not write speed, so that’s the spec you want to focus on more.

Are UHS-I cards fast enough to load games on an ROG Ally?

You can use a UHS-I card for games in any model of ROG Ally, though your games may take a bit longer to load, particularly if you’re using it for large AAA open-world titles. If you're using your microSD card for storing extra indie or retro games, UHS-I is likely all you need. If you’re playing AAA games off the card, UHS-I will still do the trick, but springing for a UHS-II or microSD Express card (depending on your Ally model) might be worth it for faster load times.

What's the best microSD card capacity for a ROG Ally?

The capacity of your card depends on your library size and your budget. 512GB-1TB cards currently offer a good price-per-gigabyte value, while 2TB cards (the maximum supported capacity on all current Ally models) make sense if you're consolidating a very large collection. 256GB may be a little tight for modern AAA games, given that many can exceed 100GB on their own.

Do I need to format my microSD card before using it with the ROG Ally?

Yes — format the card as NTFS before installing games, either on a Windows PC or directly on the Ally itself. NTFS will give you the best compatibility and experience across Windows and its many game launchers.

Is it better to buy a bigger SD card or upgrade the internal SSD instead?

Upgrading the internal SSD gives you the most seamless experience, since you only have one drive with reliable, long-term performance with the fastest speeds. Using a microSD card, however, offers instantaneous storage upgrades without needing a screwdriver. If you already have a microSD card handy, consider trying it out first before springing for a new SSD. If you find you want a more centralized game library, you can grab an M.2 2280 SSD and swap it in yourself or at your favorite local electronics repair shop.