The Steam Deck is a new handheld gaming device from Valve that runs the SteamOS operating system. It comes with 64GB, 256GB, or 512GB of internal eMMC storage, but also has a microSD card slot that allows users to expand the storage capacity.
The Steam Deck is optimized for gaming, so users will likely want to add a microSD card to install more games beyond what fits on the internal storage. However, there are two main file system options for formatting external storage – ExFAT and NTFS. Users need to decide which file system is better suited for the Steam Deck.
This article will provide an overview of ExFAT vs NTFS and help users determine the ideal file system to use for expanding the storage of their Steam Deck.
ExFAT Overview
ExFAT (Extensible File Allocation Table) is a file system introduced by Microsoft in 2006 and optimized for flash memory such as USB flash drives and SD cards 1. It is designed for larger storage devices where FAT32 is not ideal. ExFAT supports files and partitions larger than 4GB, while maintaining compatibility with both Windows and Mac OS X.
ExFAT is an extended version of the FAT file system used across many devices. It uses less overhead than NTFS, allowing it to be used on flash drives or SD cards where storage space is limited 2. A key benefit of ExFAT is its interoperability between Windows and macOS devices with no drivers required.
NTFS Overview
NTFS stands for New Technology File System, and it is the default file system for Microsoft’s Windows NT operating systems and later, including Windows 10 and Windows 11 [1]. NTFS was designed by Microsoft to replace the older FAT file system and provide improved performance, reliability, and disk space use on large hard disks [2].
NTFS uses advanced data structures to improve performance, and it provides features like disk quotas, encryption, and file auditing. Some key aspects of NTFS include [3]:
- Support for large partition sizes – up to 16 exabytes
- Faster and more efficient allocation of disk space
- Improved reliability through journaling and logging
- Security via access control lists and encryption
SteamOS Compatibility
When it comes to compatibility with SteamOS, the Steam Deck’s operating system, both ExFAT and NTFS have good support. According to a discussion on the Steam forums, “If you want to put games there (and not the OS itself), go with ExFAT. It’s the more sensible FS of those two in the context of low-tech Flash storage.” (Source)
Reddit users also report success using ExFAT drives with SteamOS: “And I’ve found that exFAT drives have to be formatted on Windows or Mac for all OS’s to be able to read it.” (Source) This indicates that while both file systems work, ExFAT may have slightly better compatibility out of the box.
Overall, SteamOS has good support for both NTFS and ExFAT, but ExFAT seems to have a edge for external storage use-cases like SD cards. However, both file systems are viable options that provide read/write access on SteamOS.
Performance
When it comes to performance, there are some key differences between ExFAT and NTFS. According to this comparison, NTFS generally provides better performance for reads and writes. NTFS is faster for small files, while ExFAT has faster transfer speeds for large files.
However, ExFAT may have slower deletions and slower enumeration times when accessing a drive with lots of files. NTFS is considered more stable and efficient due to its advanced journaling capabilities. Overall, NTFS offers better general performance for an internal drive. But for external drives, ExFAT can provide faster transfer speeds if you’re primarily working with very large files.
File Size Limits
One major difference between ExFAT and NTFS is the maximum file size each file system can support. According to Wikipedia, ExFAT can support files up to 16 exabytes (EB) in size due to its use of 8-byte file size references, compared to the 4GB limit of the older FAT32 system. This allows for gigantic file sizes on ExFAT that simply aren’t possible with NTFS.
In contrast, the maximum file size limit for NTFS is much lower at 256 terabytes. According to the NTFS.com comparison between ExFAT and FAT32, ExFAT’s maximum file size is 16 EB, while NTFS caps out at 256 TB. This makes ExFAT the clear winner when it comes to storing and transferring extremely large files.
Overall, if you need to store individual files larger than 256TB, ExFAT is currently the only filesystem on Windows that can handle such capacities. For most everyday users NTFS is sufficient, but those working with massive volumes of data will benefit from ExFAT’s essentially unlimited file sizes.
Security
ExFAT lacks many of the security features that come standard with NTFS. For example, NTFS supports file and folder permissions, allowing you to restrict access to certain users (source). This can be useful for protecting sensitive files. NTFS also supports encryption through the Encrypting File System (EFS), which allows files and folders to be transparently encrypted to protect confidential data (source).
ExFAT has no built-in encryption capabilities and does not support file or folder permissions. All files written to an ExFAT drive are readable and writable by any user who can access the drive (source). This makes ExFAT unsuitable for storing private files that need restricted access. The lack of security features gives NTFS a clear advantage for use cases requiring tight control over file access.
Ease of Use
When it comes to ease of use, exFAT has some advantages over NTFS for the average user. exFAT is simpler since it doesn’t have the advanced permission and security features of NTFS. This makes exFAT easier to manage for simple tasks like copying, moving, and deleting files [1].
exFAT also has broader compatibility with different devices and operating systems. NTFS requires driver support to be recognized by macOS, Linux, and other non-Windows systems. exFAT has more universal plug-and-play compatibility. This makes exFAT less hassle for storage devices meant for cross-platform use [2].
For the average Windows user though, NTFS and exFAT are similar in ease of use. Both integrate well for basic tasks like formatting, mounting, and transferring files. However, for multi-platform scenarios, exFAT provides a simpler user experience.
Compatibility
ExFAT has very broad compatibility and can be read and written to by Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, gaming consoles, cameras, and other devices. According to PCMag, exFAT “works across Windows and macOS without any extra software required.”
NTFS was designed for use with Windows and is compatible with all versions from Windows NT 3.1 to the latest Windows 11. While read-only NTFS support can be added to macOS and Linux, writing to NTFS volumes is not supported out of the box on those platforms. So NTFS will have limited compatibility for the Steam Deck when running SteamOS (which is Linux-based).
Overall, exFAT has the advantage of being widely compatible across many devices and operating systems. NTFS compatibility is limited mainly to Windows platforms.
Recommendation
When looking at the pros and cons of each file system for the Steam Deck’s SD card, ExFAT edges out NTFS for most use cases. ExFAT has broader compatibility with Windows, macOS, Linux, gaming consoles, and other devices compared to NTFS. This makes it easier to transfer files between devices. ExFAT also has no practical file size limit, allowing you to store large game files. While NTFS offers more security features, this is less important for removable storage media like SD cards. And while NTFS may have slightly better performance in some scenarios, real-world tests show little noticeable difference for gaming purposes.
The main downside of ExFAT is lack of journaling, which can lead to corruption if there’s an unexpected shutdown. However, SteamOS uses safe removal practices to avoid this. Overall, ExFAT strikes the best balance of compatibility, performance, and ease of use for most Steam Deck owners who want expanded game storage. Unless you specifically need NTFS security features or completely avoid Windows devices, ExFAT is likely the simpler and more reliable option.
