Sony Memory Stick vs. microSD
Comparing 2 standards across 13 specifications. 13 key differences identified.
Memory Stick is a proprietary removable solid-state flash memory card format introduced by Sony in 1998. Evolving across standard, PRO (expanded capacity), Duo (compact form factor), PRO-HG Duo (60 MB/s high-speed), and Micro M2 variants, it featured Sony's MagicGate hardware DRM copy protection across Cyber-shot cameras, Handycam camcorders, VAIO laptops, and the PlayStation Portable (PSP).
microSD (originally developed as TransFlash / T-Flash by SanDisk in 2004 and ratified by the SD Association in 2005) is the ultra-compact form factor of the Secure Digital family. Measuring 15.0 × 11.0 × 1.0 mm (approximately 20% the size of a standard SD card), it is the universal removable storage medium for smartphones, action cameras, drones, and handheld gaming consoles.
Specification Comparison Table
13 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Operating Voltages
|
2.7V–3.6V (Standard) / 1.8V (Dual-voltage M2) | 2.7V–3.6V (Standard) / 1.8V (UHS-I signal) |
|
Proprietary Standard
|
Sony Corporation (with SanDisk for PRO formats) | — |
|
Standard Memory Stick Size
|
50.0 mm × 21.5 mm × 2.8 mm (10-pin interface) | — |
|
Memory Stick Duo Size
|
31.0 mm × 20.0 mm × 1.6 mm (10-pin interface) | — |
|
Memory Stick Micro (M2) Size
|
15.0 mm × 12.5 mm × 1.2 mm (11-pin interface) | — |
|
Key Format Generations
|
Original (up to 128MB), PRO (up to 32GB), PRO-HG Duo (8-bit parallel, up to 60 MB/s), Micro M2 | — |
|
Hardware DRM Security
|
MagicGate (Cryptographic copy protection for ATRAC3 audio / secure media) | — |
|
Governing Body
|
— | SD Association (SDA) |
|
Original Name
|
— | TransFlash (TF Card / T-Flash by SanDisk, 2004) |
|
Physical Dimensions
|
— | 15.0 mm × 11.0 mm × 1.0 mm (Weight: ~0.25 g) |
|
Pin Configurations
|
— | 8 pins (UHS-I / Legacy) / 16 pins (UHS-II dual-row) |
|
Capacity Standards
|
— | microSD (≤2GB), microSDHC (4–32GB), microSDXC (64GB–2TB), microSDUC (up to 128TB) |
|
Passive Adapter Compatibility
|
— | Electrically identical to full-size SD (100% pin-compatible via passive sleeve adapter) |