XQD card

The format is targeted at high-definition camcorders and high-resolution digital cameras. It offers target read and write speeds from 1 Gbit/s to about 5 Gbit/s and storage capabilities beyond 2 TiB.

The cards are not backward compatible with CompactFlash or CFast cards, and despite the name similarity, has no connection with the xD-Picture Card. XQD and CFast were both designed as a replacement of the 1994 CompactFlash standard.

The format was first announced in November 2010 by SanDisk, Sony and Nikon, and was immediately picked up by the CompactFlash Association for development. The final specification was announced in December 2011.

XQD version 2.0 was announced in June 2012, featuring support for PCI Express 3.0 with transfer rates up to 8 Gbit/s (1 GB/s).

On 7 September 2016 the CFA announced the successor of XQD, CFexpress. This new standard uses the same form-factor and interface but uses the NVMe protocol for higher speeds, lower latencies and lower power consumption. Some cameras with XQD slots have received firmware updates to allow use of CFexpress Type B cards in their XQD slots.

Support

In January 2012, the first XQD card was announced by Sony, declaring a 1 Gbit/s read and write speed. In July 2012, Lexar (owned at the time by Micron) announced plans to support the XQD format.

As of 2012, SanDisk and Kingston had not announced plans to produce XQD cards.

In addition to Sony, as of August 2018, Nikon and Delkin are also manufacturing XQD cards.

In late 2018, Lexar – by then under new ownership – announced that it would discontinue support for the XQD format in favour of CFexpress, citing problems with control, licensing and product availability.