SanDisk's 1TB SD card is probably the last one you'll ever need

SanDisk has shown off a prototype SD card packing a monstrous 1TB storage capacity. To put that in perspective, that's more than most laptops and PCs come with as standard.

The new card smashes the storage capacity record set by SanDisk's 512GB Extreme Pro card, which was previously the highest-capacity SD card in the world. It comes 16 years after the company launches the first SD card offering 64MB storage, which was monstrous for the time.

While one terabyte sounds like more than you'll ever likely need, the rise of 4K and the inevitable adoption of 8K means that storage solutions like this will eventually become the norm, and prove essential for videographers shooting ultra-high definition footage for virtual reality and the like.

Because the device is a prototype, no details on pricing or availability have been given. Given that SanDisk's 512GB costs a wallet-gouging £400, it's unlikely to come cheap.

SanDisk owners Western Digital will be demonstrating the 1TB prototype card at this year's Photokina photography trade show, which is currently underway in Cologne, Germany.

Sam Nicholson, CEO of visual effects company Stargate Studios, said: "Just a few short years ago the idea of a 1TB capacity point in an SD card seemed so futuristic – it's amazing that we're now at the point where it's becoming a reality.

"With the growing demand for applications like VR, we can certainly use 1TB when we're out shooting continuous high-quality video. High-capacity cards allow us to capture more without interruption, streamlining our workflow, and eliminating the worry that we may miss a moment because we have to stop to swap out cards."