Western Digital Tips Tiny, Fast 2TB SSD for Handheld Gaming PCs

pcmag.com:

Western Digital introduced a new SSD this week offering up to 2TB of storage for handheld gaming PCs such as the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally.

Unlike the 2280 M.2 SSDs that are becoming commonplace in desktop PCs, the WD Black SN770M uses the smaller 2230 form factor. It may be small, but it's certainly not lacking in speed or storage space. Three models are available offering 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB of storage with read/write speeds rated at up to 5,150MB/s and 4,850MB/s respectively.

Finding SSDs for devices such as the Steam Deck has proved challenging simply because 2230 M.2 drives were not in high demand before handheld gaming PCs became popular. The situation got a little easier for consumers earlier this year when Framework started selling a Western Digital SN740 drive, but now there's a new option that should be readily available.

Both the Steam Deck and ROG Ally ship with a maximum 512GB SSD installed, which quickly fills up considering the latest PC games can be upwards of 50GB in size. Doubling or quadrupling that availbale storage space is highly desirable for regular gamers, especially as the upgrade process is relatively painless if you follow a guide.

In terms of cost, Western Digital is charging $74.00 for the 500GB drive, $109.99 for the 1TB drive, and $219.99 for the 2TB drive. The 2TB model is currently out of stock, but based on the prices I suspect the 1TB drive is going to prove the most popular upgrade.

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