Do you have a Steam Deck and need a way to pack it full of all your games? There are two ways to expand the storage capacity of this portable console and change the way you play games. One is through the use of microSD cards and the other is via replacement of the internal SSD. The easiest method is adding a microSD card though, which is the same form of storage that can be used to expand the capacity of many tablets and smartphones. The microSD card can be any size, but it should support the UHS-I speed standard, which most microSD cards support these days.
How to replace the SSD in the Steam Deck
Although the Steam Deck's higher-end models come with SSDs, they're pretty expensive. Here's how to install your own for less.
If the goal is to provide as much storage room for games as possible, we'd recommend going down the route of replacing the internal SSD. It's worth noting that this will void your warranty, but it is perfectly safe, so long as you follow the necessary steps and cause no damage to the internal components of the Steam Deck. You'll need to buy an M.2 2230 NVMe SSD, which we're suggesting below. Remember, have operating system installation files handy, a backup of your existing files, and be prepared to reinstall a fresh OS after swapping the SSD.
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Editor's choice
Western Digital WD Black SN770M
The WD Black SN770M is one of the fastest SSDs in this form factor that you can get, and even if it's limited to PCIe 3.0 speeds in the Steam Deck it will handle loading your games at the maximum the console allows.
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Fastest speeds
Crucial P310
- Storage capacity
- 1TB or 2TB
- Hardware Interface
- NVMe PCIe Gen 4 x4
- TBW
- 220 per TB
- DRAM
- No
- Warranty
- 5 years
- Controller
- Phison E27T
The newest 2230 form-factor SSD is also the fastest, boasting speeds of up to 7,100MB/s thanks to the latest 232-layer Micron QLC NAND. That'll make your Steam Deck games load slightly quicker, although it'll only be running at PCIe 3.0 speeds.
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Best value
XPC Technologies 2TB M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe SSD
XPC Technologies's 2230-sized SSD is a rebranded SN740 from Western Digital that can fit into handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. It's rated for reads of up to 5,100MB/s and writes of 4,800MB/s and comes with up to 2TB of storage capacity.
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Premium pick
SABRENT Rocket 2230 NVMe 4.0 1TB SSD
- Storage capacity
- 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Hardware Interface
- PCIe Gen 4 x4
- Brand
- Sabrent
- Transfer rate
- 4,750/4,300 MB/s Read/Write
- Price
- $110
If you want to expand your Steam Deck storage and don't want to deal with slow read/write speeds, check out the Sabrent Rocket 2230 NVMe SSD. It offers up to 4,750MB/s read and 4,300 MB/s write speeds and unmatched reliability that you won't get with a microSD card.
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Mid-tier performance
Corsair MP600 Mini
- Storage capacity
- 1TB
- Hardware Interface
- PCIe Gen 4 x4
- Brand
- Corsair
- Transfer rate
- 4800MB/s Read/Write
- Price
- $110
The Corsair MP600 Mini is a great SSD that you can put in the Steam Deck, and it packs up to 2TB of storage that you can fill up with as many games as you'd like. It's also got speeds up to 4,800MB/s for reads and writes, so it's somewhere in the middle of the pack.
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Affordable capacity
Silicon Power Gen4 M.2 SSD
The Silicon Power 2230 SSD is one of the more affordable SSDs for the Steam Deck. It is under $100, but it still has read speeds of up to 4,900MB/s and write speeds of up to 3,200MB/s. It also has a 5-year limited warranty.
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Plenty of space
SanDisk Extreme microSD card
- Brand
- SanDisk
- Capacity
- 1TB
- Hardware Interface
- microSDXC
- Speed (Read, Write)
- Up to 160MB/s read, 90 MB/s write
Storing your Steam library takes up a lot of space, so add up to 1TB of storage to the Steam Deck with this microSD card from SanDisk. That way, all you have to think about is what to play next.
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Affordable durable microSD card
Kingston Canvas Go Plus microSD card
The Kingston Canvas Go Plus is an affordable microSD card with data transfer speeds of up to 170 MB/s. The card supports UHS Speed Class 3 speeds and has the A2 app performance rating. It's also waterproof, and vibration and shockproof, too.
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Speedy microSD storage
SanDisk Extreme Pro microSD card
The SanDisk Extreme Pro microSD card is what the name suggests. It's a microSD card that can survive the most extreme conditions. It's temperate-proof, waterproof, and X-ray-proof. Not to forget it supports the SanDisk QuickFlow technology for 200MB/s read speeds and 140MB/s write speeds
Best storage options for the Steam Deck: Bottom line
These are the best storage options for the Steam Deck in 2024. We covered a traditional SSD like the SABRENT Rocket 2230 NVMe 4.0 1TB SSD which offers the fastest possible read and write speeds for your games. We also looked at several popular microSD cards, like the SanDisk Extreme, which offers 1TB of storage, the Samsung Evo Select, which is a value microSD card, and even the SanDisk Extreme Pro, which is the fastest possible SD card you can buy.
The most important thing when picking out a microSD card on Amazon is to make sure that you get one from a verified seller. Online there are plenty of fake microSD cards being sold that report higher storage but will actually fill up and not accept any more data, or start overwriting existing data, way earlier than you expect. This is why we suggest you pick from a trusted vendor.
If you don't already own a Steam Deck, you can check out our Steam Deck review for more information. It might not be one of the best gaming laptops, but it's still an excellent way to game on the go.
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Valve
Valve's first portable gaming PC, the Steam Deck is one of the best gaming devices on the market, giving you access to a huge library of games you can play anywhere you go.
