The Steam Deck is awesome, and so is the fact that it’s wide open for users to modify. But actually accomplishing that can be tricky, since it’s using a ton of custom parts. Take the upgraded model’s storage, for example: an M.2 2230 SSD, a teeny-tiny, semi-standard size that doesn’t exactly show up on the shelves of Best Buy. But Sabrent is out to change that with its latest Rocket NVMe drive. The 30mm-long NVMe drives were announced over the weekend.
The new Gen 4 2230 drives are the perfect size to replace the one in the Steam Deck, requiring only a screwdriver and about ten minutes for a complete swap. With speeds of up to 5000MB/s read and 4300MB/s write, they should be approximately double the speed of the fastest stock drive available from Valve (because even the pricier models are using a Gen 3 drive). They’ll be available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities, according to StorageReview.
Of course you can use a 2230-sized drive in more than the Steam Deck — it’s a popular option in ultra-portable laptops like the Dell XPS 13, and nothing’s stopping you from installing it in any other M.2 port. But finding one that’s available from a retailer drive supplier is a huge boon for portable gamers in particular. There’s no word on a release date or pricing for the new drives, but we’d guess they should arrive sometime early in 2023.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael is a former graphic designer who's been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.