If you’re keen on getting Valve’s new Steam Deck, then you’re likely concerned about storage space. Games regularly hit the 100GB and over range these days, and fitting more than a handful of larger AAA titles on your Deck will quickly use up the available internal storage of even the most spacious model. Thankfully Valve saw fit to outfit the Deck with an SD card slot, so you can easily and quickly expand your storage options without performing risky upgrades or risking damage to your Deck. That said, those of you who are more technically proficient and don’t mind taking risks might want to try your hand at upgrading the internal storage, as well, so we’ll be covering both options.
Internal Storage Upgrade
Valve does not recommend that the end user do this repair at all. They state both in their official documentation and within their teardown video that they do not recommend it, and that it is not intended to be user replaceable. If you’re considering this option, then you’re not only risking damage to your Deck if the upgrade goes wrong, but you’re also going to be scrounging around for good storage replacements in the first place.
The Deck uses a 2230 M.2 NVMe SSD internally, which is much smaller than the kind of M.2 you would normally install in a desktop or laptop. In fact, the 2230 size is so much smaller that it’s difficult to find M.2 drives in sizes larger than 512GB, which means you're not going to be expanding your internal storage by much (or at all), depending on the model you have. We’ve seen only one manufacturer offering a 1TB 2230 M.2 SSD, and it was from a lesser-known, third-party brand. In general, when it comes to solid-state storage, your best bet is to stick to known brands with proven tracks records. As more time goes on, more 2230 M.2 options will likely become available.
Related: Gabe Newell has been playing Final Fantasy XIV on the Steam Deck
Samsung PM991 512GB
Samsung is a tried-and-true option for any storage-related needs. The PM991 is their largest 2230 M.2 that we were able to track down, and it’s available on Amazon. It also comes in a few different sizes, all under the PM991 model name, if you're after smaller sizes.
Dell SNP112233P 256GB
This is a Dell-branded replacement part for one of their products that’s pretty readily available, but watch out for renewed or refurbished units. Getting refurbished is a great idea for some things, but not for storage solutions. Dell likely isn't the actual manufacturer of this particular SSD, but they're a reputable enough brand that they likely sourced it from a good manufacturer (most likely Samsung or SK Hynix).
SK Hynix BC711
You probably haven’t heard of SK Hynix, but you’ve definitely used their products before. They’re the second-largest chip manufacturer after Samsung, and their products are generally reliable.
MicroSD Card Upgrade
Thankfully, the Steam Deck comes with a microSD card slot ready to go, and early reports show that the read speeds on it are pretty close to that of the NVMe storage. Of course, like internal storage, you want to stick to well-known and reputable brands. There are a lot of knockoff SD cards available for very cheap that will show up as having their reported storage amount, despite having significantly less. In general, if an SD card deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
SanDisk 1TB Extreme
SanDisk is easily the best-known brand in the realm of microSD cards, and their Extreme product line never disappoints. It offers up to 160 MB/s read speeds, 90 MB/s write speeds, and is A2 rated. Any size microSD card from SanDisk is going to be reliable, and their 1TB card provides plenty of room and performance.
Lexar PLAY 1TB
Lexar has been making flash drives and other solid-state storage devices for nearly 30 years. Their PLAY MicroSD offers 150MB/s read speeds, a five-year warranty, and an A2 rating. They’re a reliable and affordable brand to consider at any capacity.
Samsung EVO Select 256GB
If you’re strapped for cash after shelling out for your Steam Deck then the prospect of spending another $150 or more on a new 1TB microSD card can be a bit too much. If that’s the case, then the Samsung EVO Select line of microSD cards might fit the bill until you're ready to upgrade to something larger. It’s not the fastest microSD on the market at 130MB/s, but it’s regularly on sale for less than $30 for 256GB.
Micro Center microSD
If you happen to live near a Micro Center location then you've probably seen their microSD card station that's usually situated near their registers. These Micro Center branded microSD cards are very often on sale for dirt cheap and are quite reliable. They're definitely not the fastest cards out there, but if you grab them on sale, then they're one of the best values on the market in any size.
The Steam Deck is first and foremost a computer, which means you have more hardware and expandability options available on it than you do on something like a Nintendo Switch. However, exploring those options also means taking some risks with your hardware and ensuring that you really do know what you’re doing. If you’re even considering expanding the internal storage on the Deck, we highly recommend Valve’s official teardown video to get an idea of what the upgrade is actually like. And remember, getting a new drive installed is only half the battle: you will also need to reinstall SteamOS to get your Deck fully back up and running.
For more hardware guides check out 2022’s 4 Best AMD Graphics Cards for Gaming and 2022’s 5 Best GPU Backplates on Pro Game Guides.
This article includes affiliate links, which may provide small compensation to Pro Game Guides.
Published: Mar 8, 2022 11:29 am