There are a number of reasons why you might want to get a new Steam Deck or ROG Ally X. Maybe you want the Steam Deck OLED's nicer screen. Maybe you specifically want an ROG Ally X because it has two USB-C ports. However, if the main reason you want to trade up to a new handheld from your old one is that you want more storage space, then upgrading your current handheld with a better SSD is the more affordable option.
Thankfully, installing new SSDs in these handhelds is a breeze. What's more, the WD_BLACK SN770M 1TB SSD is down from its usual $129.99 MSRP to $89.99 at Best Buy for Cyber Monday. If you want even more space, the 2TB SSD that I reviewed is currently only $179.99 at Best Buy. That's $60 less than its usual $239.99 MSRP.
🔥The hottest Cyber Monday deals🔥
- 🎮Lenovo Legion Go (Z1 Extreme) | $472.97 at Amazon (Save $227!)
- 🕹️Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months) | $27.99 at CDKeys (Save $12!)
- 🎮ASUS ROG Ally (Z1) | $349.99 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
- 🛜Xbox Series X Digital Edition (1TB) | $399.99 at Best Buy (Save $50!)
- 🖥️Beelink Mini PC (Ryzen 5) | $279 at Amazon (Save $70!)
- 🥽Meta Quest 3 (512GB) + free game | $499 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
💽More great Cyber Monday deals💾
- Best Buy: Save up to 50% with Cyber Monday savings
- Walmart: Hurry for huge Cyber Monday savings
- Target: Score new and online-only deals
- Dell: Lowest PC prices of the year during Cyber Monday
- HP: Save up to 75% on selected doorbusters
- Lenovo: Save up to 68% on select doorbusters
- Newegg: Cyber Monday 2024 — It's our time to shine
- Razer: Loot like a legend with Cyber Weekend specials
- Samsung: Holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more are live
- Amazon: Cyber Monday deals on practically everything
Rebecca has own a Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go, Nintendo Switch OLED and several AYANEO PC gaming handhelds. She is always on the lookout for the best accessories and games for these devices. She also reviewed the WD_BLACK SN770M SSD and installed one in both her Steam Deck and her ROG Ally.
Upgrading your handheld's SSD is cheaper than buying a new handheld
I own both an ROG Ally and a Steam Deck and I found myself having to delete games regularly in order to make room for new ones. It was rather frustrating. So I took the first chance I could to upgrade my ROG Ally's 512GB SSD to a 2TB. About a year later, I upgraded my Steam Deck's SSD from a measly 64GB to 2TB. As a result, my handheld SSDs have faster transfer speeds, which is ideal for gaming, and I don't have to uninstall games nearly as often. The process was easy, and I haven't had any issues since doing this.
So, if you've been thinking about getting a Steam Deck with a higher SSD capacity or upgrading to the ROG Ally X, then you might want to consider simply upgrading your current handheld's SSD instead. With the WD_BLACK SN770M 1TB SSD down from its usual $129.99 MSRP to $89.99 at Best Buy and the 2TB SSD down to just $179.99 at Best Buy, it's more affordable than usual.
Outside of the actual space itself, the WD_BLACK SN770M SSD also has better transfer speeds than the stock SSD that comes in the ROG Ally, which means it can load and save game data faster. As an example, I ran CrystalDiskMark tests on the original ROG Ally SSD and the new WD_BLACK one. The original only hit a 1,844 MB/s write speed and 4,317 MB/s read speed. However, the WD_BLACK one performed much better with its 4,817 MB/s read speed and 5,278 MB/s write speed.
To be fair, the ROG Ally X is a really nice improvement over the ROG Ally (as seen in my ROG Ally X vs ROG Ally comparison), and the Steam Deck OLED's screen is really nice to look at. On top of that, Best Buy currently has a really good trade-in offer going on right now for anyone who wants to upgrade from an original ROG Ally to an ROG Ally X. With this offer, you can get a $50 coupon toward an ROG Ally X and up to a $180 Best Buy gift card depending on the condition of your handheld. That said, if your ROG Ally isn't in the best condition or else has a bunch of non-stock customizations, then you might not get as much for it.
If I just described your ROG Ally then it might be a better idea to upgrade your current 512GB SSD to a 1TB or 2TB option. You'll save money and won't have to set up a new device.
Is it easy to upgrade the SSD in ROG Ally?
Yes. As long as you have the correct tools and a compatible SSD, the process for swapping out the original ROG Ally SSD for a better one is rather easy.
Is it easy to upgrade the SSD in Steam Deck?
Yes. The Steam Deck was made in such a way that it is very easy to take it apart and upgrade it. You'll just need to make sure you have the proper tools and a compatible SSD to upgrade to.
When did Black Friday end?
Black Friday technically ends the following Saturday. However, Many retailers keep Black Friday deals going in to the weekend. Starting late Saturday or even early Sunday Black Friday deals are replaced by Cyber Monday deals.
When does Cyber Monday start?
Cyber Monday technically begins on Dec. 2, 2024. However, it is common for many retailers to start throwing out Cyber Monday deals the weekend before Cyber Monday. Additionally, some Cyber Monday deals only last the actual day of Cyber Monday, but others can last for the few weeks leading up to Christmas.
