My Steam Deck and ROG Ally are so much better now that I've upgraded my SSD — Right now, an early Prime Day deal makes this gaming handheld storage cost a lot less

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This SSD is easy to install, too. You can find links to my Steam Deck installation guide and ROG Ally installation guide below.

Upgrading Steam Deck SSD: SSD in front of Steam Deck.
The WD_BLACK SN770M SSD is easy to install into your Steam Deck, Legion Go, or ROG Ally. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

I was in the first wave of people to get my hands on a Steam Deck, but I was on a budget when I purchased it, so I chose one with a lower storage capacity. Because of this, I frequently found myself having to uninstall and delete files on my gaming handheld to make way for more game data. But that changed when I upgraded my Steam Deck storage with a higher-capacity SSD from WD_BLACK. I loved this SSD so much that I also upgraded my ASUS ROG Ally with it.

Thanks to an early anti-Prime Day deal going on right now, this amazing WD_BLACK SN770M 1TB SSD is currently at a great discount. It has an MSRP of $129.99, but right now, it's only $89.99 at B&H— that's $40 off. 

WD_BLACK SN770M 1TB SSD | $129.99 now $89.99 at B&H ($40 off)

WD_BLACK SN770M 1TB SSD | was $129.99 now $89.99 at B&H ($40 off)

This M.2 2230 compatible internal SSD is specifically designed to fit inside of PC gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Legion Go. The process of installing it is relatively easy and it provides very fast read and write times to help your games load quickly while giving you more space for your digital adventures. It's also available in 500GB and 2TB capacities.

👀See at: B&H

✅Perfect for: Anyone who plays a lot of games on their gaming handheld and wants room for more game files. 

❌Avoid if: You aren't comfortable with opening your handheld for installation. 

🔎Our experience: How to upgrade ROG Ally SSD | How to upgrade Steam Deck SSD

💰Price check: $99.99 at Western Digital| $109.99 at Best Buy  | $129.99 at Newegg

🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃

More Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals

We at Windows Central are scouring the internet for the best Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals, but there are plenty more discounts going on now. Here's where to find more savings:

Why I love this WD_BLACK handheld SSD

I've personally installed the WD_Black SN770M SSD into both my ROG Ally and Steam Deck.  (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

I'm a big fan of Western Digital and its WD_Black gaming sub-brand. Throughout the years, I've either personally used or tested many of the company's products and have found that they tend to provide some of the best storage quality on the market. 

More gaming handhelds

Lenovo Legion Go (2023)

(Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

• Best gaming handhelds
• Best ROG Ally accessories
• Best Steam Deck accessories
• Best ROG Ally battery packs
• Optimized ROG Ally games
• MSI Claw vs Steam Deck
• Steam Deck vs ROG Ally
• Legion Go vs ROG Ally

Additionally, I personally used the WD_BLACK SN770M SSD when writing up our guides on how to upgrade ROG Ally SSD and how to upgrade Steam Deck SSD, so you can take a look at these step-by-step instructions with pictures if you need help doing the install. In addition to working with ROG Ally and Steam Deck, this SSD works with Legion Go as well. The upgrade process is relatively easy, and you'll love having more internal room for more games. 

Of course, it's far easier to upgrade a gaming handheld with a microSD card. However, there are advantages to going with an internal SSD card over a microSD card. For example, this SSD provides fast read speeds of up to 5150MB/s and high write speeds of up to 4900 MB/s to help me load and save data quickly. That's waaay faster than what microSD cards can provide. For context, microSD cards typically only do a few hundred MB/s read and write speeds (or less). In other words, using an internal SSD over a microSD can reduce loading and saving time. 

WD_BLACK SN770M 1TB SSD | $129.99 now $89.99 at B&H

WD_BLACK SN770M 1TB SSD | was $129.99 now $89.99 at B&H

This internal SSD can greatly increase the total storage space of your gaming handheld. It's available in 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB capacities and work with Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go. 

👀See at: B&H or Western Digital or Best Buy or  or Newegg

What is a good SSD read and write speed for gaming handhelds?

When it comes to gaming, you want an SSD that can at least provide a read speed of 3000 MB/s and a write speed of up to 2000 MB/s. Your games will load quickly and save quickly too. 

Is an SSD better than a microSD card?

That depends on what you intend to do with these storage devices. Overall, SSDs offer much faster transfer speeds than microSD cards. However, microSD cards are easier to install than internal SSDs. Of course, there are also a few external SSDs that just need to plug into a gaming handheld, but these tend to be very expensive. 

What SSD does Steam Deck, Legion Go, and ROG Ally use?

Each of these gaming handhelds has one NVMe 2230 SSD slot, which is shorter than the SSD form factor found in laptops and desktops. Only an NVMe 2230 SSD will fit in Steam Deck, Legion Go, and ROG Ally. 

Can you change the SSD in Steam Deck, Legion Go, and ROG Ally?

Yes! You can easily upgrade your Steam Deck, Legion Go, or ROG Ally gaming handheld's internal SSD for a larger capacity as long as you replace it with a compatible NVMe 2230 SSD.

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Rebecca Spear
Rebecca Spear
Gaming and News Editor

Self-professed gaming geek, Rebecca Spear, is one of Windows Central's editors and reviewers with a focus on gaming handhelds, PC gaming, and laptops. When she isn't checking out the latest games on Xbox Game Pass, PC, ROG Ally, or Steam Deck; she can be found digital drawing with a Wacom tablet. She's written thousands of articles with everything from editorials, reviews, previews, features, previews, and hardware reviews over the last few years. If you need information about anything gaming-related, her articles can help you out. She also loves testing game accessories and any new tech on the market. You can follow her @rrspear on X (formerly Twitter).