I finally pulled the trigger on this essential Steam Deck and ROG Ally storage upgrade — here's why you need it

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I have long needed more storage on my Steam Deck, and this Prime Day deal was just what I was looking for.

Upgrading Steam Deck SSD: Unscrew SSD.
The Steam Deck SSD is upgradeable. And you should definitely do it. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

The only thing I was actually looking for on Amazon's October Prime Day actually came good for a change! I've long wanted to upgrade the 256GB SSD in my Steam Deck to something bigger, because let's face it, games are HUGE nowadays. But I've always talked myself out of it. But this Crucial PCIe 4.0 SSD reduced to $168 for 2TB finally forced my hand, and I think it's something my fellow Deck owners should grab, too. 

| $264.99now $168.14 at Amazon ($20 off)

Crucial 2TB PCIe Gen4 2230 NVMe M.2 SSD| was $264.99 now $168.14 at Amazon ($20 off)

Crucial is a trusted brand in quality storage products for PC and this 2230 sized SSD is perfect to add more space to your Steam Deck or ROG Ally. PCIe 4.0 means lightning fast performance, and it's a better upgrade all-round than using microSD cards. 

👀See at: Amazon

✅Perfect for: Adding serious extra storage to the Steam Deck or ROG Ally and removing the need for microSD cards. 

❌Avoid if: You're not comfortable splitting open your handheld to install and then reflashing the OS.  

🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃

Full disclosure, I'm in the UK, so this isn't the exact deal I grabbed, but it is the same SSD albeit only with 1TB. The 1TB version is also reduced in the U.S. right now to $102, but considering the extra to double that, the 2TB one certainly makes the most sense. 

This is also great for the ASUS ROG Ally as an upgrade if you have one of those instead of a Steam Deck. 

A bigger SSD is leagues better than using a microSD card

You will be much happier overall spending your money on a larger SSD than a high capacity microSD card.  (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

Is upgrading the SSD on the Steam Deck a bit of a process. Absolutely. Is it worth it, though? Even more absolutely. The Steam Deck, like the ROG Ally, has a microSD card slot which makes it simple to expand storage for all your lovely games. 

But microSD cards are slow, and the internal SSD is not. My current setup has more intensive games such as Spider-Man Miles Morales, and Days Gone, installed on the internal drive, with all my indies such as Balatro and Vampire Survivors on the microSD card. Occasionally I forget and have to move stuff around, but for the most intense titles I want them on the internal drive. 

It's orders of magnitude faster than a microSD card, and I want that. You should want that, too. Most of us stopped using mechanical HDDs for game storage years ago, even if they are cheap. They're also less durable, as are microSD cards, and let's face it, you're not popping the SSD out at any point and you certainly won't misplace it. 

When you can grab upgraded storage this cheap, it's well worth the outlay, and the time spent to install it. The Steam Deck can play an incredible amount of newer games, and they are large and demanding. This just makes the most sense. It took way too long to bite the bullet myself, but don't make my mistake. 

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:

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Richard Devine
Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine