Best SSD for Steam Deck in 2023: Sabrent, Western Digital & more
Considering an SSD upgrade for your Steam Deck? We’ve listed the best SSDs for the Steam Deck to ensure you never run low on space.
Steam Deck is a portable gaming powerhouse that fits right in your hand and your budget. Luckily, beefing up your SSD is possible with the right 2230 NVMe drive.
Out of the box, Steam Deck SSD options are limited because of the 2230 NVMe SSD. It is a niche form factor, meaning that most old drives might be incompatible.
These 2230 NVMe SSDs are often found in devices like the Microsoft Surface. Size-wise, they’re a more compact version of the standard NVMe drives found in many gaming rigs. Though they might be small and somewhat less speedy, they’re still formidable in their own right.
If you’re comfortable cracking open your Deck, swapping the SSD offers more room for hoarding AAA titles. But just bear in mind that installing Windows isn’t a walk in the park.
For more casual upgraders, external SSDs and MicroSD cards are simpler storage additions requiring no tools or tech skills. Sure, they aren’t as fast, but 1TB cards now provide ample space for indies and RetroArch libraries.
We’ve tested the top drives either way. With the right storage boost, you can hold way more Steam gems without compromising on storage.
The best Steam Deck SSD: Sabrent Rocket 2230
Right now, for the money and security, the Sabrent 2230 NVMe drive is the best Steam Deck SSD you can get right now.
We’ve done the tests between the Sabrent drive and a Western Digital SN530, however, the differences in real-world usage are not too different.
The reason for this is that the Sabrent Rocket 2230 uses PCIe 4, but the Steam Deck is limited to using slower PCIe 3 speeds. We might see an upgrade on a Steam Deck 2, but for now, performance isn’t really a big issue when choosing your Steam Deck’s drive.
The main reason we recommend Sabrent’s Rocket 2230 NVMe SSD is due to availability. Sabrent is one of few companies actually offering brand-new drives that you can confirm, are brand-new. A lot of eBay and third-party sellers might have come into a lot of 2230 drives, but they might also be used.
We’ve had no issues with these eBay-bought drives. However, first-time buyers not willing to risk getting a drive that’s potentially already seen heavy use should stick with the Sabrent Rocket 2230 for their Steam Deck.
For the $20 extra dollars or so, you’re going to find that the Sabrent drive is the better choice overall.
Where to buy Steam Deck 2230 NVMe SSD drives
While we’ve recommended the Sabrent 2230 NVMe, you can find all our vetted sources for SSDs from eBay and Amazon below.
| Drive | Size | Price (subject to change) |
|---|---|---|
| XPC Technologies | 2TB | $359.95 |
| WD SN740 | 2TB | OUT OF STOCK |
| Sabrent 2230 NVMe SSD | 1TB | $159.99 |
| WD SN530 | 1TB | $139.64 |
| WD SN530 | 1TB | $143.68 |
| WD SN530 | 512GB | $79.89 |
| Kioxia (Toshiba) BG4 256GB/512GB | 256GB | $19.99 |
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