The Steam Deck took longer than promised to arrive in our living rooms, but when it did, it turned the gaming market upside down. The Valve console has shown that today, a handheld It can be an alternative to gaming laptops. However, one of its weak points is storage. Today we will talk about what methods officially exist to expand the memory of your Steam deck and what are the best memories What can you buy for it?
Before you buy your Steam Deck, think about how much storage you need
To date, there are three models other than Steam Deck. The basic model comes with 64 GB eMMC memory, while the rest come with NVMe SSD memories. The intermediate model equips a 256 GB drive, while the most expensive has a 512 GB SSD.
Although getting your hands on a Steam Deck is difficult these days, you shouldn't jump headlong into the first one you find in stock, but rather buy the model whose capacity best suits your needs. If you get the basic model, there are games that take up much more than the memory of that console, so you will have to resort to expansion methods. And, if you buy the model with SSD, it may also happen that you have to resort to constantly deleting and installing games to free up space.
How can I expand the capacity of my Steam Deck?
All Steam Deck models currently on the market allow expand capacity both using a microSD card and adding or replacing the NVMe SSD.
microSD card, the easiest solution
The microSD card is the easiest way to expand storage from your Steam Deck. They are quite cheap and allow you to expand from about 64 GB to about 2 TB.
If you want, you can even install Steam OS on the card itself, as according to Valve, there is support for you to boot from the card itself. The only problem with doing this is that the microSD card has its limitations when it comes to reading and writing data. So we will have some slightly longer loading times that if we install our games on an SSD.
NVMe, the option for the most handyman
On the other hand, you can also expand the Deck's memory by adding a SSD NVMe to the basic model or by replacing the drive that comes in the 256 and 512 GB models. For Valve, it's no problem that you save money by buying the cheapest console and adding a 1TB SSD yourself if you want. However, the brand does not recommend that you do so.
According to Valve, the option to expand via SSD is there, but it is not designed for the end user to perform the operation. If you have experience tinkering with electronic devices, the process probably won't be a big deal for you. That is, if you know how to assemble a computer, disassemble a mobile to change a screen or even remove parts from a laptop to change the thermal paste, it will not be difficult for you to change the Steam Deck disk. But if you don't have experience, Valve invites you to reconsider the idea. The act of opening the console means taking a risk, because you can break the console in an attempt to improve it.
Once you are clear about whether or not it is worth doing the process, the next thing you have to know is that not just any SSD is worth it. The Steam Deck uses a type of disk that is considerably smaller than what we use in our computers. Specifically, use a M.2 2230 NVMe SSD drive, and they are not so easy to find - although with the popularity that the Steam Deck is achieving, it seems that these discs will be easier to find in the coming months and years.
Best microSD Cards for Steam Deck
If you don't want to complicate your life, the best option to improve the storage of your Steam Deck is with a microSD card. Valve recommends on its official website that we use at least a card that meets the UHS-I standard. There are no size limitations, so you can use a card with up to 2TB capacity. The reading limit of these cards is approximately a few 100 MB per second. Even the best card on the market will be slightly slower than the eMMC memory that comes standard on the entry model, but it will allow you to store high-capacity games like Assassin's Creed: Valhalla o Red Dead Redemption 2.
In this case, always go to a trusted provider. There are many counterfeits in physical stores and websites such as AliExpress. If you don't know which model to buy, these are the ones we recommend:
Sandisk Extreme
This card is one of the most used in action cameras and other consoles such as the Nintendo Switch. The 128 GB model starts at 25 euros, and you can buy it in versions of up to 1 TB capacity. Is a reliable card with a very good reputation.
View offer on AmazonSamsung EvoPlus
This model is also very well known, and has already proven to be a quality product. As usual in these cases, it is limited to 100 MB of reading per second. Its price is quite similar to that of Sandisk.
View offer on AmazonBest NVMe SSDs for Steam Deck
As we said, finding an SSD for the Steam Deck will not be so easy. Finding a 1TB model is next to impossible, so buying the Steam Deck's 512GB model isn't such a bad idea after all. If you want to level up the eMMC model, these are the best SSDs What can you find at the moment:
Samsung PM991 512GB
Samsung is a brand that makes outstanding SSDs. He PM991 It is the M.2 2230 with the highest capacity that we have been able to locate, and you can find it on Amazon with a bit of luck, although you will not find it in stock at the moment. However, keep this model in mind, as there are several users who have already tried it and confirm that it works correctly on the Steam Deck.
Dell M.2 PCIe NVME Class 35 2230
This Dell unit meets the requirements for the Steam Deck, although not a cheap product. It can be found for a price of around 200 Euros, and its capacity is 512 GB.
View offer on AmazonWestern Digital PC SN530 NVMe SSD
This Western Digital option is available in different capacities ranging from 256 GB to 1 TB. At the moment its availability is quite low, but it is an option to take into account due to its performance and price.
KIOXIA SSD M.2 1TB BG4
Until recently he was single 1TB drive that you could find on Amazon for Steam Deck. However, it has very few reviews - all positive - and its price is also quite high.
View offer on AmazonDogfish SSD 1TB
It may be a little more expensive than other alternatives but without a doubt, add it to Steam Deck 1TB is enough to carefree for a long time and it will allow you to download and install games from the store without thinking about other things. Luckily, there are more and more alternatives of this capacity on the market.
View offer on AmazonThe links to Amazon in this article are part of our agreement with their Affiliate Program. They could report us a small commission for their sale (without this affecting the price you pay). Even so, the decision to publish and add them has been made, as always, freely and under editorial criteria, without attending to requests from the brands involved.