Looking to upgrade the internal storage of your ASUS ROG Ally or Steam Deck? Amazon currently has the Corsair MP600 CORE Mini 2TB M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe x4 Gen4 Solid State Drive (SSD) for only $169.99, a 33% markdown off MSRP. That’s the best price we’ve seen for a 2TB 2230 SSD from a brand we’ve actually heard of. The installation isn’t as simple as an SSD upgrade in your PS5 console – but just as worth it – so read on to see if you’re willing to take on the (modest) challenge.
Corsair MP600 Core Mini 2TB SSD for Steam Deck or ROG Ally for $169.99
Both the ASUS ROG Ally and the Steam Deck utilize a smaller SSD than the standard M.2 2280 SSD that you might find in a gaming PC or a PlayStation 5 console. This smaller format (M.2 2230) is generally pricier and installation requires more finesse. Note also that unlike with the PS5 or Xbox, you’re actually replacing the stock drive instead of adding a second one. That means you’ll also have to reinstall the operating system, software, and drivers. Of the two, the ASUS ROG Ally is definitely more install-friendly than the Steam Deck. In fact, there’s an official ASUS ROG Ally SSD swap guide as well as a link to a video that goes through both the physical and software installation. If that’s not enough, there’s also an official Corsair SSD swap guide. The Steam Deck unfortunately doesn’t have an official guide. It’s more involving and a tad riskier, so we’d recommend using an in-depth 3rd party guide like the one from IFIXIT for the physical SSD installation and the Steam Deck software recovery page to reinstall the software.
Note that both the ASUS ROG Ally and Steam Deck officially state that modifying components on your own will void the warranty. Technically, there is no “warranty if void” sticker present anywhere in either console, so as long as you don’t damage anything you should be fine. If you ever have to send the console back in for warranty service though, you should probably swap the original SSD back in.
Unlike the PS5 or Xbox Series X, we wouldn’t recommend just anybody go ahead and upgrade the SSD. You need a bit more know-how, tools, and bravado to get the install done right. We’ve done these upgrades ourselves and they’re not difficult (especially compared to changing out Joy-Con shells). The end result is worth it; even with the max 512GB capacity on either handheld, it’s way too easy to run out of space.
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