I love my Steam Deck, but I hate managing its pitiful storage size for games — with this 2TB SSD, however, I won't have to manage it again for months

A hand delicately holds a WD_BLACK SN770M SSD against a blurred background. The focus is on the compact, rectangular storage device, conveying precision and technology. — The WD_Black SN770M SSD in hand. (Image credit: Western Digital)

The WD_Black SN770M SSD in hand. (Image credit: Western Digital)

Over the past few months, I've been slowly getting into handheld gaming, so I can play games while using my exercise bike to lose weight at the same time. But my goodness, its default 512GB internal SSD isn't good enough to contain many AAA games these days.

Thankfully, the WD_Black SN770M 2TB SSD is now on sale for $349.99 at Best Buy. With this SSD giving my Steam Deck more install space, I'll avoid the tedious task of deleting and reinstalling games for many months to come.

Why buy the WD_Black SN770M SSD?

ROG Ally CrystalDiskMark benchmarks with WD_Black SN770M SSD — WD_Black SN770M's Read and Write speeds puts the original ASUS ROG Ally's to shame. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Having 2TB's worth of install space isn't the only thing that makes the WD_Black SN770M SSD one of the best SSDs for gaming handhelds.

It also features massive read speeds of 5150 MB/s and write speeds of 4850 MB/s, which will significantly speed up your gaming handheld's boot times, game load times, file transfers, update installs, and more, with little to no lag.

Additionally, the WD_Black SN770M SSD is easy to install onto a gaming handheld, and it's less prone to overheating when inserted into an ASUS ROG Ally like microSD cards are.

If you've never tinkered with a gaming handheld before and you're scared of breaking it, don't worry, we have guides on upgrading SSDs on the Steam Deck and upgrading SSDs on the ASUS ROG Ally to help you out.

A hand holds a small WD_BLACK SN770M SSD in focus, while a white handheld gaming console with colorful buttons is blurred in the background. — The WD_Black SN770M is perfect for gaming handhelds. (Image credit: Windows Central (Rebecca Spear) | Western Digital)

The only thing holding this SSD back from being perfect (aside from not having 4TB and 8TB models) is its steep MSRP, which can range from $429.99 to $700.99 depending on the retailer.

However, with this $349.99 at Best Buy for the WD_Black SN770M SSD's 2TB model, you will avoid having to pay these ludicrous prices and enjoy installing dozens of AAA games onto your Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally without micromanaging storage space.

FAQ

What gaming handhelds can it be used for?

The WD_Black SN770M SSD is designed to be used on Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally (both Z1 and Z1 Extreme versions), Xbox Ally, and Xbox Ally X.

What is its warranty?

WD_Black SN770M SSDs come with a five-year warranty.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran with over 35 years of experience who primarily covers Xbox and PC gaming news and spotlights discounts on the best laptops, peripherals, and other electronics. He's also a diehard fan of JRPGs, action games, beat em’ ups, and Capcom’s Monster Hunter series