The hours I’ve spent total playing both my ROG Ally and my Steam Deck is probably up into the hundreds and maybe even thousands. I’ve loved these gaming handhelds ever since I first played them, but they both didn’t have enough internal storage space to conveniently handle the games I wanted them to play. Thankfully, I was able to easily upgrade both my ROG Ally and my Steam Deck with a 2TB SSD and both devices have worked excellently ever since.
Right now, the gaming handheld SSD I used is on a big sale during Amazon Prime Day. The 1TB version is only $109.99 at Best Buy instead of its full $129.99 price. Meanwhile, the 2TB SSD is only $208.99 at Amazon rather than its $239.99 MSRP.
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Why I recommend these gaming handheld SSDs
I’ve personally installed the 2TB WD_BLACK SN770M SSD into both my ROG Ally and Steam Deck. In both cases, the process was relatively simple and didn’t take a lot of time. The best part is that my gaming handhelds now have so much space that I no longer have to frequently rearrange game data to make room for new games. In the past, this was a relatively frustrating thing that I often had to deal with. Since upgrading, both devices have worked beautifully and I’ve had no issues with either SSD.
If you’re interested in upgrading your gaming handheld’s SSD, I made step-by-step guides with pictures for others to follow. If you have a Steam Deck, go to the Steam Deck SSD upgrade section below, otherwise continue further down to the ROG Ally SSD upgrade section.
How to upgrade Steam Deck SSD
Top Steam Deck recommendations
When upgrading your Steam Deck, all you really need is a Phillips head screwdriver and the SSD. Of course, having a few extra things like a plastic case pick to pry the Steam Deck casing apart and tweezers can help make the process go more smoothly. If you want to be extra safe, like I was, you might also want to use a grounding bracelet to prevent any accidental shocks to the open handheld.
During my Steam Deck SSD upgrade, I personally used this inexpensive Valstar Anti-Static Wrist Strap, which sells for $9.99 at Amazon, and this Valstar 17Pc Screwdriver Set (complete with plastic case opener and tweezers), which also sells for $9.99 at Amazon.
It really doesn’t take all that long to upgrade the Steam Deck SSD and you don’t need to be super savvy with electronics in order to do this correctly. Just follow the instructions I laid out and you’ll be able to swap out your old SSD for a better SSD in no time.
Is it easy to upgrade Steam Deck SSD?
Yes. As long as you have the proper tools and are gentle with the system, you can easily upgrade your Steam Deck SSD in roughly 15 minutes.
What is the best SSD to upgrade Steam Deck with?
There are plenty of options, but I personally trust WD_BLACK SN770M the most. This SSD is specifically meant for PC gaming handhelds and comes from Western Digital, which is a trusted storage devices manufacturer.
What capacity SSD should I upgrade my Steam Deck to?
If you tend to play a lot of games on your Steam Deck, then you’ll find a 2TB SSD is very helpful. That said, if you don’t think you need quite that much space, a 1TB SSD can be an efficient upgrade for anyone who currently has a smaller capacity SSD in their Steam Deck.
How to upgrade ROG Ally SSD
Top ROG Ally recommendations
As you probably already know, the Ally only comes with a 512GB SSD and the upcoming ROG Ally X (see my ROG Ally X preview for more info) comes with a 1TB SSD. This being the case, if the primary thing interesting you in the newer ROG Ally X is the increased storage space, then you should consider just upgrading the SSD in your old Ally.
I personally found the 512GB storage space in my Z1 Extreme Ally wasn’t enough, but thankfully, the process of upgrading the SSD on this device only takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes if you have the proper tools.
I actually upgraded the SSD in my ROG Ally months before I did the same to my Steam Deck. As such, I used the same low-cost Valstar 17Pc Screwdriver Set which comes with a plastic guitar-pick-like case opener and tweezers — this set sells for $9.99 at Amazon. I didn’t use it at the time, but if you want to more safely upgrade the ROG Ally, then you might want to use a Valstar Anti-Static Wrist Strap to prevent any accidental shock damage to the handheld, which sells for $9.99 at Amazon.
Is it easy to upgrade ROG Ally SSD?
Yes. In addition to the physical ROG Ally SSD process being relatively straightforward and easy, ASUS has also made it very easy to use cloud recovery on the SSD when the new storage device is in place.
What is the best SSD to upgrade ROG Ally with?
There are several different SSDs that you could use with ROG Ally. The important thing to note is that the ROG Ally has an M.2 2230 SSD slot, so you’ll need to use one of these smaller gaming handheld SSDs. My preferred choice is WD_BLACK SN770M, which comes in either 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB capacities. Western Digital manufactures this SSD and since this is a trusted company, I know I can trust the SSD to work properly.
What capacity SSD should I upgrade my ROG Ally to?
If you just need a bit more room than the 512GB that the ROG Ally comes with then a 1TB SSD will do the trick. However, if you’d prefer the space to be able to locally download several games on your Ally, then a 2TB SSD might be a better option. Meanwhile, if you want to increase storage space in the newer and improved ROG Ally X (which comes with a 1TB SSD), then a 2TB SSD upgrade is a good option.
