Some players would want to try out a shortcut by purchasing the cheaper Steam Deck and trying to upgrade the storage capacity manually, but the question remains if it is possible and also if it is worth the hassle. In this guide, we will explore how to upgrade Steam Deck SSD and its possibilities.
How to Upgrade Steam Deck SSD
Different storage capacities of the Steam Deck will influence the price of the console, so is it a good idea to buy the 64GB Steam Deck and upgrade its storage slot? Here we will see all that and more.
The short answer is yes, it is possible to change the SSD to a higher storage capacity, but there are some shortcomings. First, you will have to keep in mind the dimensions of the SSD are different than what is available on the market. You will need a 2230 SSD to make it fit in the Steam Deck. Next is to find the right capacity, with only 128GB and 256GB widely available. If you are aiming for something higher, then the price factor will play in, since anything above that will cost you a lot of money. After all, this, if you still wish to change the SSD, you will have to be careful with the way it will run on your Steam Deck. You will have to install this manually, so it can cause issues with your hardware if you are not careful. Also, installing the OS again from scratch will require a lot of time and effort since everything will be wiped out.
If you still wish to continue with changing the storage for your Steam Deck, then you can refer to the steps below.
You will first need a proper setup before you can start taking apart your Steam Deck. You should have a working Type C USB drive that is compatible with your Steam Deck and PC, Steam OS 3.0 downloaded on your PC, your preferred SSD, and a system program called Rufus.
- Plugin your Steam Deck with the USB drive.
- Open Rufus and select Steam OS 3.0 and flash drive device. Click Start
- Once that is done, you can now manually work on your SSD
- Unscrew the back and dislodge the cover gently
- Next, unscrew the components next to the cooling fan. One of the screws is sealed so you will have to poke a hole in it to get to the screw.
- Unplug the battery from the connector found at the bottom right of the heating deck. On the bottom left is where the SSD will be. Place your new SSD in the slot and then plug in your battery.
- Screw back the covers to how they used to be.
Now all that is left is to install the OS. Since the Steam Deck is still connected to Rufus, you can make quick work of the installation.
- Hold down the Volume Down + Power Button for a few seconds. You should hear a beep.
- Release the buttons after the beep and wait.
- For boot drive selection, select the USB drive that you had put in
- Your Steam Deck will still be on but the screen will be black.
- Once on the desktop, click on the option for Reimage Steam Deck or Reinstall Steam OS.
- After installation, it will ask for a reboot. Accept it and let the Steam Deck do a clean restart.
- You can now unplug the Steam Deck from the USB
Check whether the new SSD storage has taken effect, and if it doesn’t, just restart the console again to make it work.
