This pocket-sized PS5 SSD is stopping my Steam Deck rival from collapsing

Earlier this year, I upgraded my Asus ROG Ally Z1e’s storage by installing a 2TB internal SSD. “That should be enough,” I thought at the time. Well, like anyone with a large Steam Deck or Epic Games Store library, I can’t stop downloading games. It’s nice to have options while I’m travelling or staying away from home, after all. Thankfully, I don’t need to mess around and gut my console again, because SanDisk has a quick fix.

There’s a lot of debate around portable gaming consoles, and whether the more desktop-aligned nature of the Windows handhelds is a detriment. For me, I like the flexibility of what Windows offers in terms of compatibility with games, and using it as a ‘home away from home’ device. I can work anywhere with it, and it nukes the need to bring a laptop with me, freeing up valuable backpack space. Lately, I’ve been relying on the SanDisk Extreme 1TB SSD, a portable means of storage that is smaller than my Nothing Phone (3a) Pro or the best iPhones.

I reported on this SSD earlier this year, while I was already using the Fortnite Peely variant. It’s unintrusive, sits in my carry case or my pocket with ease, and most of all, is rapid speed-wise. SanDisk’s new PS5 variant of this SSD is primarily meant for Sony’s flagship console, letting you store PlayStation 5 games externally. While you can’t play them directly off the drive this way, sadly, you can do this with PlayStation games that are on Steam.

Whether it’s Ghost of Tsushima or Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, SanDisk’s SSD can keep up and play Steam Deck games without a hitch. I’ve used external storage solutions before and encountered hiccups like stutters or complete crashes simply because the SSD couldn’t keep up the pace. That’s not an issue here. With up to 1,000 MB/s in read speed alone, dialling in with my squad on FPS games such as The Finals is a painless experience, and lighter on ROG Ally’s internal SSD. However, one of the best uses, for me at least, is revisiting games beyond my usual libraries.

We all like to play the action games or RPGs of old, don’t we? Well, keeping my roster of PlayStation 2 and PSP games, which I own, is a considerable wedge of my Asus ROG Ally‘s WD Black SN770M SSD. Now, anytime I feel the itch to jump back into The Simpsons: Hit & Run, Tony Hawk’s Underground, or The Matrix: Path of Neo, I simply plug in this nifty little thing, and it’s all raring to go.

Because I let my intrusive thoughts win, I did a small test on the 3-meter drop protection SanDisk advertises before I loaded anything onto the SSD. How best to do this? Throw it out of my home office window. I did just that, and despite landing in the bed of stones, and not the grass outside of the empty flat below me, it lived to tell the tale. Here’s a very scientific video of the test below.

I’m not quite brave enough to submerge it in water, but it does come with an IP65 rating, so any rogue spills in your bag or on your desk shouldn’t completely obliterate it. I recognize that having this protruding from the back of your handheld PC isn’t an attractive prospect. However, the short USB-C cable does keep it dangling safely behind the rear of my ROG Ally if I play away from my JSAUX 6-in-1 docking station.

Needless to say, I’m impressed with what SanDisk is offering here. The smaller form factor is excellent, and the sturdy build quality gives me confidence it’ll last. Although, should something happen, it does come with a five-year guarantee. SanDisk’s Extreme Portable SSD is available for $129.99/£106.99 and $199.99/£158.99 for the 1 TB and 2 TB models. Let me know if you decide to throw it.

For more of the latest mobile hardware and gaming news, follow us on Google News to stay in the loop. Or, if you’re more of a console gamer, check out our Nintendo Switch 2 review.