The ULTIMATE Steam Deck SSD Upgrade Guide! (2023)

This is a step by step beginner's guide on how to upgrade your Steam Deck's SSD.
Everything you need to know on how to upgrade Steam Deck storage. I'll show you how to safely remove your old eMMC drive and install a new NVME SSD for improved performance and storage capacity.

In this video, I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about upgrading your Steam Deck SSD, including cloning your old SSD, installing the new SSD and, if needed, reimaging SteamOS!

I'll be upgrading my 64GB Steam Deck's eMMC 2230 SSD to a 2TB NVME WD SN740, and will share all the tips, tricks and issues I ran into along the way. Upgrading your Steam Deck's SSD is a simple process that can make a big difference in your gaming experience.

This guide will walk you through every step of the upgrade process, from cloning your old SSD to installation and reimaging your new SSD, whether it be 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB or even larger. By the end of this guide, you'll be up and running with the best Steam Deck gaming experience possible!

#steamdeck #ssd #upgrade #steam #steamdeckgameplay #steamgame #valve

What you need:
- Steam Deck (duh!)
- 2230 NVME SSD (see below for options and links)
- USB stick/microSD Card for recovery image (not needed for cloning, but good to have just in case)
- NVME enclosure (not needed for re-imaging)
- Small 0 size Philips head screwdriver
- Guitar pick/credit card/anything thin to pry open the Steam Deck

dd command:
sudo dd if=/dev/nvme0n1 of=/dev/sda oflag=sync bs=128M status=progress

Credit to Davy Chiu for the command and idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQcf1H5w0zw

Rufus: http://www.rufus.ie/
Balena Etcher: https://www.balena.io/etcher

SSDs
Sabrent 1TB 2230
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/40BWcbu
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3KsIOk6

WD SN740
2TB
Scan UK: https://www.scan.co.uk/products/2tb-wd-pc-sn740-m2-2230-pcie-40x4-nvme-ssd-5150mb-s-read-4850mb-s-write-650k-800k-iops-tcg-pyrite-20
AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004873375947.html

1TB
Scan UK: https://www.scan.co.uk/products/1tb-wd-pc-sn740-m2-2230-s3-m-pcie-40x4-nvme-ssd-5150mb-s-read-4900mb-s-write-740k-800k-iops-tcg-pyri
AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004873375947.html

512GB
Scan UK: https://www.scan.co.uk/products/512gb-wd-pc-sn740-m2-22x30-pcie-40x4-nvme-ssd-5000mb-s-read-4000mb-s-write-460k-800k-iops-tcg-pyrite
AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004873375947.html

Accessories
iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Med9Eh
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3McCFKc

Mouse
Logitech G Pro X Superlight
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3nM4HlO
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3KwvtqU

Keyboard
Logitech K400 Plus
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/431DefM
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/40VeAMe

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.


00:00 Intro
00:35 Why upgrade your SSD?
01:56 Video length
02:16 SSD buying options
03:44 Two methods: Cloning and Re-imaging
04:17 SD Card or USB for Recovery Media
05:05 Rufus vs Balena Etcher
05:43 Download Steam Recovery Image
05:56 Download Rufus
06:08 Flash recovery image with Rufus
06:25 Download Balena Etcher
06:36 Flash recovery image with Balena Etcher
06:46 Weird quirk with Balena Etcher
08:07 Stock SSD speed test
08:47 New 2TB SSD and NVME Enclosure Unboxing
09:35 Set sudo password
10:04 Check all attached drives
10:56 dd command and explanation
12:43 Battery storage mode
13:06 Tools and toolkit recommendations
14:08 IMPORTANT: Take out your SD card!
14:35 Unscrewing the back of the Steam Deck
15:21 Trying to open the back
16:40 Finally taking off the back
17:05 Unscrewing and removing the heat shield
17:56 IMPORTANT: Unplugging the battery
18:38 Unscrewing and removing SSD
19:28 Installing new 2TB SSD
19:56 Plugging the battery back in (sort of...)
20:15 LPT: Push the battery connector ALL the way back in!
20:36 Turning Steam Deck on again and checking new SSD
21:25 Reinstalling heat shield
22:02 Reinstalling back cover
22:21 Putting all the screws back in
22:44 Panic: things go wrong
22:58 Taking Steam Deck apart again
23:08 Actually plugging battery connector in properly this time
23:37 Putting Steam Deck back together again
23:48 Success!
24:01 New 2TB SSD speed test
24:23 Congrats, all done with the cloning!
24:58 Re-imaging SteamOS prerequisites
26:04 Reimaging SteamOS via SD Card
26:35 Boot manager
26:52 Booting from SteamOS recovery media
27:06 Starting SteamOS re-image
27:39 Steam Deck SteamOS Setup Wizard
27:49 Inputs not working besides the touchscreen
28:15 Steam Deck SteamOS Setup Wizard Continued
28:27 Installing SteamOS and updating
28:47 Signing in to Steam
29:17 Steam Deck Onboarding
29:38 Checking new 2TB SSD shows up correctly
29:49 Trying to format SD Card
30:06 Force format SD Card
31:11 Formatting SD Card with KDE Partition Manager
31:43 Trying out 512GB SD Card with games installed
32:12 Success!
32:52 Thanks for watching!