On Thursday Valve announced its new Steam Deck handheld PC device, which would come in three different SKUs differentiated by their internal storage size and speed. It was said in a widely shared Valve interview shortly after that this internal storage could not be replaced and that users would be able to use a MicroSD slot to expand storage. That may not be entirely true, however, based on new comments reportedly coming from Valve's own Gabe Newell.

Newell, who is well known to respond to emails from time to time, was directly contacted about the Steam Deck's storage solutions. In an initial email, Newell was asked, "Will the SSD in the Steam Deck be user replaceable or is it soldered to [the] mainboard or really difficult to get out?" In response, Newell reportedly said "2230 m.2 slot," implying the Steam Deck will have an accessible M.2 2230 slot allowing users to swap the SSD.

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A follow-up email was reportedly sent asking whether or not the M.2 SSD slot would be included in all SKUs of the Steam Deck. Newell replied to this email, too, stating simply, "yes." In other words, all three Steam Deck SKUs will have an internal M.2 2230 SSD slot allowing for users to replace/expand the game's storage.

There's a big catch, though, or even three big catches. First, the slot is internal, placed behind EMI and thermal shielding, and replacing it is "unsupported" and could potentially void a user's warranty. That's reported to have been confirmed via Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais on Discord, though it hasn't been verified. Replacing/upgrading the Steam Deck's internal storage is possible, but is only going to be a good choice for those experienced with PC alterations.

The second big catch is that M.2 2230 SSDs aren't actually very easy to come by. In fact, they're capped at 512GB, which can cost around $300. 128GB options, however, can be found on Amazon for around $15-$20, but Steam Deck buyers probably don't want to open their handheld often just to swap 128GB cards out to play different games. It's possible prices will drop for M.2 2230 cards in the near future, of course, but probably not soon enough to change any minds.

As for the third catch, replacing the Steam Deck's internal storage would ultimately require users reinstall SteamOS on the Device. A new storage solution means starting over blank.

That brings the situation back to only being reasonable for advanced users willing to void their warranty in order to make internal alterations to the Steam Deck. For many people, including those interested in homebrew, emulation, or installing Windows on the Steam Deck, they may be able to save some money opting for a $399 Steam Deck and upgrading it. For most people, the better option is to stick with the standard Steam Deck storage solutions from out of the box.

Valve's Steam Deck releases December 2021 with reservations available now.

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