Maximizing storage for your Steam Deck or ROG Ally is, frankly, essential. While the built-in SSD handles most games well, few will truly push it to its limits, meaning a good micro SD card is often your best bet. Enter one of the year’s standout deals for Steam Deck owners.
The TeamGroup 1TB A2 Pro Plus micro SD card is currently down to $59.99 on Amazon—a sharper offer than the recent Lexar Play 1TB at $66.49. At this price, it’s hard not to jump on the opportunity. Plus, if you don’t need something quite as big, the 512GB version is also discounted and down to $33.99 today as well.
With 1TB microSD cards typically ranging from $80 to $120, this is an excellent deal that’s hard to pass up. I can also personally vouch for this card’s quality, as I’ve used it myself and have been impressed by its performance since purchasing.
Another solid option is the Samsung EVO Select microSD, a favorite of ours, though it’s priced $20 higher at $79.99. While it’s still a good deal, dropping from its $110 list price, it still doesn’t quite match the affordability of the TeamGroup offer at just $60.
Unfortunately, there isn’t any deals quite as good for those in the UK right now, but the Amazon Basics 512GB is still excellent value for money and worth considering at just £34.99.
If you’re still on the fence on micro SDs, have no fear, we’ve still got you covered. For those preferring an internal upgrade, the Corsair MP600 CORE Mini 2TB SSD is your best bet, now down to $129.99 on Amazon—a sharp drop from its $259.99 list price. This even betters the price of a recent, and excellent Prime Day deal. For the UK, your best bet is this WD_BLACK SN770M 2TB for £129.99, down from £183.99.
While we generally lean toward the safer, simpler micro SD route over the DIY risks of an SSD swap, this remains the top internal storage option at the best price, if that’s the path you’re set on. Plus, according to trusted price tracker CamelCamelCamel, $130 is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the 2TB Corsair MP600 CORE Mini.
Is There a Performance Difference Between Installing Games on a MicroSD Card and the Steam Deck’s SSD?
For most games, the primary difference is in load times; performance, like framerates, remains largely unaffected when using a microSD card. However, some games that leverage the high speeds of SSDs—such as Cyberpunk 2077 with its open-world streaming and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart with its dimension-hopping sequences—may experience slight delays when loading scenes from a microSD card. These delays are nearly imperceptible when using an SSD.
That said, these examples are quite rare. A notable exception is Starfield, which demands an SSD even on high-end desktops. Since it doesn’t perform well on the Steam Deck’s hardware regardless, storage speed is less of an issue. The majority of your game library should run perfectly fine from a microSD card.