An easy new hack was spotted that allowed users to add a 42mm SSD into a 30mm M.2 SSD slot. The mod allows owners to make the most out of the tiny portable console.
Modder Adds Larger M.2 SSDs to Steam Deck
According to the story by PC World, the relatively tiny portable gaming PC comes with some hardware limitations of its own. Modders, however, were quick to bypass these limitations by providing workarounds.
A Twitter user with the account name Belly Jelly was able to rearrange the insiders of their Steam Deck in order to fit a longer M.2 storage drive. This meant that they were able to add more capacity to the small portable console.
The pcb appears to work fairly well for adapting a 2242 m2 to the steam deck, it doesn't collide with anything on the motherboard or put any extra strain on any cables. However, it does make the heat spreader bow a tiny bit. The back plate reassembled without issue. pic.twitter.com/4j4LVbS0NG
— Belly Jelly 🎸 (@TheSmcelrea) June 21, 2022
Steam Deck Default 2230 M.2 SSDs are Just 30mm Long
By default, the Steam Deck is only capable of supporting a 2230 M.2 drive which has a size of just 30mm long. This is the shortest standard size for any M.2 format and places a limit on the amount of storage it is capable of handling.
The largest 2230 drive available on the market is only capable of handling 2TB, but with the Steam Deck, players are often limited to the common 512GB storage. To add, consumer SSDs that use the standard 2230 size are often hard to find.
30-42mm Bracket Extension Used to Add New M.2 SSD
The news was spotted by HotHardware, which noted that Belly Jelly decided that they wanted to use a faster KingSpec drive in the 2242 form factor. This meant using an SSD that was 12 meters longer.
In order to achieve this, they had to buy an obscure 30-to-42mm bracket extension that is known to move "the retention screw a skosh further up the motherboard, and moved a thermal pad underneath the SSD slot on the Steam Deck."
Modder was Able to Fit a Slightly Longer Drive
This move was necessary for the modder to be able to fit in the slightly longer drive. The modder notes that the new drive bows out the "built-in heat spreader" a little bit. This could be due to the extra millimeter or two of height that had to be added by the retention screw adapter.
The M.2 drive, however, isn't intersecting with anything on the motherboard, which in turn won't disrupt the Steam Deck's functions. After modding, the body was then reassembled, and the SteamOS was installed.
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New Mod Resulted in Steam Deck Capable of Handling Slightly Larger M.2 SSDs
In the end, the hacking process resulted in a clean and successful operation with no visible changes seen in the Steam Deck device after modding it with the capacity to handle slightly larger M.2 SSDs.
The article by PC World notes that it isn't surprising that there are mods for the Steam Deck since it was designed to appeal directly to PC gamers.
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Written by Urian B.
