Tiny, removable “mini SSD” could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds – Ars Technica




Tiny, removable “mini SSD” could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds - Ars Technica

🔍 Summary:

As video game sizes continue to increase, the demand for fast, removable storage solutions is becoming more pressing. Nintendo has adopted the microSD Express standard for its new Switch 2 console to meet the need for quicker load times and larger storage capacities. This standard, introduced in 2019, offers speeds comparable to internal SSDs, essential for running more advanced games that are also developed for other high-performance consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X.

In response to this growing demand, Chinese company Biwin has developed an even faster storage solution called the “Mini SSD.” This tiny card, measuring just 15 by 17 mm, boasts impressive read speeds of up to 3,700MB per second through a two-lane PCI Express 4.0 interface. Although not a formally ratified standard, the Mini SSD aims to provide portable gaming systems with SSD-like speeds in a compact, easily upgradeable format. It is currently supported by new Chinese-made gaming portables and offers capacities ranging from 500GB to 2TB.

The need for such technology is underscored by the increasing file sizes of modern video games, which have been growing by an average of 6.3GB per year from 2012 to 2023. This increase is driven not only by enhanced graphics and higher-resolution textures required for 4K displays but also by extensive audio files and multiple language support, as seen in games like The Last of Us Part 1 and Cyberpunk 2077. The latter’s Mac version, for instance, takes up 159GB on Apple’s App Store due to the inclusion of all language voiceovers, highlighting the significant storage demands of current gaming content.

This trend underscores the critical need for new storage solutions that can accommodate the rapidly expanding size of games without necessitating complex hardware modifications. Whether solutions like Biwin’s Mini SSD or new iterations of microSD Express will become standard remains to be seen, but the need for such advancements in storage technology is clear.

📌 Source: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/tiny-removable-mini-ssd-could-eventually-be-a-big-deal-for-gaming-handhelds/

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