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Tiny, removable "mini SSD" could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds

arstechnica.com

11–20 of 111 posts

Re: Tiny, removable "mini SSD" could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds

#11
The Verge reports that a Chinese company called Biwin has developed the "Mini SSD," a 15 by 17 mm-thick card that supports read speeds of up to 3,700MB per second due to a two-lane PCI Express 4.0 interface.

So this is basically a smaller NVMe SSD?

Re: Tiny, removable "mini SSD" could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds

#12
I can see the needed use case for portable devices. But I also get the feeling this shrinking down of physical volume for storage that's going to be generally available for A tier games (like on a steamdeck) is a status quo setting us back to 2010 levels of actual storage available. Again! Just when normal desktop computer SSD were finally rising in actual capacity beyond 2TB. And right when SSD storage is hitting the wall with no more multi-level cell improvements available.

Re: Tiny, removable "mini SSD" could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds

#13

I’m still surprised the steam deck runs so well even with games installed to microSD - I’m not sure how they do it.

The answer is probably that disk read speed just isn't that important for casual applications like games.

We had a lot of great games even when storage was spinning rust.

Re: Tiny, removable "mini SSD" could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds

#14
post #4

No. We have MicroSD Express. We don't need yet another form factor.

The SD and micro SD form factors are not the most robust or reliable. It would be nice to have a next step up form factor. In some ways, that's the motivation for CF Express Type B (and XQD before it), as popularized in digital photography.

Weird how this three day old comment shows up as 52 minutes old right now. What is going on with HN?

Re: Tiny, removable "mini SSD" could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds

#17
We already have this though. SD Express, which allows SD cards to actually protocol switch to one lane PCI-E NVME. It's been part of the spec officially since 2018, and an enhancement slightly later to add more pins to allow a second lane.

And since, underneath, it becomes a standard PCI-E NVME with standard lanes, there is no inherent speed limit from the bus itself, only from the fact that SD cards are tiny and any real controller is going to cook.

Re: Tiny, removable "mini SSD" could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds

#19

We already have this though. SD Express, which allows SD cards to actually protocol switch to one lane PCI-E NVME. It's been part of the spec officially since 2018, and an enhancement slightly later to add more pins to allow a second lane. And since, underneath, it becomes a standard PCI-E NVME with standard lanes, there is no inherent speed limit from the bus itself, only from the fact that SD cards are tiny and any…

Worth mentioning that the Nintendo Switch 2 supports SD Express, so in a few years millions of households will have these cards laying around.

Re: Tiny, removable "mini SSD" could eventually be a big deal for gaming handhelds

#20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The SD and micro SD form factors are not the most robust or reliable. It would be nice to have a next step up form factor. In some ways, that's the motivation for CF Express Type B (and XQD before it), as popularized in digital photography.

Weird how this three day old comment shows up as 52 minutes old right now. What is going on with HN?

It's called the "second chance pool" for articles.
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