Computer accessories maker Jsaux has released its new HB0604 docking station for the Steam Deck that comes with a built-in 2280-sized M.2 slot for NVMe SSDs. This cool invention is a workaround for the Steam Deck's non-upgradable SSD limitations that allows users to connect a full-sized M.2 drive with the Deck's USB Type-C port. The dock also has an HDMI 2.0 port that supports up to a 4K output at 60Hz, or 2K at 120Hz.
The dock is a full 6-in-1 docking station that can feed power, storage, USB, and display data to the Deck via a single USB Type-C connection. I/O connectivity includes two USB 3.1 ports, a single Type-C port with 100W charging capabilities, an HDMI 2.0 port supporting up to 4K at 60Hz, and an ethernet port for wired internet connectivity.
Drive accessibility is the only limitation of this combo. For obvious reasons, you can't access the M.2 drive without using the dock. But this problem shouldn't be a big deal for gamers who regularly connect the Deck to an external monitor or TV.
Another perk of the Type-C dock is that any number of Type-C devices can use the docking station, including laptops, other Windows-based gaming handhelds, and even Android smartphones. So naturally, we don't think the Steam Deck will play well at the higher 4K and 2K resolutions supported for the display.
The dock's M.2 slot supports NVMe and SATA but is limited to maximum speeds of 900 MB/s, a limitation of the Type-C connection. Unfortunately, the M.2 slot in the console is only a Gen 3 x4 supported version, but on the flip side, we doubt the Deck would be able to take full advantage of PCIe 4.0 SSD bandwidth.
The only potential issue with the dock is its incredibly high price of $99.99 — and that's without an SSD. With one, such as a 1TB SSD, you're looking at roughly an extra $100 on top of the docking station's price. For an extra $200, you're just $50 short of the top-end 512GB Steam Deck model compared to the $399 64GB baseline variant. Or you could grab a 1TB MicroSD card for $120 and save an additional $80.
As a result, gamers will need to regularly take advantage of the dock's internet or display connectivity for the added cost to be worth it. Valve has already said that gaming performance with the microSD card slot is sufficient, so adding more high-speed SSD performance to the Steam Deck probably won't do much for performance. However, the extra capacity will be appreciated.
