Kingston has launched a new version of its NV3 SSD, and this one is a big deal for anyone using devices like the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, or other handheld gaming PCs. The NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD now comes in the smaller M.2 2230 form factor, which is crucial for upgrading space-limited machines without compromising on speed or thermals.
Despite its tiny 22x30mm footprint, the NV3 2230 packs serious performance. Kingston says it can hit read speeds up to 6,000MB/s and write speeds up to 5,000MB/s depending on the capacity. That’s not far off from what you’d expect in a full-sized desktop SSD. The drive uses a Gen4 x4 NVMe interface and 3D NAND, so you’re not getting some cut-down budget option here.
Until now, Kingston’s NV3 was only available in the common 2280 size, which won’t fit into devices like the Steam Deck without modifications. This new 2230 variant gives gamers and mobile users a simple drop-in upgrade path that’s fast, reliable, and backed by a five-year warranty.
Endurance ratings range from 160TBW on the 500GB model up to 640TBW on the 2TB version, which should be more than enough for the average user. And like many Kingston drives, it comes with a one-year Acronis True Image license for disk cloning, plus Kingston’s SSD Manager software for firmware updates and health monitoring.
The drive is already available on Amazon here. The 500GB model is priced at about $54, the 1TB version at $77, and the 2TB variant goes for around $139. At those prices, the NV3 2230 stands out as one of the best values for handheld PC storage upgrades.
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