Three SSDs Added to WD_BLACK Gaming Portfolio

At Flash Perspective, Western Digital Corp. unveiled 3 SSDs for its WD_BLACK portfolio of products, providing gamers around the world with fast, performance storage solutions to upgrade their PC and next-gen console gaming experience.

“Our WD_BLACK brand delivers a clear and simple promise to gamers – fast and reliable storage that enhances their gameplay,” said Rob Soderbery, EVP and GM, flash business. “With today’s new products, the WD_BLACK portfolio has diverse flash-powered solutions so that every gamer – whether they’re just starting out or more advanced – can explore the rich worlds of today’s most inventive games.”

“Over the past few years, the graphics and fidelity of immersive game worlds have become more intense, and flash technology has become critical to enhancing the gaming experience. Gamers not only need more storage, they need speed for quick access so they can instantly step into these rich game worlds and experience games the way they’re meant to be played,” said Geoff Keighley, industry veteran and host, The Game Awards who spoke at event.

Living at the intersection of technology and entertainment, the WD_BLACK brand delivers storage solutions customized for the gamer.

WD_BLACK gaming portfolio products include:

• WD_BLACK SN750 SE NVMe SSD – This SSD lets enthusiast gamers level up their PC or laptop gaming experience with PCIe Gen4 technology ⁽⁴⁾ and space for more games. This DRAM-less internal storage solution leverages PCIe Gen4 technology (backward compatible with PCIe Gen3) to deliver read speeds of up to 3,600MB/s. ⁽⁵⁾ With up to 30% less power consumption than its predecessor, ⁽⁶⁾ laptop gamers can expect longer playtimes between charges. The included WD_BLACK Dashboard monitors the drive’s health while optimizing peak performance in gaming mode even during streaming.

  • • Pricing/availability: The SN750 SE NVMe SSD comes in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacities ⁽⁷⁾ starting at $54.99 (MSRP) in the United States. It is available for pre-order from the company’s webstore and will be available at select firm’s retailers, e-tailers, resellers and system integrators in Summer 2021.

• WD_BLACK D30 game drive SSD – For console gamers looking to minimize game load times and get into the game fast, this sleek and compact performance SSD comes with read speeds up to 900MB/s. ⁽⁵⁾ Gamers can spend more time playing games and less time deleting them with expanded storage for up to 50 games ⁽⁸⁾ with capacities up to 2TB. ⁽⁷⁾ Designed to complement next-gen consoles, the drive has a detachable stand for placement next to a system.

  • • Pricing/availability: The WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive SSD comes in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities ⁽⁷⁾ starting at $89.99 (MSRP) in the United States. It is available for purchase at select company’s retailers, e-tailers, resellers, system integrators and the firm’s webstore.

• WD_BLACK D30 game drive SSD for Xbox – Built to complement the Xbox console gaming experience, this officially-licensed version of the WD_BLACK D30 game drive SSD offers accelerated speeds and capacity packaged in a compact Xbox-inspired design. Gamers can plug in their drive and begin building their game library or making room on their console for new titles, while also being able to play legacy Xbox One favorites directly from the drive. ⁽²⁾ Included with purchase is a 1-month membership of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with access to 100+ games on consoles and PC, plus online console multiplayer. ⁽³⁾

  • • Pricing/availability: The WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive SSD for Xbox comes in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB ⁽⁷⁾ capacities starting at $99.99 (MSRP) in the United States. It is available for pre-order from the company’s webtore and will be available at select retailers, e-tailers, resellers, system integrators in June 2021.

⁽¹⁾ Compatible with PlayStation 5 to play and store PS4 games; archive PS5 games. PS5 games archived to drive must be transferred to console before playing.
⁽²⁾ Play and store Xbox One games; archive Xbox Series X|S games. Xbox Series X|S games archived to drive must be transferred to console before playing. If game was purchased and loaded from disc, original discs may be required to verify ownership. Internet connection and a Xbox live account required.
⁽³⁾ 1-month trial offer of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for new Xbox Game Pass members only. Limit: 1 per person/account. Available for a limited time. See product packaging for full details.
⁽⁴⁾ PCIe Gen4 storage technology requires a compatible motherboard. WD_BLACK SN750 SE is backwards compatible with PCIe Gen3.
⁽⁵⁾ As used for transfer rate, 1MB/s = one million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.
⁽⁶⁾ As compared to WD_BLACK SN750 NVMe SSD ,ng MobileMark 2018 Average Active Power test.
⁽⁷⁾ As used for storage capacity, 1GB = one billion bytes and 1TB = one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.
⁽⁸⁾ Number of games based on a 36GB average per game. The number of games will vary based on file size, formatting, other programs, and factors.