Biwin’s new CL100 looks like a memory card, but it performs like a PS5. Here is why your next handheld might need one.
By The Storage Team
EasyDriveCompare.com
At first glance, it looks exactly like the microSD card inside your Nintendo Switch. But if you try to slot it in, it won't work.
That's because this isn't a memory card. It's a full-blown NVMe SSD.
Meet the Biwin CL100 Mini SSD. It marks a shift in portable storage that could change how we upgrade Steam Decks and ROG Allys forever.
The Biwin CL100 (and its manufacturer sibling, the BL100) uses the PCIe 4.0 x2 interface with the NVMe 1.4 protocol.
In plain English: it uses the same technology as the lightning-fast drive inside your PC or console, but shrinks it down to a chip measuring just 11mm x 13mm.
Unlike a standard card that you push to click, this drive sits in a modular tray—similar to a SIM card tray on a smartphone. You could swap out your device's main drive with a pin, no screwdriver required.
Why does this matter? The numbers tell the story.
| Drive Type | Max Speed |
|---|---|
| Standard MicroSD (UHS-I) | ~100-190 MB/s |
| Biwin Mini SSD | 3,700 MB/s |
The Biwin drive is roughly 18 to 20 times faster than the "high speed" SanDisk Extreme card you likely use today. For gaming, that is the difference between a 40-second load screen and a 2-second one.
You cannot force this into your Steam Deck LCD or OLED today. The pins don't match.
This tech is built for next-generation devices. Rumors suggest upcoming handhelds (like a potential Steam Deck 2 or Lenovo Legion Go 2) might adopt this "Mini SSD" standard.
Imagine buying a cheaper 512GB handheld and upgrading it to 2TB in five seconds just by popping a tray. No prying open the plastic shell. No voiding warranties.
Storage has always forced us to choose: Slow & Swappable (MicroSD) or Fast & Locked (Internal SSD).
Biwin just broke that rule. The CL100 offers internal-drive speed with memory-card convenience. If device makers get on board, running out of space on the go effectively becomes a solved problem.
You might not be able to use the Biwin yet, but you can still upgrade your Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or PS5 today with a standard NVMe drive.
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