Sandisk has just launched a pair of Pokémon-themed solid state storage products for anyone who’s gotta catch ’em all, as the lucrative Pokémon franchise celebrates its 30th birthday. The two new drives feature purple psychic Pokémon Mew and Mewtwo, and hook up via USB.
The flagship model is the Mewtwo drive, based on the Sandisk Portable SSD. It connects to your PC using a 10Gb USB 3.2 Gen2 interface, with Sandisk claiming it can read at up to 1,000MB/s. That may be a fair way behind the 14,900MB/s speeds you can get from a top-end Sandisk Optimus SSD, but it’s still nearly twice as fast as a 2.5in SATA drive, and plenty fast enough for portable storage. It could also offer a handy way to expand the storage of your laptop if it has a soldered SSD, such as Apple’s latest Macbook designs.
Sandisk says the Sandisk Pokémon Portable SSD Mewtwo Edition is designed to withstand a 2m drop if you’re out and about, and is available in 500GB and 1TB capacities. Given escalating NAND prices, not to mention a small premium for the Pokémon branding, it’s not cheap, though. Amazon currently wants $229.99 for the 1TB version.
Sandisk Pokémon Portable SSD, Mewtwo Edition 1TB
$229.99
“Transforms everyday storage into a functional collectible that lets fans carry a piece of Pokémon wherever their next adventure takes them.“ – Sandisk.
Meanwhile, the humble Pokémon from which Mewtwo was cloned, Mew, makes an appearance on an accompanying USB-C flash drive. Sandisk says the dinky drive is “influenced by the lightness and finesse of Mew,” and is equipped with up to 128GB of flash memory you can stick in your pocket. Amazon currently lists a 128GB Mew drive for $32.99.
Sandisk says that the new range “transforms everyday storage into a functional collectible that lets fans carry a piece of Pokémon wherever their next adventure takes them.”
As for why the storage firm picked Mew and Mewtwo, Susan Park, VP of consumer product management at Sandisk, described the pair of Pokémon as “iconic and powerful,” adding that they’re “among the most beloved and instantly recognizable Pokémon. By combining the enduring appeal of these two Pokémon with Sandisk’s proven performance and reliability, we’re giving fans new ways to carry the moments, memories, and creations that matter most.”
If you’re looking for a storage upgrade, check out our full guide to the best SSDs on the market today, where we share our top recommendations.
