All is definitely not quiet on the PC gaming storage front, as Corsair has just announced that it's added two new drives to its Gen 5 PCIe NVMe M.2 lineup.
In an effort to give the best SSDs for gaming on the market a run for their money, the brand has launched the MP700 Pro XT and the MP700 Micro, two new NVME M.2 SSDs that offer something for both desktop PC players and "thin-and-light devices" like laptops and handheld PC gaming devices.
The MP700 Pro XT features sequential read and write speeds up to 14,900MB/s and 14,500MB/s, which is pretty fast even as far as modern Gen 5 drives go. To put that into perspective, the Samsung 9100 Pro, which our team's own Duncan Robertson reviewed, has on the box sequential read and write speeds of 14,800MB/s and 13,400MB/s, which it just came shy of during testing. However, Duncan still dubbed it "the fastest drive we’ve ever tested" at the time, so it'll be intriguing to see how the MP700 Pro XT stacks up to the fellow Gen 5 drive.
Corsair boasts that this new SSD is not only speedy but has support for Microsoft DirectStorage, so it can offer up "unbeatable gaming speed" and enable better load times and smoother in-game transitions. It's currently available in 1TB and 2TB models starting from $159.99 at Corsair, with more capacity options to become available during 2026.
If you're more privy to one of the best gaming laptops, or have the skill to open up and upgrade one of the best gaming handhelds, the newly announced Corsair MP700 Micro might be more your style. The compact M.2 drive with its 2242 form factor is thin enough to fit laptops and notebooks, as well as "dense small-form-factor systems", which I imagine is alluding to PC gaming handhelds, but Corsair doesn't get into specifics.
This tiny drive features sequential read and write speeds of up to 10,000MB/s and 8,500MB/s and is equipped is powered by 3D TLC NAND flash memory. Corsair states is available in both 2TB and 4TB models, but so far, only the 4TB version is live for $484.99 at Corsair right now.
The Corsair MP700 Pro XT and the Corsair MP700 Micro are available right now from the official Corsair website. However, before you run out and splash your cash on either SSD, be sure to check that you have a compatible rig first.
- View all SSDs and storage at Corsair
- Crucial T710 2TB Gen5 NVMe SSD | $229.99 at Amazon
If you're after a bit of a storage boost, our guide to the best SSDs for gaming is full of the best PS5 SSDs, or you can check out the best Xbox Series X hard drive, SSD, and memory card solutions if you're on the hunt for a new external drive instead.
