BiWin Released Compact CL 100 Mini NVMe SSD
The 15 x 17 mm drive enables high-speed storage expansion for handheld gaming consoles like the OneXPlayer.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Computers
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BiWin has launched the CL 100 Mini, a compact NVMe SSD measuring 15 x 17 mm that provides portable gaming devices with storage speeds significantly faster than traditional microSD cards. The drive is now commercially available in capacities ranging from 512 GB to 2 TB.
Why it matters
Portable consoles often rely on slower removable storage, but this drive utilizes a PCIe 4.0 interface to bring desktop-class throughput to handheld form factors. It offers a standardized hardware expansion path for devices with limited onboard space.
The CL 100 Mini utilizes the Silicon Motion SM2268XT2 controller and supports the NVMe 1.4 protocol to reach 3,700 MB/s read speeds. While the drive matches high-performance standards, using the dedicated USB-C reader restricts throughput to 3,000 MB/s.
The players
BiWin
A manufacturer specializing in flash storage solutions and memory modules for industrial and consumer hardware.
Silicon Motion
A designer of NAND flash controllers that provide the data management logic for high-performance solid-state drives.
The details
The drive integrates into handheld devices via a proprietary slot, functioning similarly to an SD card for physical installation. It operates on the PCIe 4.0 interface, a standard for high-speed data communication between a device's processor and storage media. For external use, the system includes a dedicated USB-C mini-SSD reader that converts the internal drive into a portable storage module.
Timeline
The unit was first spotted earlier in 2026.
The drive was released on October 2, 2026.
The Tech Race
Handheld console manufacturers are increasingly moving away from the bottleneck of microSD storage toward dedicated PCIe-based slots. This transition challenges the dominance of traditional flash cards by offering performance levels required for modern, high-fidelity gaming assets.
Gamers can purchase the 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB models through retailers like Amazon, with pricing set at 139.99€, 259.99€, and 699.99€ respectively. The drive is currently verified for compatibility with OneXPlayer and GPD Win5 consoles.
The takeaway
The CL 100 Mini represents a maturing of the handheld gaming ecosystem as performance-oriented storage becomes a modular standard. Users looking to upgrade should verify the specific physical slot availability on their device model before purchase.
Further reading
For more on evolving hardware standards, visit our Computers section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Tom's Hardware.
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