Sometimes it is amazing what creators and modifiers can do with the humble Raspberry Pi. However, no one can accuse the small and flexible system on a chip of having ample storage space, as it primarily relies on a microSD card slot.
If you want more storage space than that, you can add a standard M.2 drive with a “HAT” board. But now you don’t need to shop around for it – the official Raspberry Pi store now sells compatible SSD drives and the necessary hardware to use them.
According to an announcement on RaspberryPi.com, you can now get official branded NVMe drives along with an M.2 HAT+ upgrade board in an easy-to-use package. These come in capacities of 256GB and 512GB, both in a very small 2230 size (30mm length) that fits the additional HAT+ board for a Pi 5 device. The drives cost $30 and $45 respectively, and you can add in a HAT+ module for an extra $10.
The drives should be available through Raspberry Pi retail partners soon. Pre-order pages on PiShop.us are available for all four packages at a small additional cost. The smaller drive and package are “available to purchase today,” while the larger drive and package will be shipped by the end of November. If you’re feeling impatient, nothing stops you from buying the HAT+ separately and installing your own 30mm or 42mm drive.
Read more: Amazingly practical Raspberry Pi project ideas
