Today at its What's Next event, Western Digital Corp. announced two new additions to its growing WD_BLACK gaming portfolio, the WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD and WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD. Designed to elevate the gaming experience, the expanded portfolio offers players more options to upgrade their PC or console storage. "AMD is delighted with its continued collaboration with Western Digital to deliver exceptional gaming experiences," said Joe Macri, Compute and Graphics CTO and Corporate Fellow at AMD. "As games become more immersive, the expectation for fast, seamless gameplay increases. AMD strives to remove latency between the system, memory and connected devices like Western Digital's SSD gaming solutions with the adoption of the latest PCIe technologies and memory and latency optimizations within AMD CPUs and GPUs. Our combined solutions enable richer visuals, faster load times and more consistent gameplay."

"We're inspired by the unique ways in which players experience their games and are committed to working with the best technology partners, like AMD, to develop solutions that help them break barriers," said Rob Soderbery, executive vice president and GM, Flash Business Unit, Western Digital. "Our diverse WD_BLACK portfolio ensures that gamers are equipped to conquer today's games and prepared for what's next."Living at the intersection of technology and entertainment, the WD_BLACK brand provides innovative, custom-built storage solutions that offer the ultimate in performance and style. The upcoming WD_BLACK gaming portfolio products include:

WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD - Optimized for hardcore gamers looking for unparalleled performance, this powerful internal PCIe Gen4 SSD delivers breakneck read speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s. With minimized latency, predictive loading and adaptive thermals management, gamers can expect an incredible gaming experience with fast load-times, rich visual experience, and uncompromising thermal performance. The downloadable WD_BLACK Dashboard with its new Game Mode 2.0 (Windows only) unlocks PC performance-boosting features so gamers can play, stream, record, and dominate at the top of their game. An optional heatsink (1 TB and 2 TB models) is available to help maintain peak performance and includes RGB lighting to complement any gaming rig.

• Pricing/Availability: The WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD will come in 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB capacities starting at $189.99 (U.S. MSRP). It will be available for purchase at select Western Digital retailers, e-tailers, resellers, system integrators and the Western Digital Store starting July 2022.

WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD - Created for gamers looking for portable storage with both performance and style, the WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD features a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface and blazing read speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s paired with customizable RGB lighting (Windows only). The downloadable WD_BLACK Dashboard gives full control over the LED light display and can be synced with many existing RGB ecosystems for a setup that can be personalized to any gamer's style. With a sleek, compact, and shock-resistant design, it's the perfect option for gaming on the go.

• Pricing/Availability: The WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD will come in 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB capacities starting at $119.99 (U.S. MSRP). It will be available for purchase at select Western Digital retailers, e-tailers, resellers and the Western Digital Store starting Summer 2022.