Sharge Disk Pro 2: Finally a Portable SSD Worth Your Go Bag, If You Bring a Charger
Sharge's Disk Pro 2 Ultra is a USB-C Swiss Army knife that docks, charges, and stores - just keep a battery handy for power-hungry SSDs and Switch 2's picky charger needs.
Sharge, the company behind those adorable retro Mac-shaped chargers and see-through batteries, has finally made a portable SSD we'd actually want to own. The Disk Pro 2 Ultra isn't just a drive; it's a 4K HDMI dock and a USB-C hub, a veritable Swiss Army Knife for your laptop, tablet, phone, Steam Deck, and even the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
This pack-of-playing-cards-sized marvel packs a 4K 144Hz HDMI 2.1 output, a 5Gbps USB-A port, SD and microSD card readers, USB-C passthrough charging, and a slot for up to 8TB of M.2 2280 (or smaller) SSDs. With one cord, we gave a MacBook Pro a second external monitor, four simultaneous storage sources (SSD, USB flash, SD, microSD), and 80W of USB-C PD juice. Plug in an Android or USB-C iPhone, and both see the SSD and show up on an HDMI screen - unlocking 4K60 ProRes video recording on the iPhone, no less.
Sure, it's not the fastest enclosure - our budget 1TB Lexar NM710 hit around 700MB/s on big transfers - but how many docks double as phone magnets and speak Nintendo's language? It even has a built-in fan and runs so low-power that your phone or laptop can power it without a wall wart. That low wattage, though, is where things get tricky.
Sharge sells two models: the Ultra (needs 1.5W bus power) and the Lite (needs 5W, does 4K60 HDMI 2.0 instead of 4K144 HDMI 2.1). The Ultra routes only 3W to an SSD, which caused our Lexar NM710 to draw too much and shut down mid-ProRes on an iPhone 15 Pro or big transfer on a Galaxy S25. The fix? Plug an external battery into the Disk Pro 2 - we recorded over five minutes of 4K60 ProRes with no issues. Also, the Switch 2 needs an 85W+ charger to dock, there's a pause before Nintendo's consoles appear on TV, no VRR with Steam Deck, and occasional monitor blackouts (once a day) when daisy-chaining a hub.
Still, it's a massive improvement over Sharge's earlier drives. The original Disk was a bulky, noisy dongle; the Disk Plus's magnets were a thick stick-on; the first Disk Pro had a recessed power port and buttons that could cut power mid-transfer. The Disk Pro 2 fixes all that: detachable cable, built-in magnets, accessible ports, a fan you can turn off entirely, a switch that doesn't kill the drive, and better airflow. You can bring your own SSD, though toolless swaps would be nicer.
Fan on full blast vs. off? Our 195GB transfer took 4:55 vs. 5:05 - a 10-second difference - but without the fan, the metal sides got burning hot. The Disk Pro 2 Ultra is $75 on Kickstarter, $89 retail. Standard Kickstarter caveats apply, but Sharge has a solid shipping track record. It's the first drive from them we'd happily toss in a go bag.
The Good Times
News in your inbox.
One sardonic roundup, delivered on your schedule. Free. Unsubscribe whenever your tolerance for wit runs out.
Already subscribed but we never reach your inbox? Check your spam folder and hit 'Not spam' (or 'Remove from spam') to bust us out of junk-mail purgatory. You'll be helping everyone else too.
Don't open any of our emails for a month and you'll be automatically removed from the mailing list.
Rewrite Article
Select parts to regenerate with a fresh AI pass. Translations will be updated automatically.
Generate AI Image
Creates a sardonic version of the article image using OpenAI.