Verbatim Launches Write Once SSD in Japan

Every once in a while, a really odd product pops up and Verbatim’s new write once SSD is such a product at first glance. The product is called SWOVA128G and the model name gives away that it’s a 128 GB drive. As it’s an external drive, it connects via USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, which is technically a regular old USB 3.0 port. Considering the read speed is a mere 540 MB/s this isn’t going to hamper the performance. The write speed is a mere 180 MB/s, although don’t expect to be storing data to this SSD using just any device, as Verbatim requires a full-fat version of Windows 10 or 11 running on an x86/x64 based CPU, with Microsoft’s.NET Framework 4.8 or later installed.

Verbatim provides a custom piece of software for writing data to the SSD, although the company hasn’t provided any screenshots of said software, so it’s unclear as to what it looks like. The idea behind the SWOVA128G is for it to be used in place of optical media in situations where copies of data have to be made, but where it can’t be changed at a later point in time. According to Verbatim this includes things like company ledgers and electronic bookkeeping, backup and offline storage of confidential data and for things like disc images. Once the data has been stored on the SSD, it can be read by any device that supports exFAT. Although Verbatim provides a 10 year warranty, they don’t guarantee the data retention. The company didn’t release any pricing.