The wait is over for those eagerly anticipating the arrival of Thunderbolt 5 SSDs. Following the introduction of the first Thunderbolt 5 cables in July and the first Thunderbolt 5 dock in September, companies like Seagate, OWC, and Sabrent have finally started shipping their high-speed storage solutions. At CES 2025, Seagate unveiled its LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5, which will be available in 2TB and 4TB capacities, offering read and write speeds of 6,700MB/s and 5,300MB/s, respectively.

The LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 is designed to be rugged and durable, featuring a rubber enclosure available in blue, black, and orange color options. It can withstand drops from heights of up to three meters and is waterproof with an IP68 rating, making it suitable for use in harsh environments. The 2TB version will be priced at $399.99, while the 4TB version will cost $599.99.

Sabrent, which was one of the first companies to announce a Thunderbolt 5 SSD last August, has also started taking preorders for its Rocket XTRM 5. The SSD comes in a silicone sleeve for extra protection from falls and promises read and write speeds of 6,000MB/s and 5,000MB/s, respectively. It will be available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities.

OWC's Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 SSD, announced in September, is another option for those seeking high-speed storage. The external drive is water-resistant, dust-resistant, and crushproof, offering read speeds of over 6,000MB/s. The 2TB version is priced at $399.99, while the 4TB version costs $599.99. Although the initial shipments sold out, the drive is still available for preorder with an expected ship date of mid-January 2025.

For those who prefer a DIY approach, several Thunderbolt 5-compatible SSD enclosures have been announced over the past few months. These enclosures allow users to upgrade their existing SSDs to take advantage of the faster speeds offered by Thunderbolt 5.

Despite the excitement surrounding the arrival of Thunderbolt 5 SSDs, there may still be some growing pains. Mark Hachman, Senior Editor of PC World, encountered issues when trying to get a Maingear ML-17 laptop, Kensington's Thunderbolt 5 dock, OWC's Envoy Ultra SSD, and Acer's Nitro XV5 displays to work together seamlessly. The setup was plagued by laggy performance and slow transfer speeds, suggesting that the technology may not be quite ready for primetime.

As Hachman noted, "When you buy (or test) bleeding-edge hardware, sometimes you're the one that ends up with the cuts." While the arrival of Thunderbolt 5 SSDs is a significant milestone, it's clear that there may still be some hurdles to overcome before the technology reaches its full potential.

Nevertheless, the introduction of Thunderbolt 5 SSDs marks a significant step forward in terms of storage speed and durability. As the technology continues to evolve and mature, we can expect to see even faster speeds and more innovative applications in the future.