Big turn for one of the world’s oldest hard drive companies
Sandisk has rebranded its Western Digital (WD) WD_Black SSD and WD Blue NVMe SSD lineups aimed at gamers, creators, and professionals, to Sandisk Optimus.
The company announced the name change at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas. The new lineups include Sandisk Optimus, Sandisk Optimus GX, and Sandisk Optimus GX Pro.
Western Digital was established in 1970 as the General Digital Corporation. It acquired Sandisk for $19 billion in May 2016.
“The new branding for this family of products reflects a focus on performance leadership, engineering excellence, and a heritage of trust in flash memory,” Sandisk said.
“The introduction of Sandisk Optimus creates room for further growth as the company expands its offerings to support the needs of gamers, creators, and professionals.”
It added that the new design is inspired by Sandisk’s brand heritage and focus on delivering innovation for end users.
“While the overall look and feel of the Sandisk Optimus brand is boldly different, its product portfolio carries forward Sandisk’s long-standing reputation,” it said.
The Sandisk Optimus portfolio spans the following segments:
- Sandisk Optimus — built for content creators who require faster, smoother computing. Previously branded as WD Blue, including the WD Blue SN5100 NVMe SSD.
- Sandisk Optimus GX — built for gamers who want rapid load times, expanded capacity, and power efficiency. Previously branded as WD_Black, including the WD_Black SN7100 NVMe SSD.
- Sandisk Optimus GX Pro — the flagship Optimus portfolio, built for developers, professionals, and gamers who want the latest technological breakthroughs and uncompromised performance. Previously branded as WD_Black, including the WD_Black SN8100 NVMe SSD.
“The Sandisk Optimus brand redefines what performance means for consumer needs,” said Heidi Arkinstall, vice-president for global consumer brand and digital marketing at Sandisk.
“Our products span multiple segments, and with this change, we are making it easier for customers to find the right solution for their needs.”
The Western Digital brand still appears to be used for mechanical disks. However, the website no longer lists any SSDs.
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