Steam game cartridges: Gamer turns old SSDs into game modules

The Nintendo Switch 2 ($449 on Amazon) could soon be the last major gaming platform whose games are still available on physical media rather than just digitally. This is because Sony will stop producing game discs in January 2028, and PC games have been distributed almost exclusively digitally for years via platforms like Steam or the Epic Games Store.

Reddit user Jibril-sama has now quickly developed their own solution to this problem – one that could hardly be simpler from a technical standpoint. Games are loaded onto a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, which is made to look like a game cartridge with a printed cover and a 3D-printed case. This is paired with a simple SATA dock into which the SSD is inserted. The SATA connection handles both power and data transfer. Using a simple script, a game can be launched automatically via Steam when the "game cartridge" is inserted.

For this project, the Reddit user was able to pick up used 128 GB SSDs for $8 each, whereas a new SSD currently costs around $26. These game module SSDs make it easy to lend a game to a friend without having to download it again each time or take up storage space on the PC. However, this solution cannot resolve one of the most fundamental issues, as the license is still managed through Steam, meaning games can only be played if they are linked to the respective Steam account. DRM-free copies of games, such as those sold on GOG, could also solve this problem.
 

Steam Game Cartridges
by u/Jibril-sama in pcmasterrace