A PC gamer recently showcased a homemade "Steam game cartridge" system, utilizing second-hand 2.5-inch SATA SSDs to store Steam games on individual drives. Paired with a SATA dock and an auto-execution script, the setup recreates the classic console experience of simply inserting a cartridge to play.
Reddit user Jibril-sama explained, "I bought some cheap 2.5-inch SSDs, so I decided to make a game cartridge system. The games are actually stored on those SSDs, and a script automatically directs Steam to the game's page. It's also possible to make the game launch directly and automatically."
He added that each 128GB drive cost approximately 7 euros, preventing games from occupying primary storage space.
As Tom’s Hardware detailed, the system shown in the video runs Linux and uses Valve’s Steam URL Protocol to launch games. Jibril-sama further elaborated on the technical process: "All it needs is a systemd template to check for and launch a script on the SSD, plus a udev rule to trigger the whole system. So, it's basically: insert SSD → udev rule detects the event → triggers systemd daemon → systemd daemon enters the SSD, finds the script → executes the script."
The system has garnered positive feedback from players, with some hoping for GOG support. Regarding updates, Jibril-sama noted that the cartridges are primarily for "games you occasionally want to replay," and if an update is needed, Steam handles it before gameplay.