Forever Physical: Sony's recent decision to move away from disc-based gaming sparked a wave of controversy, analysis, and debate about the future of physical releases. One resourceful PC gamer has even found a way to turn Steam, Valve's all-digital platform, into a cartridge-based gaming service of sorts.
Reddit user Jibril-sama recently showcased a custom-made cartridge system for Steam games. The clever idea is not entirely new and does not do anything revolutionary with Steam or the hardware itself. Even so, concepts like this are suddenly becoming relevant as the gaming industry increasingly embraces an all-digital future.
The recently introduced Game Cartridge system uses repurposed 2.5-inch SSDs, which Jibril-sama purchased for around €7 each. Game data is stored on the drives, which are then connected to a PC through a SATA dock.
Jibril-sama also created a simple script based on Steam's URL protocol that automatically navigates to a game's page in the Steam client. The script can even be configured to launch a game automatically shortly after the external SSD is connected to the dock.
Steam Game Cartridges
by u/Jibril-sama in pcmasterrace
Jibril-sama demonstrated the custom setup using Linux, but the same approach could likely be replicated on Windows as well, including the automatic game-launch feature. The Redditor later confirmed that the system can be made almost frictionless thanks to Linux's scripting capabilities and Steam's built-in features.
Fellow Reddit users welcomed the Steam cartridge system and shared their own ideas for potential alternatives that could create an entirely physical Steam game library. Some pointed out that the concept is nothing new, as people have long used SD cards and other external storage media to build their own tangible Steam (Deck) libraries.
Furthermore, dedicated platforms such as Zaparoo and Kazeta have been specifically designed to bridge the gap between digital PC games, online platforms, and physical storage media. Used SSDs are probably not the ideal choice for building a physical game library, however, as NAND flash-based drives can lose data over long periods without power.
In any case, the cartridge system highlights the dissatisfaction many players feel over the industry's gradual abandonment of physical game releases. Sony may make a few extra dollars from an all-digital PS6, but the company's reputation among gaming enthusiasts is unlikely to improve anytime soon.