- Steam user found a way to store games on SSDs with a navigation and auto-start script
- These are actually physical “game cartridges” with key art.
- However, expensive SSDs mean this is an expensive endeavor (Steam player was lucky to pick up used drives on the cheap)
Physical copies of PlayStation games will end starting in January 2028, and as the backlash continues, a restoration of physical media on PC has been discovered – and it’s new to say the least.
A Steam user on Reddit managed to store games on “cheap” 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, effectively acting as old-fashioned “game cartridges” with key art and a script that automatically navigates to each game’s page. The user also notes that it is possible to auto-start games from each drive.
This comes amid significant outcry from gamers following the revelation of Sony’s plan to wipe out physical game discs, supposedly around the time its next PlayStation console arrives. This was a highly controversial decision that united gamers across platforms to fight to keep the discs and ensure ownership of the game remained intact.
That said, physical PC media is long dead, as a modern desktop computer doesn’t come with a disc drive and there are virtually no publishers selling physical copies for the platform.
With most games only available digitally on PC, these titles can in theory be taken away from buyers at any time. The problem is that consumer-friendly figures like Gabe Newell, who runs Steam’s owner Valve, won’t be in charge forever.
So in the future, under new management, it is possible that more anti-consumer measures will be introduced, or other aspects of PC gaming that consumers don’t like, such as DRM (like Denuvo).
Steam game cartridges
from r/pcmasterrace
Imagine if this “game cartridge” system was adopted by PC game publishers? It’s a smart idea and a nice thought, but clearly not realistic. For starters, it would be a prohibitively expensive method to reintroduce physical copies of PC games.
Of course, platforms like Epic Games and Steam require users to be logged in and have their app installed to play games, either way, it’s still a long way from true ownership of the game copy.
However, this concept would pair perfectly with GOG, a platform that is DRM-free and does not require the launcher to play purchased games – in other words, you completely own the games purchased on GOG.
Certainly, publishers releasing PC game cartridges as SSDs is a pipe dream, especially with the current state of the hardware market and the RAM crisis, accompanied by skyrocketing SSD prices.
So the idea comes at a bad time, but if the RAM crisis ever sets in, then maybe it’s something we’ll see more of from PC enthusiasts – and maybe even the odd publisher.
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