This PC Gamer Is Making His Own Physical Steam Games, One Expensive Cartridge At A Time
A PC gamer and modder has found a creative way to bring physical media back to Steam games, creating what they call “Steam Game Cartridges” using solid-state drives (SSDs) instead of traditional ROM cartridges.
The project, detailed by user Jibril-sama on the PC Master Gaming Race subreddit, demonstrates an inventive approach to collecting and playing Steam titles. The modder purchased used SATA SSDs and created a plug-and-play system by installing custom scripts on the drives, loading individual games onto each cartridge, and designing custom graphics for the physical cases. The result is a hybrid of retro gaming nostalgia and modern technology.
Jibril-sama’s collection includes titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon 5, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, with each game stored on its own cartridge with themed artwork. The SSDs function as external storage that integrates directly with Steam’s desktop client, allowing gamers to boot games from the cartridges without needing them installed on their main system.
This creative project highlights an interesting gap in gaming: while physical media for console games remains popular, physical PC games essentially disappeared years ago as digital distribution platforms like Steam became the industry standard. The shift to digital downloads eliminated the need for physical boxes, discs, and installation media that once defined PC gaming.
Jibril-sama’s cartridge project represents a niche intersection of gaming culture—merging nostalgic physical media collecting with modern PC gaming infrastructure. While this approach is impractical for mainstream adoption due to the cost of SSDs and the time required to create custom cases, it demonstrates both the flexibility of Steam’s architecture and the ongoing desire among enthusiasts to recapture the tactile satisfaction of physical game collections.