Old SSDs Get a Second Life as Physical Steam Game Cartridges

Reddit user Jibril-sama built an unusual PC setup: he turned old 2.5-inch SATA SSDs into physical “cartridges” for Steam games. Each drive holds its own installed game and a script that opens the title’s Steam page or launches it automatically after the SSD is connected.

For the project, the enthusiast bought ten used 128 GB SSDs for about €70, or roughly €7 to $8 each. Some cartridges also use 256 GB drives he already owned. The SSDs sit inside custom 3D-printed shells decorated with labels for specific games.

An ordinary SATA docking station serves as the “slot.” Once a cartridge is inserted, the PC recognizes the SSD as a separate game drive. The project runs on Linux: a udev rule detects the newly connected disk and starts a systemd service, which finds and executes the required script.

The script uses the Steam URL protocol to open the game page or start the title immediately. Because every game remains installed on its own SSD, the main system drive does not have to hold the entire library. Steam can still download updates directly to the connected SSD when needed.

According to the creator, the setup works best for older games that are launched only occasionally rather than titles receiving constant updates. Jibril-sama has published the 3D-printing files and code, so the experiment can be recreated. It is unlikely to replace conventional Steam storage, but it gives low-capacity SATA SSDs a practical second life.