Old SSDs Turned into Physical Steam Cartridges with Linux Scripts
A DIY dock setup uses cheap second-hand drives and automated scripts to launch specific PC titles on insertion, trading cloud convenience for physical handling.
A PC builder going by Jibril-sama demonstrated a physical cartridge system for Steam on Reddit, using second-hand 128 GB 2.5-inch SATA solid-state drives that cost roughly €7 each.
The setup relies on custom 3D-printed enclosures, an external desktop drive dock, and basic automation in Linux. When a cartridge is slotted into the dock, a system udev rule registers the device connection and fires a systemd template service. That service checks the drive for an autorun script, which then invokes the Steam URL protocol to direct the client to the specific game page or start execution immediately.
Storing titles directly on external drives offloads installation footprints from the primary system drive. Addressing questions raised by fellow gamers about large downstream game updates, the creator told Tom’s Hardware that the cartridges are intended for replayable standalone games rather than live-service titles. If an update is required, Steam downloads the patch normally prior to launching.
Source: habr
Primary sources: Reddit, Tom's Hardware
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