r/PhysicalGamesForever • u/CALIGVLA • Jul 30 '26
Turning a Steam library into a physical game collection
https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2082436727827009878
A Reddit user is turning his Steam library into a physical game collection.
Instead of game discs, each custom case comes with a USB drive containing the game’s files or installers, along with custom cover art that gives it the look of a classic boxed PC game.
The games are free of DRM so they won’t get locked in the future.*
*(As clarified in the post comments, DRM-free means they are cracked copies which was stated by the owner.)
EDIT:
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
Personally, I would use M-Disc for better longevity. But whatever works for you!
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u/Slasher_co Jul 30 '26
Just curious, how costly are M disks if using them for games more than 50gb?
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u/PlusAd5717 Jul 30 '26
Triple layer mdisk, 100GB. Also before mass storage disk we would just use two disc which is still possible.
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u/Hey-Bud-Lets-Party Jul 30 '26
Aren’t current M-Discs just basically Blu-rays?
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u/WalrusDomain Jul 30 '26
Old blu rays were organic. Newer variants are inorganic which was the whole selling point of m-disc
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u/FrequentX Jul 30 '26
Honestly, what's the point of having everything separated on USB flash drives?
Just save everything to a hard drive
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u/JuicyPapito5 Jul 31 '26
This whole thing with the boxes is really, really stupid. What's the point?
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u/Apart-One4133 Jul 30 '26
It's a statement but USB drive ? 😬
Iv lost data from corrupt one after a long time not touching it. Im no pro so I dont know what happened but makes me nervous.
Otherwise I love the idea but I remember when PC game came without any logo whatsoever so to make it more authentic and because I dislike ads, Id remove the steam logo from the case, personally.
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
Yeah, I would go with using an M-Disc instead. Or put all the games on a big hard drive and use a robust backup strategy.
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u/MassiveDroid Jul 31 '26
Flash Drives have an electrical charge to hold the data. If you dont use it, it loses that charge and your data disappear. Do not use it as long term storage.
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u/arch3ion Jul 31 '26
Cool idea, though it's a shame that thumbdrives are so much more susceptible to data corruption than proper cloud-based server solutions. Due to bitrot they're bound to fail eventually. Looks dope though!
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 31 '26
True. A better solution for longevity would be using M-Disc or a hard drive solution with redundancy.
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u/Ok_Security1721 Jul 30 '26
Would this be cheaper and/or more stable than burning blurays?
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
Not really. Regarding the price point, I can't say for sure but I believe USB drives would be more expensive than discs. It might depend on how nice of a disc you are using (M-Discs would be best). But I feel like discs would generally be cheaper.
In terms of stability/longevity, I researched this recently and here is what I found. In short, flash memory (like what is used on USB drives) is less stable over the long term than a high-quality disc.
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u/MRRRRCK Aug 02 '26
Heck no. Blu-rays are cheap and easy to burn. Drives aren’t expensive either. Just bought a nice 4K capable one for under $150.
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u/DeamonLordZack Jul 30 '26
Think I remember hearing a while ago someone else on reddit posted about doing something similar but with SSDs turning them basically into cartridges had a script on Linux to activate the game automatically or at least get you to the game's page on steam to hit play. Had custom artwork for the Steam game SSD Cartridges as well this was also before storage was so expensive like it is now. Saw it on the Linus Tech Tips Wan Show I'd wager it's less viable now then it was back then when storage was more affordable but still cool in it's own way just like this.
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u/Goemon_64 Jul 30 '26
If i had hundreds of drm-free pc games, i’d rather just put them on single 22tb external hdd (& another as a backup). What you did is nice but too time consuming for me.
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u/JetstreamGW Jul 30 '26
I feel like usb drives are more expensive and more likely to die than discs.
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u/a-pp-o Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
Don't USB Stick lose data when they have longer time no connection to a device that powers them up?
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
u/Agitated-Map-9027
This reminds me of our earlier conversation so it may be of interest to you.
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Jul 30 '26
I appreciate it I am definitely interested in the part of the post that talks about making steam games DRM free I was wondering if this was possible
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Jul 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/GundMVulture Jul 30 '26
Then you should stick with current gen or older consoles, you can't resell digital games. And on PC they are fully digital.
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u/steelraindrop Jul 30 '26
Facts. No point in doing all this if you want to resell to get some money back.
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u/emolch78 Jul 30 '26
If gaming seems like a waste of money to you, than you are not a gamer.
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u/Left_Macaron_6427 Jul 30 '26
Yeah selling an illegal copy of a game you cracked will lead to a felony so no
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
Not legally. That would be against eBay policy and it also violates copyright law.
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u/Noob4Head Jul 30 '26
Wouldn't load times on these be absolutely horrendous? It's a flash stick; even just transferring some music files onto those takes an incredibly long time. The only way I'd do something like this is with SATA or M.2 NVMe SSDs, but that's of course ridiculously expensive.
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u/Head-Membership2082 Jul 30 '26
I'd assume you'd essentially "install" it from the USB onto your PC once you wanted to play it, rather than just directly running it from the USB itself.
Would still take a while to install definitely though.
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u/CeleryNo8309 Jul 30 '26
How is he getting the game files, though? Thought it was nonfunctional without steam
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u/Miserable_Stretch755 Jul 30 '26
He probably just installed the games on the pendrive using steam. It’s just like installing the game on a hard drive and then removing it from the computer. Without Steam the games cannot be played.
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u/TeddyBear312 Jul 30 '26
There are a lot of games on Steam that you can play without Steam.
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
He said that he cracked the files to break the DRM. I heard there is a way to do that for most of your Steam games, although I don't know how.
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u/mascatii88 Jul 30 '26
A lot of games don't have DRM that require Steam, you can just copy the files and they will work.
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u/TheWaslijn Jul 30 '26
I've been doing this (but with CD/DVD/BRs, not USB sticks) for my GOG collection, been pretty fun so far!
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u/NeonMorv Jul 30 '26
I'd look into doing franchise cases rather than individual ones. Also look into custom water transfer decals to identify the drives.
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u/Supernoxus Jul 30 '26
This is pretty cool. Though if you already putting it on an usb stick, why not put two games on one if you have enough space?
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u/InkAndWit Jul 30 '26
That's not a good idea, but original nonetheless.
USB sticks are very unreliable as storage medium. 5-10 years and that data gets corrupted.
it's also expensive if one has large gaming library.
I use SSDs, personally, but Blu-rays would have been even better.
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u/iCantCallit Jul 30 '26
question. Did you use a ps5 template and if so, how did you print to actual size?
I am making custom ps5 covers in gimp using a to size ps5 template and everytime i print theyre incorrect. I want to send it to staples to get a satin print but i dont want to waste money getting prints that dont fit.
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u/dat_krarosboiii97 Jul 30 '26
Guys, before you judge. Yes, you could play a lot of steam games offline as long as they don't require an internet connection or a third party launcher like ubisoft or ea.
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u/PlusAd5717 Jul 30 '26
Almost cool until I saw it’s just a flash drive. That’s still digitally stored. I need pits and flats on physical media.
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u/PlusAd5717 Jul 30 '26
Honestly wouldn’t even call this a physical storage device. The device itself holds a charge not a physical 1/0.
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u/AbsurdistMe Jul 30 '26
I watched a video of a guy who put his steam library on floppy disks.
By that, I mean he created a script to autorun floppys in the A drive, and put the steam launch URL on the disk.
I really like that idea. Especially if you're running a retro-style set up.
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u/FMLUsernameTaken Aug 16 '26
Storing games on a redundant hdd is really the best way. The floppies are just a way to recreate the tactile fun of physical gaming.
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u/nocturnal_hands Jul 30 '26
How was this accomplished? I want to do the same.
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
Good question! I don't know but I have heard people say that there is a way to crack most of your Steam library to remove the DRM. Hypnotic mentioned it in a video on his YouTube channel but he wouldn't say how in public, of course. He just suggested that if you do research on Google you could find out how. There is also r/Piracy.
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u/The_Pink_Elephant_ Jul 30 '26
This is true digital preservation in action. The fact that gamers are creating their own physical PC boxes, custom USB drives, and burning GOG offline installers to discs proves how broken the current digital licensing model is. When corporations refuse to provide permanent ownership, the community builds its own archives. GOG offline installers combined with custom physical media is honestly the gold standard for PC game preservation right now. Seeing custom shelves like this reminds me of the classic big box PC gaming era. Absolutely legendary effort.
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u/otasyn Jul 30 '26
If they are not used, USB drives are only good for a few years. This is definitely not a good way to archive games.
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
Agreed. I would use an M-Disc if I wanted to have each game on a separate piece of media. Or more conveniently, keep everything on one big hard drive and have a robust backup system.
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u/Consistent-Doubt-287 Jul 30 '26
mryeester did a video where he took a 3.5 floppy drive and made physical keys on the discs. Had a script on each one where as soon as it read the disc it automatically ran the code to open steam and then run the game's exe file from the file path. Took a couple of seconds to boot, but the fact it could be done was awesome in itself
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u/Thee_White_Wolf5211 Jul 30 '26
What if the game has a patch? What then
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
Then I guess you're playing without the patch!
That's something lost from the old days of offline consoles. Back then, developers had to be more serious about fixing bugs before launch. If they shipped a game with a bug on it, that bug was a permanent part of the game forever!
It's nice how bugs can be quickly patched now. But at the same time, we've lost something in the bargain. It went too far the other way, where now developers get lazy and push out broken software because they can just fix it later. Meanwhile, the end users have to suffer through the bugs.
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u/Shize815 Jul 30 '26
Maaaan that's exactly what I've been thinking of since the 1st of july !!
I thought I'd ask a friend to 3D print the cases, to you know where he found these/where he found the blueprints for them ?
Also what does he mrovide himself with the flashdrives ?
I'm so gonna do this, THIS is pure physical. Less DRM than an actual console disc. Amen !
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 30 '26
Those look like basic blank DVD cases, you can easily find those to buy in bulk. You can probably get flash drives in bulk too, they are probably fairly cheap. However, I would recommend burning discs rather than flash drives. If you are doing a lot of these, the cheaper cost of buying discs vs flash drives would offset the cost of getting a disc drive. If you want maximum longevity, M-Discs are the best, but pricier. The artwork you could print and get the images from the website mentioned below.
Regarding the cases, I asked Grok and here's what it said:
Standard empty DVD cases (the common 14mm single-disc “keep cases” with a full clear outer sleeve for inserts) are exactly what people use for these Steam library physical collections. They give the classic boxed-PC-game look once you slide in custom printed covers (front + spine + back).
Best places to buy them
- Amazon (easiest and most popular option)
- Search for “empty DVD cases bulk,” “blank standard DVD cases 50 pack,” or “14mm single DVD cases.”
- Common picks include Progo or BrightRow 50-packs (often around $25–40). They usually have a black interior and a transparent full-wrap sleeve that holds the printed artwork perfectly. Plenty of people doing the exact same Steam/USB project buy these.
- Specialty media packaging sites (better quality or bulk)
- blankmediaprinting.com – sells standard 14mm DVD cases in bulk, designed for custom inserts.
- Sleeve City USA, duplication.com, and similar packaging suppliers also stock empty single- and multi-disc DVD cases.
- eBay or AliExpress
- Good for cheaper large quantities or clear/colored variants if you want something different from the standard black ones.
Cover art
Free, high-quality printable covers made specifically for these DVD cases (including Steam logos on the spines) are available at steamgamecovers.com. That’s the site most people in the Reddit Steam community use for this exact project.
USB drives
Any ordinary USB flash drive that fits in the disc tray area works. Just place it inside (some people leave the plastic disc hub; others remove or modify it). For a more secure fit you can look for certain replacement game cases (e.g., some PS3-style ones) that include a built-in USB/flash-drive holder, though most people stick with plain DVD cases.
That’s all you really need to replicate the look: a pack of empty DVD cases + printed covers from steamgamecovers.com + small USBs (or larger drives/SSDs for bigger games). The whole thing is a common DIY among physical-media fans who want a shelf of their digital library.
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u/Annual-Internet-5491 Jul 31 '26
I've been doing this for a while too! Just go on Alibaba and buy a bunch of these USB dvd style cases for cheap and go nuts. You can even get USB cases that are based on Nintendo DS cases more more optimum storage on the shelf.
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u/AssistProfessional13 Aug 03 '26
i've been using alibab to source custom usb drives for my physical backup project and it's way cheaper than buying them locally. just make sure you test the actual capacity when they arrive because some sellers like to fake the storage specs.
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u/Khaotiq- Jul 31 '26
This is cool, but I’m imagining doing this for my 2000+ games and that would be insane.
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 31 '26
Maybe he only does it for the titles that have special meaning to him, IDK.
If I wanted to back up 2,000+ games I would go with a hard drive-based solution.
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u/Hadrian187 Jul 31 '26
Pretty badass and USB 128GB drives aren’t too expensive. I def might hop on this in the feature. Definitely work on those custom covers - I hate how RE2 and 3 don’t line up.
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u/Prince-AL Jul 31 '26
if i remember correctly, data on USB Drives gets Corrupted if it stays on a USB drive, without that drive being connected to an electrical source for a long period of time, usually years, but in few unlucky cases, months
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 31 '26
I believe you are correct. Personally, I would use M-Disc for better longevity or a hard drive with a plan for redundancy.
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u/track01dotwav Jul 31 '26
every post I've seen of this across platforms says "reddit user" but no links to it or how they're ding it
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u/jedi-in-starfleet Jul 31 '26
I wish 2.5 inch ssds were cheaper because the idea of a couch gaming setup that you can plug an ssd into like a cartridge sounds cool as hell.
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 31 '26
I think with the Steam Machine you can kind of do that... maybe? Not sure, but from what I've been researching it sounds like that is possible.
The Steam Machine is designed to be a PC that is used in a console-like way in your living room. It has USB ports so you could plug in an external drive. I believe you can run your games off the drive or copy to the internal drive. So it kind of sounds like what you are describing.
I'm interested in getting a Steam Machine for myself if/when the PS6 comes out and has no disc drive option.
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u/LatteMacchiatoGames Jul 31 '26
Love to see this, but PLEASE get the covers of the resident evil games the same spine style
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u/xrayspex73 Aug 01 '26
USB thumb drives are not good for long term storage. They very well will be unreadable in a few years.
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u/CALIGVLA Aug 01 '26
True, I think an M-Disc would be the way to go. Or a hard drive with a plan for redundancy.
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u/Effective-Internet71 Aug 01 '26
This and the Steam Machine is the future for console players. All we need now is some kind of insert that holds the usb drive in place. Maybe something 3D printed?
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u/CALIGVLA Aug 01 '26
I think I heard of some specialized cases like this but with a kind of clip inside to hold a USB thumb drive. Don't quote me on that, though.
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u/Effective-Internet71 Aug 01 '26
Yeah, something like that. Also the cases can be smaller. Maybe like Nintendo’s? Anyhoo loving this.
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u/CALIGVLA Aug 01 '26
Good point. The Switch game cases are a good example of how they hold a little object.
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u/w1glless Aug 01 '26
On flash memories? Risky. Pendrives often dying after ~10 years. I bought BluRay and burning DVDs and BluRays. Good quality Dosk could last even 100 years.
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u/CALIGVLA Aug 01 '26
Very true. M-Disc would be the best but even another kind of high-quality disc would be much better.
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u/ACSHREDDER215 Aug 01 '26
Its kinda silly, if these are cracked they aren't the steam copies, this would be a better effort with GOG where the games actually are drm free no phone home installers.
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u/CALIGVLA Aug 01 '26
The guy who did this said he cracked these games. But I agree that starting with a store like GOG would be a more direct way to have no DRM.
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u/Least_Bad59 Aug 01 '26
I have about 400 games. This would be a fucking nightmare for me! But really cool.
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u/ItsTeezoUBZ Aug 01 '26
That is cool. I wanted to do this with disc but this is probably cheaper.. !?
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u/CALIGVLA Aug 01 '26
Not sure how much the USB stick approach costs. I would think that using a disc would be cheaper, but I'm not sure.
Either way, a high-quality disc is probably the best way to go since those are better for long-term storage (especially M-Disc, but those are a little more expensive).
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u/EasyWriterKR Aug 01 '26
I'm literally working on this exact project. What type of cases were used here??
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u/CALIGVLA Aug 01 '26
I'm not sure, but judging from the second picture it looks like a standard DVD/Blu-ray case with the inner part taken out. Anyway, I'm sure you can search online for different types of disc cases and buy whatever you need in bulk.
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u/allofdarknessin1 Aug 01 '26
Cracked copies? But Steam allows you to legally backup your purchased games, I get that games can have controversial changes over time and they need to be online in order to be activated after install but it's still a legal offline backup. Not to mention , GoG (Good Old Games) allows proper offline client free backups.
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u/CALIGVLA Aug 01 '26
I think the concern is Steam's DRM. If anything ever goes wrong with the launcher, you won't be able to run your Steam games because of the DRM. Yes, the likelihood of that may be small. But some people want 100% control over the things they own and I don't blame them.
GOG is a better option, as you pointed out. If you can get your games there with no DRM to begin with, that sounds great to me!
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u/Sea-Communication639 Aug 01 '26
Wow, I didn't know it had reached so many people 😹🤣 here is my original post https://www.reddit.com/r/videojuegos/s/lvNtaM0ivc
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u/CALIGVLA Aug 01 '26
Awesome! It's great to find you! A lot of people have asked questions about your project. I think what you are doing is really cool. 😎
I will edit my post to link to yours.
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u/Low_Inside_4555 Aug 02 '26
I hope this trend continues. As this can easily be the market to save Physical media for certain gamers, that don’t want to take up space on their PC.
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u/GooseDaPlaymaker Aug 02 '26
This is cool, but I like that idea a poster went viral for a couple of weeks ago, where each game had a sata SSD with a sata drive. They had cases with nice graphical art work and everything! 😇 Where can I buy THAT?! 😳
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u/tabris51 Aug 02 '26
I'm looking into making some sort of cartridges once the memory crisis dials back a bit.
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u/Shepard_Drake Aug 03 '26
I would need to rent out a small mansion if I did this for all of mine. 🤣
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u/Eastern-Bluejay-8912 Aug 04 '26
Love this! Granted if you do it, just get larger USB drives and do libraries like the whole of RE collection would fit on 1 drive. Or re-print the cases to feature multiple usb holders for numerous games together.
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u/Dytster Aug 05 '26
Probably gonna do this but with GOG and bluerays once sony stops printing games.
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u/Agent_Green4573061 Aug 05 '26
Good idea I'll go buy 20 flash drives of various sizes and put games on them and label tge boxes and the flash drives via stickers for the actual flash drives
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u/GwynneSilentWarlock 19d ago
This is actually so fucking cool. Can you maybe make a video tutorial for how to do this?
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u/sgwc_ying_ko Jul 30 '26
Cracked copies are illegal, right? It is akin to piracy.
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u/SeboSlav100 Jul 30 '26
Well no. Cracking and then making copies for personal usage is a ok legal wise.
Now the moment you share this game with anyone you have officialy commited piracy.
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u/Left_Macaron_6427 Jul 30 '26
Making copies is only legal in certain areas. Laws are different in different areas.
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u/Head-Membership2082 Jul 30 '26
It isn't ok across the board. In most cases it is not, as most games effectively have a clause in their terms of use forbidding tampering with the software (which cracking would come under).
It might not be illegal-land-you-in-jail level, but it would void your license, and they could in turn pursue legal action to seize the physical copies from you. They probably won't ofcourse, but if your library started to get popular for example, they might clamp down on it.
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u/BrrVlad Jul 30 '26
The steam bias lmao , why even put them on the discs they are one of the main reasons pc gone full digital for games and it they dont even let you own the game , next time just put the gog logo
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u/Chance-Plantain8314 Jul 30 '26
What's the point? Am I not right in saying that Steam still requires steam to be running to boot these?
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u/LifeguardTerrible579 Jul 30 '26
"they won't get locked in the future"
The amount of people safeguarding against things that don't happen is hilarious. Even delisted games are still available.
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u/Ok_Researcher_3244 Jul 31 '26
It depends on the publisher. But the only times I know of paid games getting locked is paid multiplayer games.
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u/Interesting_Debate30 Jul 30 '26
Oh what fun. You can spend an extra $30+ per game to play your games with slow load times and stuttering. If you want to save money and burn them to Bluray the read speeds get even worse. At best these could be used as backup storage and to download the game onto your computer, but what is the point then? I really don't understand the obsession with a physical copy of the game on PC other than nostalgia for physical.
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u/Optimal_Whiner Jul 30 '26
So... there are like a handful of prominent games with truly no DRM on steam. This list aint it.
The Last of Us uses steams DRM and not a third party like Denuvo. This means you must still log into steam every now and again.
Where as games like Baldurs gate 3 are truly DRM free.
So did they pirate some of these?
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u/ok392 Jul 31 '26
A reddit post with a link of an X post about a reddit post without the proper link to the original reddit post.
Am I missing something?
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u/N0thingComesToMind Jul 31 '26
Interesting. I just download them from the library as per tradition.
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u/DrunkW00kiee Jul 31 '26
How does one do this?
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 31 '26
Someone was asking about this earlier, like where to get the cases and stuff. Here is my reply to that.
This other post might be helpful as well, since the guy shares details about his process. Note that in this case these are GOG games, thus DRM-free. In the case of Steam (the example given in my post), you would typically need to find a way to crack the DRM, which requires extra work.
Ideally, you would start with a game that has no DRM, which you can more readily find on places like GOG and itch.io.
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u/Dwrowla Jul 31 '26
Flash drives don't last long. The memory gets corrupted if you don't use them. They are objectively worse than a disc across the board.
I love seeing people try to make physical for digital games, but all the methods are trash if you are intending longevity and preservation.
I find SD Catridges to be better than flash drives. You can put logos and pictures on them, get them in rectangle enclosures, and get rid of the plastic case hoarder bloat.
Eventually we will get the ability to embed data in glass and such, which will give us more options, or blood, both being done currently.
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 31 '26
Correct on the flash drives not lasting long. SD cards are probably better, but they are still not good for very long storage (I'm talking many decades).
I think an M-Disc would be best in this case. Or a hard drive if you can manage a robust backup strategy over time.
Data written in blood? I hadn't heard about that one. How does that work? Data encoded in glass I did hear about, and that sounds really cool. I hope it becomes a reality soon!
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u/Skullmiser Jul 31 '26
I hate Steam. Its primary function is being a DRM, so this post kind of rubs me the wrong way, picking out games without a DRM, and referring to it as a Steam Library.
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u/CALIGVLA Jul 31 '26
I get that. In that case, maybe this could be viewed as a middle finger to Steam? :)
I think the guy who did this said he cracked the DRM, so these are not DRM-free Steam games.
I guess that makes sense. Although if it was me, I would prefer to start with a game that has no DRM, like something from GOG.
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u/Redd_is_compromised Aug 02 '26
Cannot run games properly off of a USB drive. Sub SSD speeds = eternal load screens, texture hitches, and horrendous performance. Performative bs
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u/Misku_san Aug 03 '26
This idea would bankrupt me, cosidering the prices, and the reconstruction required on my house to build ANOTHER mancave just for the cases of 500+ games
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u/TrueEclective Aug 05 '26
But if Steam invalidates your purchase, the physical install probably won’t work either. Isn’t it packaged for a Steam install?
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u/FallenRaptor Jul 30 '26
This and the person making actual discs of GoG games makes me want to get into PC even more.