Here’s everything about playing games from an external hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD): You can play games from an external HDD or solid state drive on a PC.
In order to do this, the computer just needs to know where to find the game when it is on another drive.
When you install the game, you have the opportunity to select where it is saved and ensure that your computer can find it.
So if you want to learn all about how to play games from an external hard drive or SSD, then you’re in the right place.
Keep reading!
How Do You Play Steam Games From an External Hard Drive or SSD?
There are a number of ways to install Steam games on an external drive.
We’ll focus on the easiest, and that is to use the game installer to install it on the drive of your choice. We’ll talk more about what kinds of drives work later.
For this part, let’s assume you have an external USB hard drive, and that’s what you want to use for the game.
Even if you’re actually using a different type of device, the steps in this section will be the same. By the the way, find the 5 best external hard drives for gaming (or rather SSDs) here.
The first step is to connect the external hard drive.
Make sure it is properly connected and that the computer can communicate with it. The easiest way to do this is to pull up File Explorer (represented by a folder icon in Windows 10).
Navigate to your external hard drive and make sure you can open it and access the information on it.
As long as this works, you can move on to the next step.
Now, you want to pull up the game installer. There are countless different installers, so we’ll use Steam as an example.
If you are trying to do this with something other than Steam, you should be able to look up the steps on the game launcher’s website.
Log into Steam and browse your library to find the game you want to put on the external drive.
When you go through the installation steps, it should ask you where you want to install the folder.
It’s not obvious, but there is a drop-down menu at the bottom of the window that pops up when you start the installation.
Use that drop-down menu to pick the right folder on your external drive. Make sure to open the same folder on both your local and external drives to ensure the game files are correctly transferred.
If you can’t find the folder that you want, you may need to add it.
In that case, cancel the installation. Instead, go into your Steam settings. Under the settings will be an option for “downloads.”
In the window, you can choose “Steam library folders.”
Click on the + sign and create a folder where you want to store your games. To do this, you will first have to select the external hard drive.
You can then select the folder of your choice. You can also create a new folder right there in the menu if you want to.Now, you can try the installation again and choose the correct folder.
The game installer will go through its process and install your game on the drive that you selected. That’s all it takes.
You can use the game launcher to play the game.
You can even create a game shortcut on the internal hard drive that still runs the game that is actually installed on your external drive (although, in some cases, it can be a little complicated).
If you are installing a game that does not use a third-party launcher, the steps are pretty simple.
When the game is walking you through installation, it should ask you where you want to install the information. You can choose your external drive and folder of your choice during this step.
The installation will otherwise run normally, and your game will be on the external drive when it completes.
Can You Move Installed Games That Are Already Installed to an External Hard Drive or SSD?
Yes. You can move already installed games to your external drive.
Once again, the methods involved depend on how you launch the game, so we’ll use Steam as an example this time around too. Ensure you are logged into the correct Steam account that owns the game before attempting to move it.
Ultimately, this can be done for any PC game; it’s just a matter of finding the right process.
You can start by signing into Steam. Click on “Steam” in the top left corner of the window, and then choose “settings.”
In the settings window that pops up, click on “Downloads.”
At the top of that window is “Steam library folders.”
Click it, and a new window will pop up. At this point, the steps look pretty familiar, but this is where it changes.
In this window, you should see a list of your Steam games.
Find the game that you want to move and click on it. It will check a box, and you will now see an option to “move” the game.
Click that button and select the folder of your choice listed above (you can still create a new folder here if you want to).
Once you do that, Steam will handle the rest.
There is an important note here.
The methods for moving a game depend on how the game launches, but in the vast majority of cases, you cannot simply drag a game folder from one hard drive to the other.
While that will move most of the game information, it will not build pathways that the launcher needs to find the file locations.
In other words, the game will fail to launch because the software doesn’t know where the game is actually located on your computer (or external drive).
What Are the Best External Hard Drives or Rather Solid State Drives For Gaming?
The best external hard drives for gaming are technically not hard drive discs but solid state drive.
See below for more details.
Anyway, find the 5 best external hard drive discs (or rather solid state drives) for gaming here.
From the best overall to the best bang for your buck.
Are There Any Limitations on Which External Hard Drives or SSDs You Can Use for Steam Library Folders?
You cannot use any drive for this purpose. Instead, you want to find the right external hard drive.
The good news is that there is only one hard limitation. We’ll cover some soft limitations too.
In order to install a game on an external drive, you need to have enough space for the game.
That sounds obvious, but plenty of new games can be well over 100 GB in size.
They can eat up hard drive space faster than you might think, so your external drive might not be up to the task.
As long as you have enough storage space, you’ll be ok, and having more space can help manage larger game files.
Other than that, you have freedom here.
As long as the computer can talk to the drive, you’re in good shape.
With all of that said, there are types of drives and connections that are better than others.
Most external drives connect via USB. USB is very common, but it comes in a few different speeds.
Older USB (2.0) is universal, but it isn’t very fast.
Connecting a USB 2.0 drive will not be fast enough for high-end games to run well.
If you upgrade to USB 3.0, the vast majority of games will play just fine.
You can go even further and use USB-C. That’s even better, and can play even more demanding games without any issues.
Apropos of USB: Learn all about whether USB hubs work with external drives here.
You can also use drives that aren’t classified as hard drives.
Flash drives, SD (or micro SD) cards, and any other storage media can work. They just need enough space.
You can even use a hard drive enclosure with a traditional internal drive in it that connects to the computer externally.
Another method that is a little outside the scope of the original question is that you can install multiple internal hard drives in your computer and pick from any of them.
None of this will prevent the game from working.
Why Would Someone Play From an External Hard Drive or SSD?
There are two main reasons to install games on an external drive.
The first is portability.
If your game is installed on a flash drive or any other small device, you can take it with you.
That means you can plug that storage device into another computer and play your game (as long as the computer is compatible and capable of running the game).
Let’s go back to Steam as an example.
If you are visiting friends or family and want to show them your game, you can take your drive.
Sign in to Steam on their computer and plug in your drive. You can also install Steam on their computer to download games directly onto your external drive.
It should be able to launch the game just fine (although you might have to reset the folders in the settings to help it find the game).
What’s more, is that it will have all of your individual save states. It’s pretty convenient.
While that’s nice, it’s not the primary reason that people do this.
The bigger motivator is to save storage space on your internal drive.
Every drive has limited space, and upgrading to a bigger drive costs money (and can be a huge nuisance).
This is especially true if you opt for some of the fastest hard drives on the market.
Getting more storage pushes up the cost pretty quickly.
So, if you’re trying to save space, you can throw your games on a less-expensive external drive. It’s pretty simple.
Are There Any Reasons Not to Play Games From an External Hard Drive or SSD?
All of that said, there is one compelling reason to avoid putting your games on an external drive: performance.
The best hard drives or rather solid state drives in the business right now connect directly to the motherboard using PCIe connectors.
These are the fastest connections you can get on a consumer-grade computer.
The incredible hard drive speeds you get from this technology can help with game performance in general.
Most external hard drives are considerably slower.
You can get solid state external drives that are reasonably fast, but they don’t match the speeds of PCIe SSD drives.
The same can be said of large flash drives and other flash storage media.
One of the limiting factors is how external drives connect to your computer.
Typically, they will interface via some form of USB.
Even the fastest USB connection (USB-C) is noticeably slower than a PCIe connection.
So, if you want the best performance, you put games on the internal drive.
Still, plenty of USB drives are fast enough to play a game with no noticeable problems.
It’s only games that push the envelope of your computer’s performance that truly benefit from being on the internal drive.
You can absolutely try some games on the external drive to see if you like the performance.
If you do, then take advantage of it.
If you’re getting mixed results from your external drive, then you can follow a simple rule.
Put the games that need the most performance on your fastest drive.
Everything else can go on the external drive and save you space.
Learn all about whether games run slower or faster on external drive here.
Creating a Secondary Steam Library
Creating a secondary Steam library is a fantastic way to organize your games and free up space on your primary drive. Here’s how you can set up a secondary library on your external drive:
Open Steam and navigate to “Steam” > “Settings” > “Downloads” > “Steam Library Folders”.
Click on the “Add Library Folder” button.
Select your external drive from the list of available drives.
Choose a name for your new library folder and click “Create”.
This will create a new Steam library folder on your external drive. To move games from your primary library to this new secondary library, simply right-click on the game in your Steam library, select “Move to” > “Secondary Library”, and Steam will handle the rest. This way, you can manage your storage space more efficiently and keep your games organized.
External Drive Setup and Management
Setting up and managing your external drive for Steam games is straightforward. Follow these steps to get started:
Connect your external drive to your computer and ensure it is recognized by your operating system.
Open Steam and go to “Steam” > “Settings” > “Downloads” > “Steam Library Folders”.
Click on the “Add Library Folder” button.
Select your external drive from the list.
Choose a name for your external drive library and click “Create”.
To manage your external drive, right-click on the drive in the Steam library folders list and select “Properties”. Here, you can view the drive’s storage space, manage your game files, and set up automatic backups. This ensures that your game files are organized and your storage space is optimized for the best gaming experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about playing Steam games on an external drive:
Q: Can I play Steam games on an external drive without transferring them to my local drives? A: Yes, you can play Steam games directly from an external drive without transferring them to your local drives.
Q: How do I add a Steam library folder to my external drive? A: To add a Steam library folder to your external drive, open Steam and click on “Steam” > “Settings” > “Downloads” > “Steam Library Folders”. Then, click on the “Add Library Folder” button and select the external drive.
Q: Can I move my installed games to an external drive? A: Yes, you can move your installed games to an external drive by right-clicking on the game in your Steam library and selecting “Move to” > “External Drive”.
Tips for Optimizing Your External Drive for Gaming
Here are some tips for optimizing your external drive for gaming:
Use a fast external drive: Look for an external drive with a fast transfer speed, such as a USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt 3 drive. This will ensure smooth gameplay and quick load times.
Use a large enough drive: Make sure your external drive has enough storage space to hold all your games. Games can take up a lot of space, so plan accordingly.
Organize your games: Use folders and labels to organize your games on your external drive. This makes it easier to find and play them.
Use Steam’s cloud features: Steam’s cloud features allow you to access your games from any computer with an internet connection. This is especially useful if you play on multiple devices.
Back up your games: Regularly back up your games to prevent data loss or corruption. This can save you a lot of trouble in case of drive failure.
Conclusion
Playing Steam games on an external drive is a great way to free up space on your primary drive and take your games with you on the go. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can set up and manage your external drive for Steam games, and optimize it for gaming performance. Remember to use a fast external drive, organize your games, and back up your games regularly to ensure a smooth gaming experience. Enjoy your gaming!
