What is Steam?
Steam is a digital game distribution service and platform developed by Valve Corporation. It was launched in 2003 as a software client to digitally distribute and manage games. According to the Steam Wikipedia page, Steam has grown to become the largest digital distribution platform for PC gaming, with over 30,000 games available as of 2022.
Steam provides a centralized place for gamers to browse, purchase and play games on their PC. Games downloaded through Steam require the Steam client to install, update and launch them. The client allows gamers to manage their game library and connect with friends on Steam for multiplayer gaming. Steam handles patch distribution, matchmaking servers, download bandwidth throttling, social features and more for supported games.
Overall, Steam aims to provide a seamless digital marketplace and community for PC gamers. With its massive catalog of games and robust platform features, Steam has become the dominant way to buy and play PC games digitally.
Steam Game Installation
By default, Steam games are installed locally on a PC’s hard drive in the Steam library folders. According to Partition Wizard, Steam installs to the C:\Program Files\Steam folder on the C: drive. The files for any games installed through Steam are then stored in subfolders under C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\.
Steam will create a default library folder called “SteamLibrary” on the drive where Steam is installed, which is generally the C: drive. All games will install to this SteamLibrary folder unless the user changes the default installation location. According to Steam’s support article, the default SteamLibrary folder is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps on 64-bit Windows.
Using a Flash Drive for Steam Games
It is possible to install and run Steam games from a flash drive. However, it requires some configuration of Steam’s settings.
First, you’ll need to set the Steam library location to be on your flash drive rather than the default location on your PC’s hard drive. This can be done in Steam’s settings under the Downloads tab. Here, you can add a new library folder location pointing to your flash drive.
When installing a game, you can then choose to install it directly to your flash drive’s Steam library rather than the default hard drive location. The game files will be downloaded and stored entirely on the flash drive.
There are a few considerations when using a flash drive for Steam games:
Flash drive capacity – The size of the drive will determine how many games you can install. Modern games take up a lot of space, with AAA titles easily exceeding 50GB each. A 128GB flash drive may only hold a couple of games.
Flash drive speed – Using a USB 3.0 drive or higher is highly recommended, as the faster data transfer rates will improve loading times and performance. USB 2.0 drives may have very slow load times.[1]
Game performance – Games will run slower from flash drives compared to an internal hard drive. This is especially true for open world games that stream a lot of data.
By optimizing the flash drive for Steam games, such as getting a fast USB 3.1 model with high capacity, you can install and run games portably from a flash drive.[2]
How to Set up a Flash Drive for Steam
Setting up a flash drive to install and run Steam games is straightforward. Here are the steps:
1. Plug your flash drive into your computer.
2. Open the Steam application and go to Steam > Settings > Downloads.
3. Click the “Steam Library Folders” button and select “Add Library Folder.”
4. Navigate to your flash drive, select it, and click “New Folder” if you want to create a new folder.
5. Select the flash drive or folder you want to use and click “Select.” This will add it as a Steam library location.
6. To install games to your flash drive, go to your Library and right-click the game you want to move. Select “Properties.”
7. Go to the “Local Files” tab and click “Move Install Folder.”
8. Select the library location on your flash drive.
9. To play games, simply launch Steam and run the game from your Library as usual. The games will run directly from your flash drive.
By setting up a separate library folder on your flash drive, you can easily install and run Steam games from removable flash storage. Just make sure your drive has enough space for the games you want to install.
Advantages of a Flash Drive for Steam
Using a flash drive for Steam games offers some key benefits:
Easy to transport games to different computers – One of the best advantages of installing Steam games on a flash drive is the ability to easily take your games library with you. Since Steam saves game data in the cloud, you can plug your flash drive into any computer with Steam installed and access your full collection. This makes it easy to play your games on multiple computers without having to re-download or reinstall them each time. Just plug in your flash drive and all your games are ready to play. [1]
Frees up space on main hard drive – Installing games on a flash drive rather than your main hard drive or SSD can help save storage space. Newer games can take up 50GB or more of drive space each. Storing these large files on a dedicated flash drive prevents your primary drive from filling up as quickly. This helps your main system drive operate faster. [2]
Fast load times with USB 3.0 flash drives – Modern USB 3.0 flash drives offer fast data transfer speeds comparable to some SSDs. This allows games stored on a USB 3.0 drive to load as fast or nearly as fast as those on an internal drive. Look for read speeds of at least 100MB/s when selecting a flash drive for Steam. This ensures load times and performance will be snappy.
Disadvantages of a Flash Drive for Steam
While using a flash drive for Steam games offers some benefits, there are also some potential downsides to consider:
Flash drives generally have much smaller storage capacities compared to traditional hard drives. The largest consumer flash drives top out at around 2TB, while hard drives can offer 10TB or more. This limits how many games you can store.
Flash storage also wears out over time with constant rewriting. This means the drive is likely to fail sooner than a hard drive when used heavily for Steam games (1).
The data transfer speeds of flash drives are slower compared to internal hard drives. This can lead to longer load times and lags during gameplay as data is retrieved from the drive (2).
Overall, while flash drives offer portability, their limitations around speed, storage capacity, and durability make them less than ideal for intensive Steam gaming.
Maximizing Performance
To get the best performance from a flash drive for Steam games, there are a few things you can do:
Use a USB 3.0 flash drive for best speeds. USB 3.0 offers much faster data transfer rates than USB 2.0, which can reduce loading times for games. Look for a flash drive advertised as USB 3.0.
Check the minimum space required for the games you want to play. Some modern games require 20GB or more of storage space. Choose a flash drive with enough capacity so you’re not constantly needing to delete and re-download games.
Defragment the flash drive periodically. As a flash drive fills up, the files on it can become fragmented and impact performance. Running the built-in Windows Disk Defragmenter tool on the drive occasionally can help optimize it. Just right-click on the drive and choose “Properties” then “Tools” to access the defragment option. [1]
Format your flash drive to use the exFAT file system. exFAT is optimized for flash drives compared to FAT32 or NTFS. Formatting the drive to exFAT can help boost performance. [2]
Following these tips will help ensure your flash drive performs well for Steam games.
Other Considerations
While it is possible to install and play Steam games from a flash drive, there are some other factors to keep in mind:
Some games may have restrictions on installing to external or removable drives. Certain games may block installation on flash drives or external HDDs due to anti-piracy measures. It’s a good idea to check if a game has any limitations before attempting to install it on a flash drive.
Save games may need to be stored separately. Since flash drives are portable, save games can be lost if not stored properly. It’s best to configure save game and profile folders to save on your PC’s internal drive or cloud storage. This prevents losing progress if the flash drive is damaged or lost.
Multiplayer connectivity issues can occur with removable drives. Due to latency and slower transfer speeds, online multiplayer performance may suffer when running games from a flash drive. For reliable online gaming, installing on an internal HDD is recommended.
Overall, flash drives work for Steam games but require some caution. Checking for restrictions, planning save storage, and considering multiplayer performance are wise steps before adopting a portable flash drive install.
Recommended Flash Drives
When selecting a flash drive for Steam games, it’s important to choose one with good performance, reliability, and sufficient capacity. Based on expert reviews and benchmarks, here are some top recommendations across different price points:
For a high-performance but affordable option, check out the SanDisk Extreme USB 3.1 drive. It has read speeds up to 260MB/s and write speeds of 250MB/s. The rugged metal casing is durability tested and available in capacities from 64GB to 1TB.
The Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 is a good mid-range pick, with quoted read speeds up to 400MB/s. It’s a bit pricier but comes in capacities up to 512GB. The retractable design is convenient and protective.
For maximum performance, the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate GT is one of the fastest USB drives available, with read/write speeds rated at 1,000MB/s. With premium components, it achieves fast game load times but is expensive at over $700 for the 2TB version.
Choosing the right capacity comes down to how many and what size games you want installed. A minimum of 128GB is recommended for a useful number of modern Steam games, while 1TB allows you to store a sizable library.
Conclusion
To summarize, using a flash drive with Steam is possible for most PC users. The main benefits are portability, ability to access games from any PC, and not needing as much hard drive storage. The downsides are slower loading times compared to an internal drive, flash drive lifespan and reliability concerns, and USB transfer speed limitations. With the right USB 3.0+ flash drive and proper setup, however, you can enjoy a smooth experience gaming from a flash drive on Steam.
The most important factors for optimal performance are using a fast, high-quality flash drive and configuring Steam properly to install games on the external drive. Test various flash drives to find one that provides fast read/write speeds before purchasing. When installing Steam, opt to save new game content to the flash drive instead of defaulting to the internal PC hard drive. Lastly, don’t try to run productivity applications or the OS from the same external drive being used for Steam games.
With a bit of planning and the right flash drive, Steam users can conveniently access their game library from any Windows PC. Just be mindful of the limitations and make adjustments if you experience lagging load times or other issues. Prioritizing a fast, durable flash drive and configuring Steam appropriately will lead to smooth PC gameplay on the go.
