Do Steam games function properly when installed on an external hard drive?
Do Steam games function properly when installed on an external hard drive?
Hello there, sorry if this is a nooby question, but I want to see if it's possible to install some games on Steam on an external drive since I don't want them eating space on my main disk? And if so, would it be possible to play them on other computers with steam logged on to the same account, or would I have to download individual copies for each computer? Thanks!
Absolutely, you can do that. Navigate to Steam’s settings by going to “Settings” then “Download.” You’ll be able to view your library folders and establish a new one on any storage device. Simply choose the external drive, and then when installing a game through Steam, it will prompt you to select which library to install the game into.
If you wish to play your games on a different computer, you’ll need to create the identical library. Upon installing a game and selecting your external drive during the installation process, Steam should locate the files automatically and install them directly – meaning you won’t have to re-download anything.
Absolutely, you can do that. Navigate to Steam's settings by going to Settings -> Download. You’ll be able to view your library folders and establish a new one on any storage device. Simply choose the external drive, then when installing a Steam game, you'll be prompted to specify which library to install it into. If you wish to play your games on a different computer, you’ll need to set up the identical library. When installing and selecting your external drive during that process, Steam should locate the files automatically and install them directly – eliminating the requirement to download the game again.
Does it maintain game files for titles lacking Steam Cloud compatibility, or are individual save files required?
Should the game employ cloud backups, you should retain your progress; however, if the save files are stored locally, you will not. It’s a pertinent inquiry, as I haven't personally explored this aspect myself.
It's possible to install this on a separate device without difficulty.
However, the operation might not be very fast.
Steam game storage:
Within your Steam application:
Steam
Preferences
Downloads
Game Library Locations
Add game location
To relocate an existing title:
Game Library
Select the game
Options
Local Files
Change Install Folder
You are unable to play with multiple users simultaneously using the same account.