[SOLVED] Can Steam games work on an external drive?

[Armel_08]

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!

 

[Nemesia]

Yeah you can. Go to Steam and go to settings -> Download. You can see your library folder and create a new library on any drive. Just select the external drive and after that when you install a Steam game it will ask you in which library you want to install the game.

If you want to play the games on another computer you will have to create the same library and when you install the game and choose the external drive it should find the files and be installed directly. No need to redownload the game.

 

[Armel_08]

Yeah you can. Go to Steam and go to settings -> Download. You can see your library folder and create a new library on any drive. Just select the external drive and after that when you install a Steam game it will ask you in which library you want to install the game.

If you want to play the games on another computer you will have to create the same library and when you install the game and choose the external drive it should find the files and be installed directly. No need to redownload the game.

Does it also have save files for some games that don't have Steam Cloud support on there or would there have to be separate saves?

 

[Nemesia]

Does it also have save files for some games that don't have Steam Cloud support on there or would there have to be separate saves?

If the game use the cloud saving you should have your save but if the savefiles are located locally you won't have them. That's a good question since I never tested that.

 

[USAFRet]

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!

You can install on an external, no problem.
Performance may suck, though.

Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

To move an already installed game

Games library

Right click the game

Properties

Local Files

Move Install Folder

You can't play 2 people from the same account at the same time.

 

[Armel_08]

If the game use the cloud saving you should have your save but if the savefiles are located locally you won't have them. That's a good question since I never tested that.

Oh okay, thanks for the clarification.