Share Your Steam Games on a MicroSD Card Across All Devices

Valve is expanding its hardware lineup with a unified approach to game portability across its new Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and existing Steam Deck. Each of these Linux-powered devices includes a microSD card slot, allowing users to seamlessly transfer their entire game library between different form factors. Whether you’re moving from a handheld session to a living room setup or switching into virtual reality, your installed games can travel with you effortlessly.

The microSD slot is positioned thoughtfully on each device, tucked into the Steam Frame’s strap, placed on the front of the Steam Machine, and located under the Steam Deck’s screen. Valve emphasizes that the process is plug-and-play: insert a card loaded with games from one device into another, and your library becomes instantly accessible. Jeremy Selan, a Steam Frame engineer, notes, “Your catalog is fully interoperable. Just plug it in and bring your games along.”

All three Valve devices support microSD cards with capacities up to 2 TB using the SDXC standard. According to Valve engineers, performance remains strong even when running games directly from the card. Yazan Aldehayyat, who works on the Steam Machine, stated, “We think you get a really good experience with SD cards. Load times and boot times are still really good, it’s the easiest option and what we recommend for most people.”

While each device includes internal storage, expanding via microSD is the simplest upgrade path. Replacing the internal SSD on the Steam Deck or Steam Machine requires cloning the existing drive, which can be cumbersome for many users. By contrast, popping in a microSD card is quick and requires no technical skill. The built-in storage options available for each device are 512 GB or 2 TB.

Pricing for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame has not been announced, so it’s unclear whether opting for a higher internal storage tier offers better value compared to buying a microSD card. For reference, the 1 TB Steam Deck OLED costs $100 more than the 512 GB model, significantly pricier than a 512 GB microSD card, which typically sells for $30 to $50.

From a pure value perspective, microSD cards deliver outstanding affordability, though you may notice slower load speeds in certain titles. The Steam Deck’s internal NVMe drive, while not as fast as top-tier gaming SSDs, still outperforms microSD storage.

Beyond shared storage compatibility, these devices are united in other ways. SteamOS, Valve’s custom operating system, offers a consistent user interface originally designed for the Steam Deck but now extended to Big Picture Mode and SteamVR. Fast suspend and resume functionality is another feature common across the entire product family.

Clement Gallois, a designer on the Steam Frame, highlighted the team’s focus on cohesion: “We’re a fairly small industrial design team, and we made sure it felt like a family of devices, down to the smallest details. The feel of the hardware, the buttons, their responsiveness, everything belongs together and works seamlessly.”

Valve has not confirmed specific release dates for the Steam Frame, Steam Machine, or the new Steam Controller, only indicating that they will arrive at some point next year. In the meantime, Steam Deck owners can get a head start by loading their favorite games onto a microSD card, ready to plug and play as soon as the new hardware launches.

Valve’s New Hardware

• Steam Frame: Valve’s new wireless VR headset
• Steam Machine: Compact living room gaming box
• Steam Controller: A controller to replace your mouse

(Source: PC Gamer)