Can I Use an External DVD Drive to Play PC Games

Digital downloads have long been the primary method of buying and playing video games. Steam, Epic Store, Humble Bundle, GOG.com, and many other platforms are good in this regard.

Also, many modern laptops no longer have physical DVD drives. You can say there is no room for them anymore because their structures are gradually thinning out. Also, in a world where everything is online and can be downloaded via the cloud, you are unlikely to need a physical DVD drive anymore.

But there may be an exception. Playing video games from an external DVD drive, just like in the old days. Even though it seems technically possible, there are many details to consider. So:

PC games can be played using external DVD drives. Those who will use external hard drives to play games should pay attention to the physical disk protection that studios add to their games.

Can You Play PC Games with an External Disc Drive

You can play games through external CD and DVD drives. But before doing that, you need to know precisely the disk’s limitations.

Controlling the originality of game versions sold through digital platforms is much easier. With physical disks, the situation is a bit different. Some disks may refuse to run through external DVD drives to prevent copying. You can run an old game without problems, but there are easier ways to play a new one.

If there is no physical protection on the disk and the game is controlled online (many use this system), then there is no problem. You can install and play your game through an external DVD drive.

How to Play CD Games on Laptop

Most new laptops do not have a CD drive. Of course, there are many reasons for this, but the first two that come to mind are that they take up a lot of space and are technically obsolete. So what can you do if you have a game on disk?

Since external CD drives are not expensive, you can buy one that you can connect to your laptop via USB. Thanks to this method, you’ll be able to play your game, but if the disk’s condition is terrible, you’ll probably have reading problems.

You can use another straightforward method to eliminate these problems without buying an external CD drive. You can create a virtual image of the disk you have. Click here to learn how to do this.

Best External Disc Drive for PC Games

If you do not have a DVD drive on your computer or laptop and want to buy it, you can do so without spending much money. However, since it is not a device you will use for hours daily, you should choose it wisely.

Best external disc drives for gaming:

As you can see, the prices are pretty affordable, as it is no longer a popular technology. You can use these products not only for gaming but also for other CDs and DVDs that you need. The best way to play games is to buy and download digital versions.

The technologies used by manufacturers, especially in new hardware, generally directly impact the habits of consumers like us. So it’s no surprise that laptops have long since run out of DVD drives, as gaming has shifted entirely to digital media over the past decade.

You can play games on external DVD drives with our instructions above. But if you have a good Internet connection, it’s time to move your entire game library to platforms like Steam.

You can also consider external hard drives as an alternative to external DVD drives. Although the purpose of the two products is different, a good external SSD can be a better (but more expensive) solution, especially in terms of speed and performance.