Can You Burn Games With a CD Burner?

CD burners provide a lot of benefits for users. Whether it is to back up data, share data or create a mixed CD, the CD burner is a useful tool. Burning games onto CDs becomes a bit more complicated, though, because not only does the type of game matter, but other factors matter as well, including size, system and what type of files you are actually burning. There are a lot of ways to burn games onto a CD, and these ways can help you with future projects.

Features

CD burners do not work magically on their own. The burner must be used in conjunction with a program that can sort and arrange data that will get sent to the CD burner to create. Different CD burning programs serve different functions like musical CDs, pictures, VCDs (video CDs) and games. Burning games playable on a CD will most likely be on a data CD, but sometimes games will be burned as packaged ISOs as well. ISOs, International Organization for Standardization, are prepackaged files that can only be unlocked using specialty programs.

Data CDs are easy to burn for beginners and require a simple drag and drop process to burn. ISOs may be a bit more complicated, not just to burn, but to run the CD later as well. ISO CDs usually need a program like "Iso Buster" that will make the data on the CD playable.

Considerations

Most burned games for video game systems will not work unless a mod chip is installed. Mod chips allow burned video games to be played because the chip actually hacks the motherboard of the system and overrides any blocks the system may have. The only systems that usually allow hacking and burned games are the Sega Dreamcast and Microsoft XBox, but sometimes burned games do not work in these systems either.

Function

When burning a game on CD for a computer, you cannot simply burn the program files, or the game will not work. The key to burning a game on a CD is by making sure you burn all of the installation files that came with the program. These files contain all of the data and system files that are needed to run the program properly.

Warning

The only legal way to make copies of games is by copying games that you own for backup purposes. Any other burned game is considered illegal, and you could get charged with a large fine for owning any type of illegal game.

Size

A blank CD typically holds around 700MB. This is usually large enough to hold most games, but larger games like the Sims require two CDs and may not fit onto one CD. The process of burning one game onto two discs becomes a lot more complicated, so sticking to one disc will make it as easy as possible. If you need to, you can upgrade and burn a game to a DVD.