Steam Remote Play Together lets one person host a supported local multiplayer game while friends join by streaming it from the host’s PC. The host owns and installs the game; invited players do not need to buy or install their own copies. To start, launch the game, enter its local multiplayer mode, press Shift+Tab, choose a friend from the Friends list, and select Remote Play Together. The friend accepts the invitation, then Steam sends the host’s video and audio to the guest and returns the guest’s controller or keyboard input to the host.
This works only for games that support the feature. Check the game’s current Steam store page for the Remote Play Together listing before arranging a session.
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What Steam Remote Play Together actually does
Remote Play Together converts a local multiplayer session into a streamed session. The game runs on the host computer, just as it would for couch co-op. Steam captures that computer’s video and audio, streams them to invited players, and sends each guest’s input back to the host. The guests are therefore joining the host’s local session rather than running the game independently.
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Valve describes the service as supporting up to four players, or even more with fast connections. The practical limit is still the game’s own local-player limit: Remote Play Together cannot add extra seats to a title that supports only two or three local players.
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The feature is intended for games marked with local multiplayer, local co-op, shared-screen, or split-screen support. A game can disable Remote Play Together, so an apparently multiplayer title is not automatically eligible. Virtual-reality games are excluded, and streaming a non-Steam game may work in some cases but is not officially supported.
Who needs to own the game?
Only the host needs to own and install the game. Steamworks states that additional players connect through Steam Remote Play streaming technology, so guests do not need to purchase or install another copy for the session. They still need a compatible device, an invitation, and whatever input hardware the local game expects.
The host’s copy supplies the game executable, save data, downloadable content, and graphics workload. A guest receives the resulting stream and contributes input. If the title requires each local player to use a controller, every participating player should have a controller connected and recognized by Steam before joining.
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Check compatibility and equipment first
Verify the game listing
- Open the game’s Steam store page.
- Look in the feature or details area for Remote Play Together.
- Confirm that the listed local mode matches what you intend to play: local multiplayer, local co-op, shared screen, or split screen.
Do this check for the current store listing. A developer can disable the feature, and the presence of online multiplayer does not prove that local Remote Play Together is available.
Host requirements
- Steam must be signed in on the computer running the game.
- The game must be installed on that computer.
- Steam recommends at least a quad-core CPU for the computer running the game.
- A wired network connection is Steam’s preferred setup for the host and for a Steam Link path.
Guest requirements
- The guest needs a supported Steam client device, such as another computer, or a device running Steam Link.
- The receiving device should have a GPU capable of hardware-accelerated H.264 decoding.
- Use a controller when the game expects local players to use gamepads. Steam officially supports Microsoft Xbox controllers, the Steam Controller, Sony DualShock 4 and DualSense controllers, and Nintendo Switch Pro controllers in Big Picture mode.
- A guest using a phone accepts the invitation in the Steam Chat app; Steam then opens Steam Link for the streaming session.
Network planning
Because the host is sending live video and receiving input, the network path affects responsiveness. Ethernet is the safest choice for the host PC and for Steam Link hardware. Wi-Fi can be usable, but Steam’s own guidance recommends wired connectivity for the best streaming experience and strongly recommends it with Steam Link hardware.
Step-by-step: invite a friend to a local game
- Sign in and install. On the host PC, sign in to Steam and install the game.
- Confirm the feature. On the store page, verify that Remote Play Together appears in the game’s features or details.
- Launch the game. Start it from the host’s Steam library.
- Enter the local mode. Open the game’s local multiplayer, local co-op, shared-screen, or split-screen menu. Some games expose the join prompt only after a level or lobby has loaded.
- Open the Steam Overlay. Press Shift+Tab while the game is running.
- Choose the friend. Open the Friends list, select the person you want to invite, and choose Remote Play Together.
- Wait for acceptance. The friend accepts the invitation. Steam then streams the host’s game video and audio to that friend and sends the friend’s input back to the host.
- Assign local players. In the game’s join screen, have each participant press the required button or connect a gamepad. A Remote Play connection alone does not always trigger a game’s local-player join prompt.
- Set input permissions. Open the Remote Play panel and allow or restrict keyboard and mouse sharing. Restrict sharing when only controllers should be active; enable it when a guest must use keyboard or mouse input.
Steam’s support flow is deliberately short: launch the game, open the in-game overlay with Shift+Tab, select Remote Play Together from the Friends list, and let the friend accept. The game itself remains responsible for adding that person to a local-player slot.
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How guests join from a PC, Steam Link, or phone
Another PC
A friend on another computer accepts the Steam invitation and receives the host’s stream in the Steam client. Their device decodes the video and sends controller, keyboard, or mouse input upstream. The game continues to run only on the host PC.
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Steam Link can act as the receiving endpoint for a guest. Connect the Steam Link device to the display and controllers the guest will use, accept the invitation, and keep the host and Steam Link path wired where possible. Steam strongly recommends wired connectivity for Steam Link hardware because the stream and control data are continuous.
Phone or tablet
For Steam’s mobile flow, the guest accepts the invitation in the Steam Chat app. The invitation then opens Steam Link, which handles the game stream. A touchscreen may not provide the controls a particular local game needs, so use a supported controller when the game expects one.
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Controllers, keyboard, and mouse
Remote Play Together can pass controller input from each participant, or the host can allow keyboard and mouse sharing through the Remote Play panel. The correct choice depends on the game’s local input design.
For controller-based games
- Connect each controller to the participant’s device before joining.
- Confirm that Steam detects the controller; Big Picture mode is the place where Steam documents official support for Xbox, Steam Controller, DualShock 4, DualSense, and Switch Pro families.
- Accept the invitation and wait for the game’s local-player or join prompt.
- Press the game’s join button on each controller and assign the desired player number.
Third-party controllers may work, but Steam does not promise identical behavior for every model or every game. If a controller is visible to the operating system but not to Steam, the game may never receive that guest’s input.
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For keyboard and mouse sharing
Open the Remote Play panel after the guest connects and choose whether keyboard and mouse sharing is allowed. Sharing is useful for a game designed around a common keyboard or for a guest who has no controller. It is unnecessary for a controller-only session and can create unwanted input if several people move the same cursor or press the same keys.
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Improve image quality and reduce lag
There is no universal latency number for Remote Play Together: results depend on the host hardware, the receiving device, the game, and the network path. Steam’s recommended adjustments are practical trade-offs between responsiveness, image quality, and available bandwidth.
| Adjustment | What to do | Trade-off or purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Network path | Connect the host PC by Ethernet; use a wired path for Steam Link when possible. | Reduces dependence on wireless conditions and is Steam’s preferred streaming setup. |
| Game resolution | Lower the game’s resolution when stutter or delay is high. | Reduces the amount of image data the host must render and stream, at the cost of sharpness. |
| Vertical sync | Turn off V-Sync in the game when input feels delayed or the stream stutters. | Can reduce synchronization delay; display tearing may become more noticeable. |
| Remote Play quality | In Steam Remote Play settings, trade speed against quality. | Favors responsiveness or image quality depending on the selected direction. |
| Bandwidth limit | Use the Remote Play setting to limit network bandwidth when the connection is congested. | Controls network usage; a lower limit can require lower image quality. |
| Capture resolution | Lower the maximum capture resolution in Remote Play settings. | Reduces stream workload and bandwidth requirements. |
Use the host’s hardware wisely
Steam recommends a minimum quad-core CPU for the computer running the game. That is a baseline recommendation, not a guarantee that every game will stream smoothly: a demanding title can still need more CPU or GPU headroom for the game and the capture process at the same time. Close unnecessary workloads on the host and lower the game’s resolution before inviting everyone if the host is already near its performance limit.
Check the receiving device
The guest device should support hardware-accelerated H.264 decoding. If decoding falls back to a slower path, the guest may see stutter even when the host game is rendering correctly. A wired connection to the receiving device is especially useful for Steam Link.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The Remote Play Together invitation is missing
- Return to the game’s Steam store page and verify that Remote Play Together is listed.
- Make sure the host has launched the game and entered its local multiplayer, local co-op, shared-screen, or split-screen mode.
- Check that you selected a friend from the in-game Steam Overlay with Shift+Tab, not only from a desktop friends window.
- Remember that VR titles are not supported for Remote Play Together.
- If this is a non-Steam game, streaming may work experimentally, but it is not officially supported.
The guest accepts but cannot control the game
- Check that the guest’s controller is recognized by Steam.
- Open the Remote Play panel and enable keyboard and mouse sharing if that is the intended input method.
- Look for the game’s local-player join prompt; the guest may be connected to the stream but not yet assigned to a player slot.
- Have the guest press the game’s documented join button after the local mode is open.
Input behavior is game-specific. Steam provides the transport, but each game decides how additional local players are added and which devices are accepted.
The stream is lagging or stuttering
- Move the host to Ethernet and, for Steam Link, use a wired connection to the network where possible.
- Lower the game’s resolution.
- Disable V-Sync in the game’s graphics options.
- In Steam Remote Play settings, lower the maximum capture resolution or adjust the speed-versus-quality setting toward speed.
- Apply a bandwidth limit if other traffic is competing for the connection.
- Confirm that the host meets Steam’s quad-core recommendation and that the receiving device can hardware-decode H.264.
The guest sees video but no audio
Remote Play is designed to stream the host’s game video and audio together. Check the receiving device’s selected output and volume, then reconnect the session. If video works while input or audio does not, isolate one change at a time: first verify the Steam Link or client connection, then the game’s local-player and input settings.
How to choose a game and setup before you invite people
Remote Play Together is easiest when the game’s local design, player count, and hardware needs are clear. Use these checks when comparing candidate games or deciding whether a particular guest setup will be comfortable:
Quick Recap
- Local-player count: Confirm how many people the game supports locally; Remote Play does not raise that limit.
- Input requirement: Determine whether the game expects one controller per player, a shared keyboard, or a mixture.
- Screen presentation: Shared-screen games show everyone the same view, while split-screen games divide the local display. The distinction affects how readable the streamed image feels on a small guest screen.
- Store-page support: Verify that Remote Play Together is currently listed.
- Host capacity: Check that the host CPU and GPU have room to run the game and capture the stream.
- Guest device: Match each participant with a compatible PC, Steam Link device, or mobile Steam Link setup and the necessary controller.
- Network path: Prefer Ethernet for the host and Steam Link route, especially when several guests will connect.
What Remote Play Together cannot do
- It cannot let a guest run the game independently; the host PC runs the game throughout the session.
- It cannot bypass a game’s local-player limit or add local co-op to a title that lacks it.
- It does not officially support VR games.
- It does not make non-Steam games officially supported, even if streaming happens to function.
- It cannot guarantee identical controller behavior across every third-party controller and game.
A reliable pre-session checklist
- The host owns and has installed the game.
- The store page lists Remote Play Together.
- The host has entered the game’s local multiplayer, local co-op, shared-screen, or split-screen mode.
- Steam is signed in and the Steam Overlay opens with Shift+Tab.
- Each guest has a supported Steam client, Steam Link device, or mobile Steam Link path.
- Controllers are connected and visible to Steam, or keyboard and mouse sharing is enabled as required.
- The host and Steam Link path use Ethernet where possible.
- The game’s resolution and V-Sync settings are ready to be reduced or disabled if responsiveness is poor.
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