Steam Remote Play Together lets one person host a supported local multiplayer game while friends join over the internet. The host signs in, owns and installs the game, launches its local co-op or split-screen mode, opens the Steam Overlay with Shift+Tab, and chooses Remote Play Together beside a friend’s name. The friend accepts the invitation and plays through a stream of the host computer’s video and audio.
Guests do not need to buy or install the game. They do need a compatible Steam client or Steam Link device and, when the game expects one, a controller. Game support is specific to each title, so verify the store page before scheduling a session.
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What Steam Remote Play Together actually does
Remote Play Together turns a game’s local multiplayer mode into a streamed session. The host PC runs the game, renders the graphics, and sends compressed video and audio to each guest. Steam sends each guest’s controller, keyboard, or mouse input back to the host, where the game treats it like another local player.
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This is different from ordinary online multiplayer. The game itself must contain local multiplayer, local co-op, shared-screen, or split-screen functionality; Remote Play Together does not add an online mode to a single-player title. Steam can support up to four players, or more when the connection is fast enough, according to its current Remote Play overview. The practical player limit still comes from the game and the host’s hardware.
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Check compatibility before inviting anyone
Find the feature on the Steam store page
Open the game’s current Steam store page and inspect its feature or details area. Look specifically for Remote Play Together alongside the local multiplayer, local co-op, shared-screen, or split-screen indicators. Treat the store listing as the authority for that title: a developer can disable the feature, and support can change between releases.
Understand what the feature does not support
- Virtual-reality games are excluded from Remote Play Together.
- A non-Steam game may stream in some cases, but Steam does not officially support that arrangement.
- A game that has no local multiplayer, local co-op, shared-screen, or split-screen mode cannot gain those capabilities through Remote Play Together.
Check the listing again after a major game update or when planning a different edition, because compatibility belongs to the specific title and edition rather than to Steam as a whole.
Ownership, installation, and roles
The host
The host is the computer that runs the game. The host must be signed in to Steam, own the game, and have it installed. It also needs enough CPU and GPU capacity to run the game while encoding a live stream for the guests.
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The guests
Guests connect through Steam Remote Play streaming technology. They do not need to own or install the game. Each guest needs a supported Steam client, another compatible PC, or a device running Steam Link. If the game expects a gamepad, the guest should connect one before joining or follow the game’s in-session controller prompt.
Requirements checklist
- A Steam account for the host and an accepted friend invitation for each guest.
- The game installed on the host PC and listed as supporting Remote Play Together.
- A host PC capable of running the game and streaming it at the same time.
- A minimum quad-core CPU is recommended by Steam for the computer running the game.
- A receiving client with a GPU that supports hardware-accelerated H.264 decoding.
- A network connection between host and guests; Ethernet is preferred for the host and for a Steam Link path.
- A controller for each participant when the game’s local mode is controller-based, or permission to share keyboard and mouse when appropriate.
Set up a session on a PC
- Sign in and install. On the host PC, sign in to Steam and install the compatible game.
- Confirm support. On the game’s store page, verify that Remote Play Together appears in the feature or details area.
- Launch the game. Start the game from the host’s Steam library.
- Open local multiplayer. Enter the game’s local multiplayer, local co-op, shared-screen, or split-screen mode. Some games do not expose the invitation option until this screen is active.
- Open the overlay. Press Shift+Tab while the game is running to open the Steam Overlay.
- Invite the friend. Open the Friends list, select the friend, and choose Remote Play Together.
- Accept the invitation. The friend accepts the Steam invitation. Steam then begins sending the host’s game video and audio to that guest and routes the guest’s input back to the host.
- Assign inputs in the game. Have each participant connect a controller and use the game’s join screen to assign a gamepad or local player slot.
- Review sharing permissions. In the Remote Play panel, allow or restrict keyboard and mouse sharing. Restrict those devices when guests should use controllers only; enable sharing when the game requires a guest to operate the keyboard or mouse.
Steam’s support flow is intentionally short: launch the game, open the in-game overlay with Shift+Tab, select Remote Play Together from the friend list, and let the friend accept. The game’s own local-player screen remains responsible for adding participants.
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Let a friend join from a phone or Steam Link
Using the Steam mobile flow
Steam’s mobile flow uses the Steam Chat app for the invitation. The guest accepts the Remote Play Together invite in Steam Chat, after which the session opens in Steam Link. The phone or tablet is acting as the receiving client; the host PC still runs the game.
Touch controls are not automatically equivalent to a physical gamepad. For a title designed around controllers, pair a compatible controller with the device or use another supported Steam Link client that has a controller connected.
Using Steam Link hardware or another PC
A guest can join from another PC or from a device running Steam Link. The device receives the stream and returns input to the host. Keep the Steam Link device, its controller, and the network path ready before accepting the invite so the game can detect the additional local player promptly.
Controllers, keyboard, and mouse
Controller families with official support
In Big Picture mode, Steam officially supports Microsoft Xbox controllers, the Steam Controller, Sony DualShock 4 and DualSense controllers, and Nintendo Switch Pro controllers. A third-party controller may work, but Steam does not promise identical behavior or support for every model.
Configure one input per player
Connect each gamepad before opening the game’s player-join screen. If the game shows a prompt such as pressing a button to join, have each participant press that button on the intended controller. If a controller is assigned to the wrong player, leave the local-player screen, verify which device Steam recognizes, and assign the devices again.
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Sharing keyboard and mouse
Remote Play can share the host’s keyboard and mouse with guests when the host permits it in the Remote Play panel. This is useful for games that use keyboard and mouse input, but it can also let a guest move the host cursor or type into menus. Turn sharing off when the game is controller-only or when you want the host to retain exclusive desktop control.
Network and hardware choices that affect play
Use a wired path where possible
Steam recommends a wired network for the best streaming experience and strongly recommends wired connectivity for Steam Link hardware. Connect the host PC to the router with Ethernet first. If a Steam Link device is used, wire that device as well when practical. Wireless can still work, but interference, distance, and competing traffic can increase delay or produce uneven video.
Host processing
The host must render the game and encode its stream concurrently. Steam recommends at least a quad-core CPU for the computer running the game. A higher-end processor or graphics card may be necessary for demanding games, high resolutions, or several guests, but Steam does not publish a universal performance tier for every title.
Guest decoding
The receiving client should have a GPU that supports hardware-accelerated H.264 decoding. Hardware decoding reduces the work placed on the guest device while it displays the stream. If a guest device lacks that capability, playback may be less reliable even when the host is powerful enough.
Reduce lag, stutter, or poor image quality
Adjust one variable at a time so you can identify which change helps. Steam’s documented levers trade image quality and capture detail for a more responsive stream.
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- Prefer Ethernet. Wire the host PC and Steam Link path before changing game settings.
- Lower the game’s resolution. A smaller frame is easier for the host to render, encode, and transmit.
- Disable vertical sync. Steam specifically recommends turning off V-Sync when latency or stutter is high.
- Open Steam Remote Play settings. Use the settings to trade speed against quality, limit network bandwidth, or lower the maximum capture resolution.
- Test after each change. Run the same local multiplayer scene for a few minutes, then keep the least aggressive setting that produces acceptable responsiveness.
There is no single latency number that applies to every Remote Play Together session. Distance, wireless congestion, game workload, encoding time, and the guest device all influence the result, so a setting that works for one household may not work for another.
Fix the most common setup failures
The Remote Play Together invitation is missing
- Return to the game’s Steam store page and confirm 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.
- Open the Steam Overlay with Shift+Tab and select the friend from the Friends list.
- Check that the friend is online and available to receive an invitation.
If the game has disabled the feature or never supported it, no overlay setting can create the missing option.
The friend accepted, but cannot control a player
- Confirm that Steam recognizes the guest’s controller before entering the game’s join screen.
- If the game uses keyboard and mouse, enable the appropriate sharing permission in the Remote Play panel.
- Look for the game’s own prompt to add another local player; accepting the stream does not always add a player automatically.
- Connect or re-pair the controller, then return to the local-player screen and assign it again.
Input behavior is game-specific. Steam does not promise identical controller or keyboard behavior for every supported title.
The stream is delayed or stutters
- Move the host and Steam Link connection to Ethernet where possible.
- Lower the game resolution and turn off V-Sync.
- In Remote Play settings, reduce the maximum capture resolution or limit network bandwidth to stabilize the connection.
- Check that the host is not already overloaded by the game and stream encoding; the quad-core recommendation is a baseline, not a guarantee for every workload.
The guest sees video but no audio
Verify that the guest joined the active Remote Play session rather than merely viewing an invitation notification. Reopen the invitation through Steam or Steam Link if necessary, then confirm the receiving device’s audio output is selected and not muted. The stream is designed to carry the host’s game video and audio together.
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| Factor | What to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Local player count | The number of players the game accepts in its local mode | Remote Play cannot exceed the game’s own local-player limit. |
| Input requirement | Whether the game expects controllers, keyboard and mouse, or both | Each guest needs a usable input device, and keyboard/mouse sharing may need permission. |
| Screen presentation | Shared-screen or split-screen design | It determines how players see one another and how much of the host display is streamed. |
| Remote Play Together listing | The feature shown on the current Steam store page | Support is title-specific and can be disabled. |
| Host capability | CPU, GPU, game settings, and available headroom for encoding | The host performs the game rendering and stream work. |
| Guest device | Another PC, Steam Link device, or supported mobile flow with H.264 hardware decoding where applicable | The guest must decode and display the stream while returning input. |
| Network path | Ethernet or wireless between host, router, and guest | Wired connections are Steam’s preferred path for consistent streaming. |
A practical pre-session checklist
- Confirm Remote Play Together on the exact game store page.
- Install and launch the game on the host PC.
- Enter its local multiplayer or split-screen menu before sending the invite.
- Connect and test each controller, or decide which participant will use shared keyboard and mouse.
- Use Ethernet for the host and Steam Link path when available.
- Ask each guest to open Steam, Steam Link, or the Steam Chat mobile flow before accepting.
- Send the invitation from the Shift+Tab overlay and wait for each guest to accept.
- Assign every controller in the game’s join screen.
- If responsiveness is poor, lower resolution, disable V-Sync, then adjust Remote Play bandwidth or capture-resolution settings.
What guests can and cannot do
A guest can provide input to the local multiplayer session and see the host’s streamed game. The guest does not receive a copy of the game, does not need a separate purchase, and does not run the game’s simulation locally. The host remains responsible for the game installation, rendering, encoding, and the local player slots exposed by the title.
Because the session is a stream, a guest cannot bypass a title’s local-player limit or turn a VR-only experience into a supported Remote Play Together session. The arrangement is best understood as remote access to the host’s couch-multiplayer setup, not as a replacement for a game’s native online mode.
Privacy and control during a session
Keyboard and mouse sharing grants another participant control over those devices inside the streamed session. Use the Remote Play panel to limit sharing to the inputs the game actually needs. For controller-based games, disabling unnecessary keyboard and mouse access keeps menus and the host desktop from being changed accidentally.
End the invitation or close the game when the group is finished. Guests lose access to the stream when the host stops the Remote Play session or exits the game.
Quick Recap
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