A lot of great multiplayer games are designed for local play: everyone in front of one screen, each holding a controller. That works until your friends live in another city and the game has no online mode. Steam's Remote Play Together exists for exactly this situation. Its sibling, Remote Play, lets you stream games from the PC in your study to a TV, tablet or phone elsewhere in the house. This guide is for anyone who wants to play local multiplayer with distant friends, or play their PC games on another device. You will learn how the two features differ, how they work, which network factors affect quality, and how to fix the usual problems.
Many long-time PC players remember crowding around one keyboard with friends, fighting over keys. Remote Play Together brings that experience online, with real-time video streaming doing the heavy lifting.
Remote Play vs. Remote Play Together
The names are similar and they share the same streaming technology, but the goals differ:
- Remote Play: you stream a game running on your own PC to another of your own devices, such as a living-room TV or a tablet. It is for you.
- Remote Play Together: you stream a local multiplayer game from your PC to friends, and their controller or keyboard input is sent back to your PC. It is for you and your friends.
In both cases the game runs on one computer only. Other devices receive video and send input. That means the host PC's performance and its upload connection shape everyone's experience.
How Remote Play Together Works
Only the Host Needs to Own the Game
This is the headline feature: only the host who starts the session needs to own the game. Invited friends do not need to buy or install it. They see your game's video and are treated as additional local players.
Supported Games
Remote Play Together only works with games that support it, typically titles with local multiplayer, split-screen or local co-op. Look for "Remote Play Together" in the store page feature list. Support is decided per game, so not every multiplayer game qualifies.
Starting a Session
- The host launches a supported game and goes to the screen where local players can join.
- Open the Steam overlay and, from your friends list, invite a friend to Remote Play Together.
- The friend accepts in their Steam client and the stream starts on their PC.
- The friend plays with a controller or keyboard and mouse, and the game sees them as another local player.
- The host can manage each guest's input from the overlay, for example allowing only a controller or temporarily muting someone's keyboard.
Steam also offers a way to invite friends who do not have a Steam account via an invite link, with the guest using the Steam Link app. Availability and limits can change, so check Steam's official support pages for the current rules.
Remote Play and the Steam Link App
If you just want to play your own games on another device, Remote Play is enough:
- PC to PC: sign in to the same account on both machines; games installed on the host appear in the other PC's library with an option to stream.
- PC to phone, tablet or TV: install the Steam Link app, pair it with the PC running Steam, and stream. It is available on common mobile platforms and some smart TVs; check the relevant app store for current support.
- PC to Steam Deck: the Deck can also receive Remote Play, which helps with games that are too demanding to run locally on the handheld.
Valve once sold a physical Steam Link box, but it was discontinued years ago. The app is now the main way to receive a stream.
Network Basics
Streaming quality depends mostly on the network. You do not need to memorize numbers; just understand a few ideas:
Host Upload Matters More Than Download
In Remote Play Together, the host sends video to every guest, which uses the host's upload bandwidth. Many home connections have fast downloads but much slower uploads, and that is the most common cause of blurry or stuttering streams.
Latency Matters More Than Raw Speed
Latency is the delay between pressing a button and seeing the result. Distance and complex routes increase it. Playing with friends in the same city or country is usually smoother than crossing continents. Fast games that rely on precise timing feel latency the most.
Wired Beats Wireless
Put the host on wired Ethernet whenever possible. If a device must use Wi-Fi, a 5GHz connection close to the router helps. This matters even more for in-home Remote Play, where both ends share the same home network.
Tune the Stream
Steam's Remote Play settings let you adjust quality preferences and bandwidth limits. When things are unstable, lowering quality a notch is usually more fun than constant hitching.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming every multiplayer game works: only games marked as supporting Remote Play Together do, and they are mostly local multiplayer titles. Online-only games usually require each player to own a copy.
- Hosting over Wi-Fi while downloading: background updates or someone streaming high-resolution video eats the bandwidth everyone depends on.
- Ignoring host performance: the host runs the game and encodes video at the same time. A PC that is already struggling will stream worse.
- Forgetting guest input settings: a guest using keyboard and controller at once can cause confusing input. Agree on devices first.
- Expecting zero latency over long distances: streaming always adds some delay. Turn-based and slower games suit it better than fighting or rhythm games.
Game Types That Work Well
- Same-screen co-op: puzzle and platforming games for two or more players tolerate a little latency.
- Party games: minigame collections, quizzes and drawing games pair well with voice chat.
- Turn-based games: strategy and board-game style titles barely notice latency.
When you spot a local multiplayer game with Remote Play Together support on our free games page (Free Games) or popular deals page (Popular Deals), one copy can cover a whole group of friends.
FAQ
Q: Do my friends really not need to buy the game?
With Remote Play Together, only the host needs to own the game. Guests receive the stream and send input, without owning or installing anything. That is the key difference from regular online multiplayer.
Q: How many people can join?
It depends on how many local players the game supports and on the host's connection and hardware. More guests means more upload load on the host. Check Steam's official support pages for current limits.
Q: The picture looks sharp for me but blurry for my friend. Why?
You see the native image; your friend sees a compressed video stream. Blurriness usually points to limited host upload or an unstable connection. Try wired Ethernet, pause background downloads, or lower stream quality in settings.
Q: How is Remote Play different from cloud gaming services?
Remote Play streams a game running on your own PC, which must be on with the game installed. Cloud gaming runs the game on a provider's servers. Remote Play needs no extra subscription, but quality depends on your own hardware and network.
Q: Do I need a controller to use Remote Play on a phone?
The Steam Link app offers touch controls, but most games, especially action games, are much better with a Bluetooth controller.