Dubbed 'Remote Play Together', this new Steam feature will allow players to enjoy local multiplayer games online "just like handing a second controller to a friend". Moreover, only the host needs to own the game and can thereby send invites to Friends via the Steam Overlay.

Remote Play Together will be compatible with any game supporting local multiplayer, local co-op or shared / split-screen features. This new addition will support up to 4 players and renders 60 frames per second at a resolution of 1080p (requires a connection between 10 to 30 Mbps for a successful low-latency session). A beta is planned to launch the week of October 21.

Valve made the announcement via the Steamworks website to developers, some of whom shared the news publicly. The message also reads that "this feature is designed to add value to multiplayer games which do not already have native online capabilities. It will soon be enjoyed among friends online using the Remote Play Together Beta, enabling fans to introduce your local multiplayer game to new audiences."

What game comes to your mind that will benefit from this feature?

SOURCE

 

[Hells Malice]

That's very very good news for games like TowerFall which are maybe a tenth as popular because of a lack of online multiplayer.

 

[BLsquared]

Cool. There's been a few times I wish I could do something like this before, nice to know Valve is putting forwards their own built-in solution.

 

[DuskRPG]

This is !$&@ awesome...I never really used steam but will definitely be using this feature...what games do you guys recommend.

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[RLXD]

So it works like Remote Play on PS4. Nice.
Main problem will be the bandwidth as 10 - 30Mbps connection means that one needs up to 30Mbps download and the other one up to 30Mbps upload. The upload will be the biggest problem here as a lot of ISPs don't offer that much. Will test it at launch with my 40Mbps upload...

 

[OrGoN3]

Finally. A platform other than PS4 that supports this feature!

 

[HylianLZ]

Just a matter of time before Sony sues Steam for using the term "remote play".

Not sure if you were joking or not, but assuming you weren't, Sony doesn't own a copyright for "remote play". I looked it up, because I was genuinely curious.

 

[FAST6191]

Over 4,000 local multiplayer games on Steam alone, though I'm sure a significant number of those also have online multiplayer built-in.

and if we take out the endless twin stick shooters that don't rise to meet the occasion and forgettable beat em ups?

 

[WiiHomebrew+Snes]

We already have parsec for this kind of application and need. I play emulators and steam games often via parsec.

I've use hamachi or something in the past to play LAN Halo CE online but itd be a lot more convenient if it was built into steam

 

[shadow1w2]

Oh hey, Fight N Rage should be great with this if its fighting game ready.
Parsec has this sort of function but they have the added option of letting users rent a computer through several services which is rather handy.
Though streaming off my own machine I've found anyone too far away causes some bandwidth issues.
Steam handling it, should be interesting.
Really hope it'll turn out well but it still won't beat proper online modes if a game uses GGPO and your friend is too far away.

 

[GilgameshArcher]

PLEASE work with non steam games!!!... probably not, but this is still really nice.

I don't think so since some games will need patches

 

[FAST6191]

I've use hamachi or something in the past to play LAN Halo CE online but itd be a lot more convenient if it was built into steam

That sounds more like a VPN (virtual private network) wherein your local networks are tied together and a LAN game is then played with the internet acting as a giant LAN cable (with attendant issues over dedicated internet options -- https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131781/the_internet_sucks_or_what_i_.php is old but so very true to this day).
This is some variation on the theme of VNC or remote control application. Such things have been used for gaming for years now (emulators used a service/program called Kaillera back at least in 2003) and Windows' own RDP has been used for probably longer still (it is actually quite good compared to a lot of VNC offerings as far as latency, sound, USB inputs and more besides, they tend however to deem it a business feature and only include a horribly cut down version in home versions of windows, though nicely virtualbox includes a decent version and coupled with their increased support for 3d cards means some interesting things for the future for me).

 

[Ericthegreat]

Now we just need online only co ops to enable local co op :/

 

[Jokey_Carrot]

So it's a shite version of parsec that only works with steam games. cool.

 

[LightBeam]

So basically, it's Parsec but directly in Steam.
That's damn good. I'll keep Parsec if it doesn't work for non-Steam games (Parsec is great too)

 

[BernardoOne]

More like "why competition is good for consumers".

they've been working on this far before EGS was a thing, if that's what you're implying.

And no, competition isn't some kind of magical voodoo. In fact, not a single client out there outside of Steam "competes" in any way. Origin, Uplay, BattleNet are all extremely stagnant messes that never get new features. EGS is pathetically barebones as well. How would this feature be a result of "competition" if none of the competitors is even remotely close to ever having a feature like this in the next 20 years?

 

[Mythical]

So Portal 2 co-op with 1 person owning portal 2?

 

[Captain_N]

well shit steam, welcome to 1990's. Its called fucking lan mode. You know the mode you destroyed? Any lan mode can be turned in to online. Like i said welcome to the 1990's...

 

[FAST6191]

well shit steam, welcome to 1990's. Its called fucking lan mode. You know the mode you destroyed? Any lan mode can be turned in to online. Like i said welcome to the 1990's...

While I will join you in mourning the death of LAN mode this is more shared remote control by the looks of things. Similar instead to what consoles are/were known for, and the PC basically never was, where everything was done on one machine but with multiple inputs.

 

[SonicRings]

So basically parsec but on Steam, and it doesn't work with non-Steam games. Think I'll stick with parsec.

 

[RickBruiser]

That's actually an amazing idea! I can totally imagine a huge pacman map with some ghosts and some pacmans and the map slowly narrowing in.

I was so dissapointed and sad when I saw that pacman 256 was local only. It's such an amazing game that needs more recognition.