How to Remotely Play Steam Games Without a Steam Account
Jackbox games have become a popular pastime in pandemic life , probably because the barrier to entry is absurdly low: the game is played by one person; everyone else gets out their phones, enters the code into the website, and you’re done. No need to create an account or download a separate app – just enter four numbers in the browser bar and come up with a smart username.
It is for this reason that I am pleased with the new feature that Valve is currently testing on Steam. The Invite Someone update to the existing remote play feature allows a Steam player to play compatible games with any of their friends. To do this, they will not need to create an account on Steam; they’ll just be able to connect right after they click the hyperlink (and install the app).
At least, that’s what Valve promises in their notes about updating the beta version of the Steam client. As far as how well this feature works in practice, there is only one way to find out: by testing it in some games.
To join me on this adventure, start by registering for the beta version of the Steam client via Steam> Settings> Account . The opportunity to join beta testing should be pretty obvious.
Once you log in, you only need to download all the necessary updates to the Steam client.
Then enable remote playback in your settings:
To start the fun, launch a game that supports remote playback, which you can find a list of by filtering your library using the icon to the right of the search box:
Then open Steam Overlay ( Shift + Tab is the default hotkey) and find the new “Remote Play Together – Copy Link” callout in your friends list:
Click Got it, and then click the little thread icon to the right of the Remote Play – Copy Link heading. This field will appear, after which your link should be copied to the clipboard:
Then just send that link to a friend who will need to install Steam Link on their Windows , Android or iOS device before they click. (This version of Remote Play will not work with macOS users at this time; the dedicated Steam Link app is not available at the time of this writing.)
As far as how this new version of Remote Play works in practice, I tried it out on iOS and found it very user-friendly. There is of course a caveat that the host will have to choose a game that people can play together on the couch (like Overcooked ). Games like the one in my example, Stardew Valley , support remote access , but both of you won’t be able to manage two separate farmers and play on the same farm together because the game is different. If you tried this, you would both be controlling the same character, which would be total chaos. (Or maybe fun? Up to you.)
If you need any ideas to help you get on with your work – aside from the always available Lego series – the Steam Deleted Games Sale page is a good place to start. Remember, play can’t just be collaborative for this to work. It should be a game in which two people with two controllers can sit at the same desktop computer and play. Don’t buy the wrong games, believing that Valve has thrown open the doors to let you play any game, in co-op, with anyone – that’s not true, not entirely true.