Want to enjoy your favorite games on Steam Deck without installing them directly? This tutorial will guide you through using Steam RemotePlay. Steam Remote Play is a feature that allows gamers to stream games from the PC to Steam Deck over a local network. With this feature, users can stream high-quality gameplay without using valuable storage space on the handheld device. In this post, we will learn how to stream games from your PC to the Steam Deck using RemotePlay.
How to stream games from your PC to the Steam Deck using Remote Play
To stream games from your PC to the Steam Deck using Remote Play, execute the steps mentioned below:
- Ensures the prerequisites are met
- Set up your Steam Deck
- Start streaming games
- Exploring Additional features
Let’s get started.
1] Ensure the prerequisites are met
Before streaming games, users must ensure that prerequisites are met to enjoy smooth gameplay. First and foremost, ensure that Steam Deck is updated to the latest version of StreamOS. Next, a strong Internet connection for minimizing latency and Steam should be installed on both devices, logged in with the same account to enable seamless streaming. Once done let’s start the setting process.
2] Set up the Steam Deck
If Steam is not installed on either of the devices, navigate to the official website, download, and install the latest version of the software. Once done, the next step is to enable remote play and adjust streaming settings. Here’s how to do the same:
- Launch Steam, go to Settings and click on the Remote Play tab.
- Tick the Enable Remote Play option.
- Now, scroll down to go to the ADVANCED STREAMING OPTIONS, and tick Enable Advanced Host Option.
- Enable the Change desktop solution to match the streaming client, and Prioritize network traffic.
- Set the Number of software encoding threads to Automatic, and click the OK button to save the settings.
Once done, move to the next step.
3] Start Streaming games
With everything set up, users can begin streaming the games. However, make sure Stream is running on both PC and Steam Deck. Once powered up, navigate to the Steam Deck Library, the PC games will be listed with a Stream button instead of Play, so click on it to start playing the game. The game will run on the PC but will be streamed to Stream Deck for input and display.
To optimize the experience, use the Performance Overlay on the deck to monitor frame rates and latency. To use the performance overlay on your Steam Deck, first press the Quick Access button to open the menu on the right side of the screen. Navigate to the Performance menu (indicated by a lightning bolt icon) using the D-pad or left thumbstick. Press right to access the performance overlay slider, select it with the A button and adjust the slider to your preferred level of detail. Finally, press the Quick Access button again or repeatedly tap B to exit the menu.
Moreover, if you experience lagging, start with lower-in-game settings such as lower streaming resolution and bitrate.
Read: How to disable Steam Input in Steam Deck or Steam
4] Exploring Additional Features
Apart from Steam Remote Play, users can utilize additional features to enhance their gaming experience such as Remote Play Together to stream multiplayer games. Play remotely via the Internet feature, which uses the Steam Link to allow streaming of PC games over the Internet. Additionally, Controller Configuration through Stream input provides extensive customization options. This enables users to map controls, and adjust sensitivity to suit their preferences for a more personalized experience.
There are other alternative methods to Stream games using the Steam Deck. If you are someone who wants to do local streaming, use Moonlight with NVIDIA GameStream, provided you have an NVIDIA graphics card. You’ll need to install GeForce Experience on your gaming PC. If you don’t have it, download and install it from nvidia.com. To stream games from your PC to your Steam Deck using Moonlight, first, install Sunshine on your PC to enable NVIDIA GameStream. Then, install Moonlight on your Steam Deck via Desktop Mode. Add Moonlight to Steam, ensuring both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Launch Moonlight on your Steam Deck, and enter the PIN displayed on your PC’s Sunshine web UI to establish the connection. Once connected, you can seamlessly stream and play your PC games on the Steam Deck.
That’s it!
Read: How to exit Desktop Mode on Steam Deck
Can you share PC games on Steam?
Users can share PC games on Steam using the Steam Family Sharing feature. Users can share their game library with up to 5 accounts and 10 devices. Shared users can play these games, earn their achievements, and save their progress, however, only one gamer can access the library at a time.
Read: How to install Google Chrome on Steam Deck
Why won’t Steam Remote Play work?
Steam Remote Play might not work due to Internet issues, such as slow or unstable Internet connection, firewall restrictions, or devices not being on the same network as mentioned earlier. Some common factors include outdated Steam versions, disabled Remote Play settings, or incompatible hardware. To troubleshoot this issue, start by rebooting Steam, updating software, and checking network configurations.
Also Read: Play Windows games on Steam Deck with Steam Proton.
