Couch Not Needed
A new feature is being released for Steam called Remote Play Together which will allow non-local players to play together. This update means games that traditionally require players being the same location can now be co-op’d (or PvP’d) online entirely.
In the official wording, Valve says “two or more players [will be able] to enjoy local multiplayer games over the internet, together.” The feature will be dropping for split-screen games as well as local co-op and multiplayer games hosted on Steam. Another major bonus is that only the host needs to own the game for everyone to play.
When the Beta drops, players will be able to invite friends using the Steam Overlay. The person who initiates will be responsible for running the game, so there may be some consideration to be made in terms of PC power. This will be piggybacking on Steam’s existing remote play tech and will supposedly run up to 1080p/60fps up to four players. Connection speed will also play a big factor here and Valve is recommending 10-30Mbps. Despite these guarantees, there’s still screen latency that Steam will have to contend with.
Most commonly right now in the world of multiplayers are huge games like PUBG, Destiny, and Fortnite, but if this is a successful launch, there could be a resurgence of more classic “couch sharing” multiplayer titles. While fighting games have kept their local modes, it’d be good to see this style come back to other genres.
The beta will be available October 21st and is open to anyone who’s opted in to test Steam beta features. There’s no date on when the feature will be available to the public.
Are you looking forward to gaming with friends? Do you miss the old days of four controllers tangled together in your N64? Let us know in the comments!