This is where Steam Remote Play comes in. If you’ve got a gaming PC that’s more powerful than your Steam Deck, then it might be worth trying to stream the game from that instead of playing it locally on the Steam Deck. There are of course a few caveats. For Steam Remote Play to work, your gaming PC has to be turned on and connected to the internet. Furthermore, you’ll need to be logged into Steam on that PC. You’ll also need a good strong internet connection on both machines. This includes on the Steam Deck. You do not however have to be connected to the same network as the PC. However, streaming using the same network is great if you simply want to play in another room or in a more comfortable spot in the same room. With that said, if you’re wondering how to Stream games using Remote Play, it’s rather easy.
How to use Remote Play to stream games to your Steam Deck
Streaming games with Remote Play using the Steam Deck and a gaming PC is easy. All you have to do is start by leaving your PC on. This might bother some people. But if you’re ok with it, then you may as well utilize the feature.
Log in to Steam on your main PC
To start, make sure you’re logged into the same Steam account on your Deck as the PC that you’re going to stream from. It should also go without saying that you need to have the game you want to stream installed on that PC. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if things don’t work. If you’ve logged in, and you’ve either downloaded and installed the game, or it was installed already, go ahead and move on.
Boot up your Steam Deck, and make sure it’s connected to the internet
If you’re ready to play some games, boot up your Steam Deck and then connect it to the internet. Whether that’s hotel Wifi, a mobile connection, or the Wifi network when you’re visiting family.
Go to the library menu
Now that you’re connected to the internet, head to your library and choose one of the games you want to play. To reiterate, make sure it’s a game that’s also installed on your main PC. In a pinch, you can always have someone install the game on your main PC for you if it isn’t already there. Provided there’s someone else who lives in your home.
Click the arrow button next to the “Play” or “Install” button
If you’ve decided on a game to stream to your Steam Deck using Remote Play, click on that game’s card. On the off chance the game isn’t already installed on the Steam Deck but it is installed on your main PC, you’ll see an “install” button. If it’s already installed on the Deck, you’ll see a “play” button. Next to that button will be a little arrow button. Click that to bring up a pop up box.
Select your main PC
With this pop up box that appears after clicking the arrow button, you should see options to play on the Steam Deck, and on your main PC. This will be called whatever you have your main PC called. In my case it’s just called “DESKTOP” with a random string of numbers. But if you renamed yours, that’s what will be listed and what you need to choose.
Click the “Stream” button
After you’ve selected your main PC from this pop up box, the play button will now change to say Stream. Simply click that button and the game will boot up on your main PC. You’ll then see another pop up that explains Steam Remote Play. All you have to do is click the OK button and the game will begin streaming to your Steam Deck.
The feature is enabled by default
As you can tell this is a pretty simple process. And if you weren’t already aware that Steam Remote Play is available on the Steam Deck, then you’ve learned something new. The good news is that Steam Remote Play is enabled on the Steam Deck by default. So you won’t have to go hunting for a toggle to turn on. It just works. That being said, keep in mind that your mileage may vary. You need a really fast and reliable connection for this to work properly. And after trying it on mobile data that isn’t 5G, I can confirm that it isn’t really an ideal experience. However, if you do have 5G mobile data then it may work better for you. And if you’re connected to fast and reliable Wifi while away from home, then it should perform even better. With this handy feature ready to use, you’re prepared for any gaming sessions. Even if you don’t feel like sitting at your main PC any longer. On one last note, some games may feel better than others while streaming. So if one doesn’t work that well, try others.
