In the latest Client Beta available for Desktop Steam and Steam Deck, Valve put in a new feature to help you transferring games.
If enabled in your Steam Downloads settings, you can transfer games and update files from one PC to another, or from PC to Steam Deck. Useful in many different situations like having limited bandwidth, slow internet speeds, LAN parties and you get the idea. Here's a video to highlight the feature as well as various other bits of Steam Deck / Linux news:
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The full patch notes for the Steam Deck Beta:
General
- Fixed some issues where focus was lost after exiting a game
- Reduced flashing in background when scrolling through games on home screen
Local Network Game Transfers
- Added new feature that allows Steam users to copy existing Steam game installation and update files from one PC to another over a local area network, without having to download and install from a Steam content server on the internet. This reduces internet traffic and can speed up installs or updates.
- This feature is currently only PC -> PC or PC -> Steam Deck, and both sender and receiver must be opted into Steam Beta.
- Steam users have control over who files can be sent to: self only, friends only, or everyone. The default setting is self only.
- More info about this new feature can be found here.
Steam Input
- Added a loading throbber when waiting on Steam Cloud to update
- Improved the latency of querying the workshop in the Configuration Browser and fix issues with configurations popping-in or opening the wrong tab because results weren't fully received
- Added a loading throbber that shows while the Configuration Browser workshop query is running
Desktop Mode: Steam
- Added UI that temporarily takes over the "What's New" section of the Library when pre-purchased games are available to pre-load or install and play
- Added UI at startup for account selection
- Added a "sign out" option to the main menu that removes credentials for the signed in account from the machine
- Fixed a crash when the OS is notifying Steam that it should shutdown
- Improved performance of games when using Steam Workshop APIs
- Refreshed the profile games page with a new style and improved performance
Desktop Mode: Big Picture
- Fixed issue where the old BPM on-screen keyboard would appear at the same time as the new BPM virtual keyboard
- Fixed issue where user could not re-enter a context submenu after backing out of it.
Just for Desktop Steam, they also finally started getting the New Big Picture mode working better with NVIDIA GPUs, which has been pretty terrible in terms of performance. To be honest though, I can't tell any difference and if anything, it actually feels even worse than before.
These are also noted just for Desktop Steam Beta:
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
- Fixed issue where incoming chat messages would not be delivered properly while in-game.
- Added support for the Sony DualSense Edge controller including support for remapping of the rear buttons.
- Fixed an issue with Steam preventing PS4 controllers from being read over DirectInput when Steam Input was disabled. Note: this was already hotfixed into the non-Beta Steam client.
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18 comments
cookiEoverdose Feb 18, 2023
This is huge, love this built-in feature.
0 Likes
ElectricPrism Feb 18, 2023
This is big brain, but for real. I've thought about downloading all my games to my server and using homed, sshfs or rsync.
Typically we LAN and somebody doesn't have the files so I ssh into their rig and rsync -- but it's cumbersome and requires special knowledge of how to do all that.
I'm very impressed with Valve using "open source think" to lower bandwidth and improve user experience. Very cool.
Plus if we get a few Steam Decks here too, that sort-of multiplies traffic and the Wifi speed is certainly always slower than wired.
Typically we LAN and somebody doesn't have the files so I ssh into their rig and rsync -- but it's cumbersome and requires special knowledge of how to do all that.
I'm very impressed with Valve using "open source think" to lower bandwidth and improve user experience. Very cool.
Plus if we get a few Steam Decks here too, that sort-of multiplies traffic and the Wifi speed is certainly always slower than wired.
0 Likes
I've always wondered why they didn't implement that functionality sooner. They have to pay for the bandwidth – so it should be their priority to avoid duplicate downloads.
2 Likes, Who?
ElectricPrism Feb 18, 2023
I've always wondered why they didn't implement that functionality sooner. They have to pay for the bandwidth – so it should be their priority to avoid duplicate downloads.
Maybe someone could think of any other corporate for-profit company that does this? Maybe it's just me, but I can't off the top of my head.
I think this is a cultural problem, and I'm glad Valve is wise.
3 Likes, Who?
Maybe someone could think of any other corporate for-profit company that does this? Maybe it's just me, but I can't off the top of my head.Microsoft allows this (even for Windows updates).
3 Likes, Who?
I've always wondered why they didn't implement that functionality sooner. They have to pay for the bandwidth – so it should be their priority to avoid duplicate downloads.I have not heard of a lot of places that have you pay for your bandwidth, so it is possible they don't (in which it would make somewhat sense to not make it a priority) but if they do then unsure
1 Likes, Who?
I've always wondered why they didn't implement that functionality sooner. They have to pay for the bandwidth – so it should be their priority to avoid duplicate downloads.
Maybe someone could think of any other corporate for-profit company that does this? Maybe it's just me, but I can't off the top of my head.
I think this is a cultural problem, and I'm glad Valve is wise.
Dropbox does have this option - if you tick "Lan Sync", it will broadcast for other PCs on your network (using the same account) and use them to sync data if available. Seems to work pretty well.
3 Likes, Who?
Is is just me, or does the phrase
loading throbbersound kind of rude?
1 Likes, Who?
Is is just me, or does the phraseIt doesn't sound rude, it sounds enticing.
loading throbbersound kind of rude?
1 Likes, Who?
Are we due some Steam client rule 34?Is is just me, or does the phraseIt doesn't sound rude, it sounds enticing.
loading throbbersound kind of rude?
1 Likes, Who?
This is great news. Does anyone know if it is possible to run Steam headless on a home server just for the purpose of caching game files?
0 Likes
mr-victory Feb 19, 2023
After doing this update Apex Legends just disappeared into void and I have to redownload, also "manage library folders" button (or sth similar) found in Settings -> Downloass does nothing. Reverted to stable.
0 Likes
hi
is it just me this is not working for me I have tested installing a game I have installed on my main computer on my laptop but I do not get the information bar transferring game files on local network from Device MainComputer
my main computer and the laptop are on the Steam Beta
Only my own devices
Any user
Edit
Tested with half-life 2 it started to transfer the game files over the network then it stopped transferring game files over the network after transferring about 200MB then I pause the download and verified half life 2 game files and opened the game and then closed the game then resumed the download it transferred about 1 GB over the network then it stopped transferring the game files over the network
Last edited by MadWolf on 19 February 2023 at 9:15 pm UTC
is it just me this is not working for me I have tested installing a game I have installed on my main computer on my laptop but I do not get the information bar transferring game files on local network from Device MainComputer
Both Steam clients must be online and see each other directly on the same LAN (no downloads while either Steam client is in offline-mode)my main computer and the laptop are connected to the same LAN and are not in offline-mode
Game File Transfer settings on both devices must allow a transfer (e.g. if both have "Friends only" set, they must be Steam friends)I have tested the setting "Only my own devices" and "Any user" with both having the same setting
Game content can only be transferred out if the transferring Steam client is idle, e.g. no downloads or games running.the Steam client on my main computer is idle
The game needs to released to the public and playable by both Steam users (no preloads)the games tested have been released
The game needs to be up-to-date on the PC sending the game filesthe games tested are up-to-date and both are on the Steam desktop mode
Only a PC running in Steam desktop mode can send files. So Steam Decks, PCs in Big Picture mode, and custom launchers can currently not transfer files out over the local network.
my main computer and the laptop are on the Steam Beta
Only my own devices
Any user
Edit
Tested with half-life 2 it started to transfer the game files over the network then it stopped transferring game files over the network after transferring about 200MB then I pause the download and verified half life 2 game files and opened the game and then closed the game then resumed the download it transferred about 1 GB over the network then it stopped transferring the game files over the network
Last edited by MadWolf on 19 February 2023 at 9:15 pm UTC
1 Likes, Who?
It worked for me. With both devices on wifi, it was slower than just downloading off Valve’s servers.
1 Likes, Who?
hi
is it just me this is not working for me I ...
I can't get it to run reliable either. It worked for about an hour between my win PC Linux laptop and steam deck but after that it hasn't worked again.
0 Likes
This is great news. Does anyone know if it is possible to run Steam headless on a home server just for the purpose of caching game files?
I have no idea about running Steam headless, but you might want to take a look at lancache instead, it has been supported by Steam since 2020 already:
https://lancache.net/news/2020/01/14/steam-client-now-supports-lancache/
Last edited by Nic264 on 20 February 2023 at 9:46 am UTC
2 Likes, Who?
MasterSleort Feb 21, 2023
Can't wait for this to land in stable. Normally I am bleeding edge with next to everything, but with my Steam Deck I just want a stable experience, to minimize the risk of running into issues on the go.
2 Likes, Who?
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