Steam Remote Play Together unveiled

Ever owned a couch co-op game and wished you had friends around to play them? Well, Valve has figured out a way to get your friends into your games without them ever leaving their homes. 

With Steam Remote Play Together, players can invite their Steam Friends to join them in local multiplayer, local co-op and shared/split-screen games through an internet connection. What’s even better is that only the host needs to own the game and install it.

To use it, players will first need to join Steam Beta and then launch the local multiplayer game of their choice. Next, you invite up to four players from your friend’s list by selecting the Remote Play Together option in the Steam Overlay. Once they accept, you’re all good to go.

Valve hinted at more than four players being able to join the fun, “in more ideal conditions.” Invited players will have their controllers act as if they're plugged into the host’s PC. Voice chat and game volume options will even be available in one place. Friends will, however, not have access to the host’s desktop or files, but if it desired, they could share the keyboard and mouse.

Remote Play Together supports Mac and Linux as well, with the Beta’s primary purpose being to improve network stability and compatibility across different hardware configurations. You can join the discussion forums to keep up with new developments and here's a growing list of supported titles for you to try.