Steam is bringing couch or local co-op online thanks to a new feature from Steam Labs. Many games feature some form of multiplayer today as gaming has become mainstream and battle royal games like Fortnite have risen to popularity. Even some games normally single-player, like Stardew Valley, have received forms of co-op play to enjoy with friends.

For gamers these days, socialization has become a bigger part of the overall experience. Steam's new feature extends this even more in the PC gaming community, opening up new avenues for gamers to explore their favorite games with friends and families.

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Steam Labs, the same people who brought us a Play Next queue to help gamers get through extensive libraries, have introduced a way to enjoy local co-op from a distance, something very useful given the times we're in. At a glance, Remote Play Together sounds like something already implemented in the service, but really, it's just a confusing name. Remote Play Together isn't just for regular multiplayer; it brings your friends into games without them even owning a copy.

Remote Play Together functionality was added to Steam accounts earlier this week, making it available to all users. It works similar to Steam's original Remote Play functions but allows you to invite others into your game. Some indie games on Steam have only local co-op functionality, which is fine if you live with other people interested in playing. For gamers who have friends that are long-distance or practicing social distancing, they can enable Remote Play Together for games like Brunch Club or Diner Bros and connect with a friend who also has Steam, inviting them to play with you from their computer without having to own a copy of the game.

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This means it also has all the functionality of Steam's social features, so you don't need to use other programs like Discord at the same time. However, this does mean you'll need to have a fairly stable internet connection (as will your friends) to be able to stream without input lag, dropouts or a dreaded pixelated mess. Generally, this requires an internet connection with more than 10 Mbps upload speed. So, make sure your internet connection is up to snuff, or you may have a tough time playing together.

This new feature is a little late to the pandemic changes, but it's still a welcome feature for those stuck at home looking to expand their multiplayer or cooperative game library. It also gives Indie games without online multiplayer functions a better chance and saves the devs some time by letting Steam take that part of the process over so more gamers can have a good time.

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