You can download games on Steam with slow internet

Pavel Jundik (Founder of the SteamDB Portal) announced that Vavle is testing a new feature for downloading games between devices that are on the same local network. In this way, files will be transferred faster, however, downloading them will also be faster, which means that owners of unstable and slow Internet can use this method.

You can download games on Steam from one PC, laptop or Steam Deck device that are connected to the same local network. This method completely bypasses data decryption, which means that the download speed will be higher.

I would like to note that Pavel spoke about this feature in October 2022, but then it was only Valve’s plans.

Updated 02/19/2023 : Valve has officially announced that it has launched a new method for downloading games on Steam. Thanks to it, you can download games not only from Valve servers, but also from the local network. To enable this feature, you need to run the beta version of Steam.

Download Games On Steam Possible With Slow Internet

Now all game files on the local network can be copied and simply installed, since now Steam will be checked on the same network, the Internet is not needed to download them again via the Internet.

Also added additional parameters for this transfer method:

Turned off;
Only with your devices;
Only with friends;
With all users – Allows file sharing with any devices on your local network that are running the Steam client.

Download Games On Steam Possible With Slow Internet

Primary requirements

Both Steam clients must be on the same local network and see each other on it.
The file transfer settings on both devices must allow transfer.
Game files cannot be transferred while the sending Steam client is playing the game.
Only games that have already been released can be transferred.
The PC sending the files must have the latest version of the game installed.

Valve developers claim that file transfer is only possible between PCs that are running in desktop mode. This means that you cannot transfer Steam Deck through the Steam client in Big Picture mode or custom programs, which means that you cannot transfer them yet. When exactly the function will be updated and made for everyone is unknown.