Valve has released an update to the Steam Client Beta, and with it you can now share games with your friends via the fresh addition to its Remote Play Together function.
Steam Launches Remote Play Together "Invite Anyone"
It would seem that Steam has further latched on to the social gaming zeitgeist, adding improvements to the pseudo game-sharing function on the Steam Client Beta.
In a Steam Community announcement, Valve has revealed a brand-new feature of Remote Play Together—Invite Anyone—which allows you to invite friends to play your games with you.
That might seem fairly run-of-the-mill until you realize your friend doesn't actually need to own a copy of the game or have a Steam account. As long as you have the title, you can invite all your friends to play without them having to pay for the privilege. Nice work, Valve.
What Is Remote Play Together's "Invite Anyone"?
Remote Play Together is a function of the Steam Client Beta in the latest update. To quote Valve on the matter:
Now you can Remote Play Together with anyone – no Steam account needed to join your game with the click of a link. Simply launch any of the thousands of games with support for Remote Play Together, then grab an invite link from your Friends list in the overlay. Send the link to your friend on Windows, iOS or Android, and they can click your invite to join in the fun.
Previously, you could only Remote Play Together with other Steam account holders. Now, you can use the function with anyone, they don't even need to sign up to Steam.
How Do You Invite Anyone to Remote Play Together?
First, you will need to ensure you have enrolled in the Steam Client Beta. Once you have done so, you just need to launch a game with Remote Play Together functionality.
Once done, you head to your Friends list in the Steam Overlay. Find and copy the invite link, and then it is simply a matter of sending this link to your friends. Easy!
Once they have the link, they can join your game and you can all play together.
Why Is Inviting Anyone a Special Feature of Steam?
Valve knows everyone has had a tough year. It also knows lots of people have been gaming and using the hobby to be "remotely social" with friends and family.
However, Valve also knows that the last 12 months have put many people under financial pressure.
Allowing a gamer to invite anyone to play their game—irrespective of whether those you invite are Steam users—is a great way to further foster the gaming community and help people stay social in otherwise trying times.