Valve’s Steam Fix Brings Local Game Transfers Back

Valve shipped a fix to the stable Steam Client channel on July 27, restoring Steam’s Local Network Game Transfers after the feature began sending some game data through the internet instead.

That matters for households with multiple gaming systems, especially those working with limited bandwidth or data caps. When the feature works correctly, Steam can move an installed game between nearby desktops, laptops, and Steam Deck systems instead of downloading the same files again from the internet. Valve’s support instructions for local network transfers cover the feature’s basic requirements.

How to update Steam on PC

Open the Steam Client and select Steam in the upper-left corner. Choose Check for Steam Client Updates… from the menu. Steam may need to restart before the new version is fully applied.

How to update Steam Deck

On Steam Deck, open the settings cog at the top of the screen. A yellow exclamation point indicates that a software update is available. You can also press the physical Steam button, select Settings, and check for updates from there.

Within the settings menu, open System and look under Updates. If Software Updates has a yellow exclamation point beside it, select Apply. If no update is shown, choose Check for updates instead. The Steam Deck will need to restart after the update finishes.

Both devices should run the same Steam Client version for Local Network Game Transfers to work properly. Updating every system before starting a transfer should prevent one machine from falling back to an internet download.

With the stable-channel fix now available, moving games between systems on the same network should once again be a practical way to save bandwidth and avoid downloading files twice.

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