Remote Play not working on Steam Deck game mode

[mctricks]

Your system information

• Steam client version: 1695085405
• SteamOS version: 3.5
• Opted into Steam client beta?: No
• Opted into SteamOS beta?: Preview
• Have you checked for updates in Settings?: Yes
• Hardware: Steam Deck

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible: Remote Play isn't working in game mode. After switching to the preview update channel, launching a remote play session opens the game on the host PC, but the deck stays stuck on the "loading" screen (the one with the "abort" button in the bottom right). The game's audio does play on the deck, but no visuals other than the SteamOS loading screen. No combination of host and client option changes I've tried have remedied the issue. Reverting to the stable branch (3.4.10) fixes the issue.

Remote Play does still work as expected when switching into desktop mode.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Update to 3.5
2. Launch any remote play session
3. The game will launch, and the audio will come through, but the SteamOS loading screen stays up indefinitely

[krittinen]

I can replicate this with preview 3.5 as well.

[calebwuethrich]

Experienced same behavior in both beta and preview channels.

[Rephlexion]

All this ^ plus even back on stable 3.4, I'm getting intermittent freeze-frames where the controls and audio still work, but the screen is stuck on a frame until I hit the Steam button once or twice to get the stream to refresh... and audio drops out quite consistently after 5-30 minutes... AND it seems to be impossible to close the game stream from the Deck; it just hangs on a black screen -- but I'm pretty sure the game is actually closed on the host PC.

[safijari]

Streaming from a host PC to the Deck is fixed in the latest update that was pushed to preview this morning. Streaming from the Deck to my windows Desktop also works. Streaming from the Deck to my samsung phone using the Steam Link app does not work. Screenshot crash mentioned in https://github.com/ValveSoftware/gamescope/issues/961 still happens

[MountHobbies]

All this ^ plus even back on stable 3.4, I'm getting intermittent freeze-frames where the controls and audio still work, but the screen is stuck on a frame until I hit the Steam button once or twice to get the stream to refresh... and audio drops out quite consistently after 5-30 minutes... AND it seems to be impossible to close the game stream from the Deck; it just hangs on a black screen -- but I'm pretty sure the game is actually closed on the host PC.

Turn off hardware decoding and see if that fixes it (this used to be the workaround for a long time for similar issues).

[kpervin]

All this ^ plus even back on stable 3.4, I'm getting intermittent freeze-frames where the controls and audio still work, but the screen is stuck on a frame until I hit the Steam button once or twice to get the stream to refresh... and audio drops out quite consistently after 5-30 minutes... AND it seems to be impossible to close the game stream from the Deck; it just hangs on a black screen -- but I'm pretty sure the game is actually closed on the host PC.

Turn off hardware decoding and see if that fixes it (this used to be the workaround for a long time for similar issues).

This doesn't fix it for me. Currently my issue is that I can launch a title, show the connecting screen, but then be booted back to the game page with "Connect" showing in the launch game button.

Item	Value
OS Name	"SteamOS Holo"
OS Codename	holo
OS Variant	steamdeck-bc
OS Version	351
OS Build	20231011.100
Kernel Version	61.52-valve3-1-neptune-61
Steam Deck Controller FW Build Date	Thu Sep 7 3:47 PM UTC-04:00
BIOS Version	F7A0118
Dock Firmware Version	0.13.15.120

[MountHobbies]

Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/SteamOS/issues/1148#issuecomment-1783880296

Is your deck docked with an Ethernet cable connected?

[kpervin]

Replying to #1148 (comment)

Is your deck docked with an Ethernet cable connected?

That it is.

[MountHobbies]

Replying to #1148 (comment)

Is your deck docked with an Ethernet cable connected?

That it is.

Workaround until Volvo plz fix; Undock, turn off wifi and wait a minute, redock.

You can also turn off either "Steam wired connection" or "Wired connection 1" , then wifi, then wait and minute and re- enable the wired connection

Both do the same thing but the second method is more lazy

For both you'll probably have to try to launch a remote session a few extra times to connect before steam realizes: " oh new IP address"

[heydemoura]

I faced this issues as well, 3.5 Preview channel.

[Schiffmeister13]

Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/SteamOS/issues/1148#issuecomment-1784143799

Thank you so much. I had the same issue but your workaround helped to solve it for the momemt. Hope there will be a fix in the long run.

[symulation]

I am experiencing a version of this problem. Slightly different though, as follows...

Steam Deck restarts on any attempted remote play connection. Previous to whatever update came through about two weeks ago it worked (almost) flawlessly when connected to via a Steam Link box. Since the update to some subversion of 3.5, any attempted remote play connection restarts the Steam Deck. This has been tested via a Steam Link box, the Steam Link app on my phone, and with another computer running steam.

These connections are all via the local network and I’ve rerun all the network cabling fidelity tests and everything passes. These tests include the network connectivity tests available through the Steam Link. Again, this setup was previously working really well.

Various alternative remote play settings, as reported in the community pages, have been attempted. All have failed.

Switching to the beta channel doesn’t seem to make a difference. Swapping to Preview 3.5.11 didn't help either UNTIL...

I managed to get remote play working again briefly last night. This involved unplugging the ethernet cable from the Steam Dock and establishing a remote play connection to the deck through wifi only (Thanks to @MountHobbies for the hint). Once this connection was closed I was then able to establish a remote play wired connection to the deck when the cable was plugged back into the dock.

I was only able to get this to work via the Steam Link App on my phone. It would not work through the Steam Link Box. I did not test it from the local computer.

This fix did not survive restarts of the deck, although I was able to repeatedly able to replicate the connection with the Steam Link App on my phone.

[Schiffmeister13]

Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/SteamOS/issues/1148#issuecomment-1858530404

I can relate to this problem somehow. I am using the steam deck via steam dock on my tv as well. However when I am using remote play of the steam deck the image quality is really awfull (very dark and without details) eventhough I had made all the neccessary configurations on client (Steam deck) and Host ( Gaming PC) for having a high quality stream. Also the lan connection is via CAT 6 cable and more than fast enough and also tested. And here comes the conformity to your problem: When I disconnect the ethernet cable and play remote just via Wifi it sometimes works with very high picture quality. Not every time but at least more often than via cable where the quality sucks every time. I am very sure this is not an issue of my configuration because it worked via steam link app on samsung TV with good image quality regardless if I used cable or Wifi.

[symulation]

Gave up on waiting for a fix for this. Reverted back to the 3.1 image. Everything works. No trouble.

Here's how to revert:

Follow the instructions for doing listed at https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/1B71-EDF2-EB6D-2BB3.

HOWEVER, following this process exactly will lead you to reinstall a very recent version and maybe that's not what you want. For example, maybe you don't want a fresh install of 3.5.7 and want something earlier. If so then instead of clicking on the link in Step 1 got to this url instead: https://steamdeck-images.steamos.cloud/recovery/ (This is the location where the file that Step 1 downloads by default is stored but it also holds older versions as well). From the web page that you are presented with choose a file with a creation date close to what you are looking for. I chose the "recovery-4" file thinking that it might hold 3.4. It doesn't. It set me up with 3.1 instead. Which is fine because it works for me. Your mileage may vary. (Would be nice if the file names gave some hint of what they contained.) HINT: unzip the image file to the point where the file name ends in ".img" otherwise the etcher utility will hang indefinitely.

[NoSadBeHappy]

I believe I have a version of this issue as well. When streaming from one steam deck to another, it works fine, but when I also stream to a Windows PC, the steam de k freezes but the Windows PC works fine. All local connections, and everything is on wifi. Haven't tried reverting back to a previous version yet.

[MountHobbies]

I believe I have a version of this issue as well. When streaming from one steam deck to another, it works fine, but when I also stream to a Windows PC, the steam de k freezes but the Windows PC works fine. All local connections, and everything is on wifi. Haven't tried reverting back to a previous version yet.

Try Disabling hardware decoding on the client deck via 'enable advanced client options' setting

[G3NSVRV]

To me, it worked after running:

• sudo steamos-readonly disable
• sudo pacman-key --init
• pacman-key --populate
• sudo pacman -Syu

After a quick restart, everything is working perfectly on GameMode (remote play)

The mouse is weird tho, it has an absurdly high acceleration on DooM Eternal

Env

• SteamOS Holo 3.5.7, build 20231122.1
• Kernel 6.1.52-valve14-1-neptune-61

[NoSadBeHappy]

I forgot to respond to this. @MountHobbies your tip worked. Disabling hardware decoding fixed the issue.

[innateessence]

Tried to play Remote Play with a friend on both my devices and we tried 10 times to no avail. After some troubleshooting, the closest we got was the game opening, seeing the remote play screen, and then the game just dying. on the Host's end, the Host never even saw the other player join from their Remote Play interface.

My 2 Devices' info Below.

Windows 10 - Fresh Installed 7 days ago at most

• OS Name: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
• OS Version: 10.0.19045 N/A Build 19045
• Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
• Steam Version: 1705108172
• Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Jan 12 4:54 PM UTC -08:00
• Steam Web Build Date: Fri, Jan 12 9:02 AM UTC -08:00
• Steam API Version: SteamClient021

Steam Deck OLED

• SteamOS Holo 3.5.7 build 20231122.1
• Kernal Version 6.1.52-valve9-1-neptune-61
• Steam Version 1705108172
• Steam API Version SteamClient021

My Friend was using a SteamDeck as well, Haven't verified, but he was very likely on the same version as my Steam Deck. His is not an OLED model

[MattiaTraverso]

Bug still occurs in 3.5.7.

Strangely, it was working until yesterday, but then it suddenly stopped working with any games - it plays the audio but is stuck on a loading screen, as per bug report.

Note: When starting Hitman 3, I can weirdly see my mouse cursor, but nothing else (except for this loading screen).

This happens when streaming on a local network.

Steam Deck OLED

SteamOS Holo 3.5.7 build 20231122.1
Kernal Version 6.1.52-valve9-1-neptune-61
Steam Version 1708985249
Steam API Version SteamClient021

Windows 11

OS Name: Windows 11 Home
OS Version: 23H2
OS Build: 22631.3155

Steam Beta Branch:  Stable Client
Steam Version:  1708985249
Steam Client Build Date:  Mon, Feb 26 4:44 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date:  Mon, Feb 26 9:21 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version:  SteamClient021

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
Driver Version: 31.0.15.5161
DirectX Driver Version: 31.0.15.5161
Driver Date: 2 15 2024

Steps Tried to Fix the Issue ☑ Factory Reset Steam Deck ☑ Re-Installed Steam on Windows ☑ Updated GPU Drivers and DirectX ☑ Tried changing Remote Play settings on both Steam Deck and Windows PC ☑ Disabled Firewall ☑ Tried both Steam games and Non-Steam games

[MattiaTraverso]

UPDATE - Valve fixed it: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1675200/view/4124805233776542002

Works for me :)

[kisak-valve]

Closing per the last comment.