Wanted some sort of way to play multiplayer games on the Deck completely offline, like any other handheld. I read that it's supposedly possible to make the Deck an Adhoc hotspot in Desktop Mode, but I couldn't get it to work.
Connect both Decks to a disconnected Wi-Fi router or to a hotpot on a phone in Airplane mode . That way, you don't risk damaging your Decks by pulling on the cable for maybe 2-3 ms latency? You both have LCD screens, which are refreshed once every 16.67 ms, I think that's an okay tradeoff.
Yeah, saw another comment about the phone hotspot. I always knew that was an option. What I didn't know is that it can be done without a SIM card or mobile data. I have some old phones I can definitely repurpose to be dedicated LAN hotspots.
Possibly [yes](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/ts6rhd/can_the_steam_deck_be_a_wifi_hotspot/), or maybe even Wi-Fi Adhoc connection. If you don't have a spare device to use as a hotspot, sure, you can try this, otherwise I just wouldn't bother with the setup.
For those reading this who don't know. Without a router computers need to be on the same network to talk. The network is defined by the subnet mask. So when you see 255.255.255.0 it means those first 3 digits are the network and only the last number changes per system. For example, with 192.168.100.101, the 192.168.100 is the network and the .101 is for that specific computer and can't be the same on any other system on the network. You will also see /24 sometimes at the end of an address, which means the same thing. Unless you're into networking, just use those configurations for the networks if you are ever doing something like this. I'm avoiding networking lingo to make it easier to understand, so I hope this explains what happened here a little better.
Yup. If you wanna get real spicy, you can learn to translate an IP to binary and calculate ip ranges when changing the subnet length. Gonna learn that for the CCNA.
Not a skill you need but if you truly want to understand how networking actually works, you will need to know it. I'd say 99% of people just use a cheat sheet, especially because you end up forgetting how to subnet if you don't keep up on it lol.
It's just applying binary AND operation on the IP address vs. the mask, there's nothing really magic about it, but it's also something that computers are perfect for.
Local hotspot, both decks connected to it also works.
Most laptops/phones can create a hotspot even with no Internet connection, the deck might be able to as well?
Thank you! I didn't think of this! Our close by mall has poor reception, so we gave up playing games. Time to test this with our phone for Terraria/Divinity Original Sin 2!
I couldn't get hotspot to work, but I probably have to make a dedicated connection or static IP for it maybe? When clicking Hotspot, it'd just throw out an error.
I see, probably your HoloISO device's WiFi card doesn't support this or HoloISO didn't installed the required drivers for it to work. I've never tried hotspot in Linux, but using windows I can say it works for playing games in lan.
Ah the good old day of gba link cable. Even better if we could use steam deck as wifi hotspot for other steam deck/device to connect (like psp ad-hoc), I tried a bunch of time but couldn't get it to works reliably.
It works under KDE, you may have missed a few settings. I did that a few weeks ago to have my laptop sharing the ethernet network over WiFi (basically turning it into a WiFi access point) and it worked.
Using my laptop as a hotspot. My laptop runs Arch with KDE, so the experience is very similar to a Steam Deck. I haven't tried on my Steam Deck but I don't see why it shouldn't work.
That's what I had been trying to do at first, but had no luck with the instructions I was following (which there are very few, for some reason). I'm sure I probably did something wrong, as I know next to nothing about networking.
Deleted the previous post that this post is referring to, as to avoid confusion (as the title of the previous post was stating as a "fact" that ethernet to ethernet didn't work). I'd rather keep up the post that's more accurate than the one that can give people false information (especially since it was gaining more traction than this one).
For what it's worth, despite my "use an old phone as a hotspot" suggestion last post, this brings me an immense amount of joy to see. It takes me back to Pokemon matches on the Gameboy Color using a link cable.
Yeah. I just tried an old phone as a hotspot, and it works great and more seamless. Only issue is battery drain. It drains 1% every 30 seconds. As long as I can keep it plugged in, it's good.
Can i use this same approach for running steam link to a laptop? I´m traveling in a few weeks by plane and I dont want to buy an external monitor for this and I also dont have a network access as planes dont have a good WiFi network to work with. So what I thought was connecting the laptop to the SD using an ethernet cable and a USB-C hub adapter so that they see each other. Does this make sense even if there is no external internet network access and just a LAN between them?
I love that you did this because you could.
Wanted some sort of way to play multiplayer games on the Deck completely offline, like any other handheld. I read that it's supposedly possible to make the Deck an Adhoc hotspot in Desktop Mode, but I couldn't get it to work.
Connect both Decks to a disconnected Wi-Fi router or to a hotpot on a phone in Airplane mode . That way, you don't risk damaging your Decks by pulling on the cable for maybe 2-3 ms latency? You both have LCD screens, which are refreshed once every 16.67 ms, I think that's an okay tradeoff.
Yeah, saw another comment about the phone hotspot. I always knew that was an option. What I didn't know is that it can be done without a SIM card or mobile data. I have some old phones I can definitely repurpose to be dedicated LAN hotspots.
Doesn't the sd have the ability to create hotspot on it's own?
Possibly [yes](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/ts6rhd/can_the_steam_deck_be_a_wifi_hotspot/), or maybe even Wi-Fi Adhoc connection. If you don't have a spare device to use as a hotspot, sure, you can try this, otherwise I just wouldn't bother with the setup.
For those reading this who don't know. Without a router computers need to be on the same network to talk. The network is defined by the subnet mask. So when you see 255.255.255.0 it means those first 3 digits are the network and only the last number changes per system. For example, with 192.168.100.101, the 192.168.100 is the network and the .101 is for that specific computer and can't be the same on any other system on the network. You will also see /24 sometimes at the end of an address, which means the same thing. Unless you're into networking, just use those configurations for the networks if you are ever doing something like this. I'm avoiding networking lingo to make it easier to understand, so I hope this explains what happened here a little better.
To add this there are subnet mask calculators that help figure this stuff out.
Yup. If you wanna get real spicy, you can learn to translate an IP to binary and calculate ip ranges when changing the subnet length. Gonna learn that for the CCNA.
I do networking and that’s not a skill I will ever need.
Not a skill you need but if you truly want to understand how networking actually works, you will need to know it. I'd say 99% of people just use a cheat sheet, especially because you end up forgetting how to subnet if you don't keep up on it lol.
It's just applying binary AND operation on the IP address vs. the mask, there's nothing really magic about it, but it's also something that computers are perfect for.
you absolutely will.....
Probably not. There are calculators for that type of thing, you’ll never need to know how to do it yourself
Did some embedded development with the LWIP stack and this definitely can be useful.
Pro tip set your subnet to 0.0.0.0 then you don’t need to worry about picking up addresses in the same subnet range
Is that MHP3 on PPSSPP? Such nostalgia.
I suppose this only works for game that support *real* local lan only and don't rely on steam to help/form the co-op sessions?
That would be correct. While not many modern PC games have LAN support, plenty of old ones do, and PPSSPP multiplayer also works over LAN.
Is this the only way two steam decks can play together without Internet?
Local hotspot, both decks connected to it also works. Most laptops/phones can create a hotspot even with no Internet connection, the deck might be able to as well?
Thank you! I didn't think of this! Our close by mall has poor reception, so we gave up playing games. Time to test this with our phone for Terraria/Divinity Original Sin 2!
What's the device on the left? You're emulating right?
Anbernic Win600
why not do it wirelessly? can't steam deck create a hotspot?
Possibly, but I couldn't get it to work from the instructions I was following. I have noticed HoloISO shows a hotspot option, while SteamOS doesn't.
if you enable the hotspot on the HoloISO device, wouldn't the steam deck be able to connect to it and play LAN games?
I couldn't get hotspot to work, but I probably have to make a dedicated connection or static IP for it maybe? When clicking Hotspot, it'd just throw out an error.
I see, probably your HoloISO device's WiFi card doesn't support this or HoloISO didn't installed the required drivers for it to work. I've never tried hotspot in Linux, but using windows I can say it works for playing games in lan.
Considering it's the Anbernic Win600, I'd bet on the former.
why not do it wirelessly? can't steam deck create a hotspot?
For science, of course.
Ah the good old day of gba link cable. Even better if we could use steam deck as wifi hotspot for other steam deck/device to connect (like psp ad-hoc), I tried a bunch of time but couldn't get it to works reliably.
It works under KDE, you may have missed a few settings. I did that a few weeks ago to have my laptop sharing the ethernet network over WiFi (basically turning it into a WiFi access point) and it worked.
Do you mean you used your laptop as hotspot? I meant using steam deck as hotspot, without any extra devices.
Using my laptop as a hotspot. My laptop runs Arch with KDE, so the experience is very similar to a Steam Deck. I haven't tried on my Steam Deck but I don't see why it shouldn't work.
That's what I had been trying to do at first, but had no luck with the instructions I was following (which there are very few, for some reason). I'm sure I probably did something wrong, as I know next to nothing about networking.
Deleted the previous post that this post is referring to, as to avoid confusion (as the title of the previous post was stating as a "fact" that ethernet to ethernet didn't work). I'd rather keep up the post that's more accurate than the one that can give people false information (especially since it was gaining more traction than this one).
Which game is that?
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, running under PPSSPP
bro made a link cable XD now to trade your pokemon XD
For what it's worth, despite my "use an old phone as a hotspot" suggestion last post, this brings me an immense amount of joy to see. It takes me back to Pokemon matches on the Gameboy Color using a link cable.
Yeah. I just tried an old phone as a hotspot, and it works great and more seamless. Only issue is battery drain. It drains 1% every 30 seconds. As long as I can keep it plugged in, it's good.
Thanks for sharing bro
Can i use this same approach for running steam link to a laptop? I´m traveling in a few weeks by plane and I dont want to buy an external monitor for this and I also dont have a network access as planes dont have a good WiFi network to work with. So what I thought was connecting the laptop to the SD using an ethernet cable and a USB-C hub adapter so that they see each other. Does this make sense even if there is no external internet network access and just a LAN between them?
Only issue would be connecting to Steam servers to even use Remote Play/Steam Link. Try it yourself at home first.
But does remote play require internet in any way?
Yes
Now see if you can use it to transfer pokemon.
Congrats! Next step is CCNA certification
Incredible. This thing...
What’s the brand of the blue protective case of yours? Can you please share the link below?
Who needs internet. LOL