Transferring game files between PCs or a Steam Deck just got a whole lot simpler

pcgamer.com:

Valve has rolled out an update to the Steam client that'll allow you to copy game installations between PCs (or a Steam Deck(opens in new tab)) over a local network, saving you the hassle of redownloading games or messing about in directories.

It's already pretty easy to move a game file between two PCs under one roof, but to do so would mostly require a large enough SSD or HDD to house the entire game installation directory, or instead using Windows LAN settings to transfer the files. The first option is not so bad for a couple of compact indie games, but make it a Call of Duty or Flight Sim (any storage hog(opens in new tab), really) and I'm starting to sweat for a storage medium big enough.

Valve's making that process much easier with its latest Steam client update, which takes the feature previously in beta access(opens in new tab) to the public build. This will allow you to pick a game on one PC, and using the power of the local network, transfer it to another PC without redownloading. Of course you are limited by this being a local transfer, so you still will need to copy some files over to an external drive if you're handing them off to a friend, but this is sure to be extremely useful for one very specific task.

That's moving games to a Steam Deck. This is something I've been wanting to find an easy way to do for a while, and which currently requires a bit more messing around with the Deck's desktop mode than I'd like. Now I can just run two Steam clients, check a couple settings are enabled, and transfer from PC to my Deck to my heart's content.

Saves pushing my 4G internet connection to its absolute limits just to redownload the same files again, anyways.

When you ask Steam to download a game, it will now