Sessions not being found when using Advanced Sessions plugin on shipping/distribution form

[GameDevIsFun (GameDev)]

For my game for the moment I’m using Unreal Engine 5.3.2 and Advanced Sessions without Advanced Steam Sessions as I don’t need anything else from Steam then getting the list of server. As I am still in testing stage I’m using ID 480.

Inside the editor I can host and join sessions without any issue, but after I used Project Launcher to create a shipping/distribution form of the game, when I tested it on two different PC that are even on the same network, I can’t see any servers, but if I launch two instanced of the game on the same PC then I can see the servers and join them.

Inside DefaultEngine.ini I added this:

[/Script/Engine.GameEngine]
+NetDriverDefinitions=(DefName="GameNetDriver",DriverClassName="/Script/OnlineSubsystemSteam.SteamNetDriver",DriverClassNameFallback="/Script/OnlineSubsystemUtils.IpNetDriver")

[OnlineSubsystem]
DefaultPlatformService=Steam
bHasVoiceEnabled=true

[OnlineSubsystemSteam]
bEnabled=true
SteamDevAppId=480

[/Script/OnlineSubsystemSteam.SteamNetDriver]
NetConnectionClassName="OnlineSubsystemSteam.SteamNetConnection"

[Voice]
bEnabled=true

This is what I set for creating the session:

Is there anything else I need to do when testing the game in shipping/distribution form? It is still too early for me to buy an ID from Steam, and I want to test it with 480. I read somewhere about a AppID.txt file with only 480 inside it, but it didn’t said where to place it.

Also, later on when I buy that ID, beside changing from SteamDevAppId=480 to my ID, is there anything else I would need to do to the game itself?

[Valentinvis]

While you might use Steam only for hosting, finding and joining a session, you still need Advanced Steam Sessions. Also make sure Steam is running on all machines you are testing on, and you are logged into an account.

Don’t forget that after you add Advanced Steam Sessions you check to see if it is enabled or not in project plugins, and check to see if Online Subsystem, Online Subsystem Steam, Online Subsystem Utils are also enabled.

After doing all that it should work, but remember it only works to connect to Steam in standalone (or shipping), not inside editor with Selected Viewport or New Editor Window (PIE), but it will work from editor if you choose Standalone game. I for one when testing it I choose to go to project folder and launch the game from there by right clicking ProjectName.uproject / Launch game.

When you test the game in shipping form, you need to go into the folder GameDirectory / GameName / Binaries / Win64 and inside that folder create a file named steam_appid.txt and inside it only write your ID, in case of testing only write 480.

[GameDevIsFun (GameDev)]

Thank you! It did work.