UE5.7 Online Subsystem Steam can't find sessions

Development Programming & Scripting
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1 
[/Script/Engine.GameEngine]
!NetDriverDefinitions=ClearArray
+NetDriverDefinitions=(DefName=“GameNetDriver”,DriverClassName=“/Script/SteamSockets.SteamSocketsNetDriver”,DriverClassNameFallback=“OnlineSubsystemUtils.IpNetDriver”)

[OnlineSubsystem]
DefaultPlatformService=Steam

[OnlineSubsystemSteam]
bEnabled=true
SteamDevAppId=480

; If using Sessions
bInitServerOnClient=true

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

This is my previous project configuration, which used FindSessions () to obtain Lobby information. However, today I cannot obtain Session information and will return:

[2025.11.19-17.15.49:800][  0]LogSockets: SteamSockets: Initializing Network Relay

I don’t know if the variable bInitServerOnClient should be set to true, because different videos have different opinions. I tried all of them today, but still couldn’t find the sessions.

This is my Code Settings:

// Create
SessionSettings->NumPublicConnections = Params.MaxPlayers;
SessionSettings->bIsLANMatch = IOnlineSubsystem::Get()->GetSubsystemName() == FName("NULL");
SessionSettings->bUsesPresence = true;
SessionSettings->bUseLobbiesIfAvailable = true;
SessionSettings->bShouldAdvertise = true;	
SessionSettings->bAllowJoinViaPresence = true;
SessionSettings->bAllowJoinInProgress = true; // Debug

// Find
LastSessionSearch = MakeShareable(new FOnlineSessionSearch());
LastSessionSearch->MaxSearchResults = MaxSearchResults;
LastSessionSearch->bIsLanQuery = IOnlineSubsystem::Get()->GetSubsystemName() == FName("NULL");
LastSessionSearch->QuerySettings.Set(SEARCH_LOBBIES, true, EOnlineComparisonOp::Equals);

I also saw some posts today saying that it may be a problem with Steam itself?

2

Same here , it was first time i am trying to intergate steam into the project. And 2 days ago i packaged build in 5.7 with advanced session plugins and it worked. Hosting, Finding, Joining from another PC.
Now i am unable to finds session, its always 0.
Hosting works fine as much as i can understand from packaged build logs.

Trying to get to the bottom of it , on whose side the problem , me or steam/UE.

3

me too

4

did you find problem

5 
[2025.11.21-06.10.52:044][125]LogOnlineSession: STEAM: Found 0 lobbies, finalizing the search

Tested again, but still cannot function properly, with the same error message.

6

For now i switched to different project.
Last time i tested i could not manage to find any game thought find session nodes.
For my purposes it was sufficient to use friend invitation through Advanced Session Game Instance, and it worked fine.
I decided to not dig deeper for now , but for future if issue persist:

  • I was planning to test if SDK version has any effect , because defaul UE5.7 were 1.61, and steam had 1.63 at the time of writing.
  • Doing my own basic C++ setup , to see if its Advanced session problems.
  • Buying personal SteamID , and see if its related to DevID.
7

can you tell me how to use friend invitation through Advanced Session Game Instance? thanks :smiling_face_with_tear:

8

  • You need to inherit you game instance class from Advanced Session Game Instance (can be done in bp/c++)

  • Then setup it as primary game instance class in project settings

  • Then override events in friend invitation accepted/received (tho for steam only accepted worked) and call join session node with that data for appropriate controller.

  • Inside steam , i assume you log from 2 different instances on 2 different machines

  • Host: Open level on first machine with option: listen

  • Cleint : Open Game

  • Host : Shift+Tab open steam overlay > friend > right mouse button > invite to game

  • Client: Shift + Tab open steam overlay > friend > Accept

  • Done