Steam Quality of Life Feature Would Be Huge for Co-Op Gamers
Valve is facing renewed calls to add a local multiplayer filter to Steam, with some vocal users arguing such an inclusion is long overdue. While Steam does offer some similar functionality, a full-fledged library filter could be a game-changer for co-op fans, though that also makes it potentially much trickier to implement than what’s currently available.
Valve already allows users to filter their Steam libraries by high-level modes like single-player, multiplayer, and co-op, but the co-op classification mixes online and local titles. This forces players to click through store pages and inspect game descriptions or tags to verify split-screen or same-screen multiplayer support. Tag-based filtering also powers some auxiliary client features, such as dynamic libraries, but this system is imperfect, not least because most tags are user-submitted and therefore not always reliable.
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Steam Users Have Been Asking for a Local Multiplayer Game Filter for 10 Years
For years, Steam users have been asking Valve to add a local multiplayer option to its library filters. Some of the oldest such posts on the Suggestions / Ideas section of the Steam Community boards date back to 2016, long before Valve introduced tag-based filtering to its client. As of this writing, new requests are still being posted on a weekly basis, with the latest just a few hours old. While user suggestions vary in both form and function, one point of consensus has long been established among players: the filtering logic should not rely primarily on user-submitted data, but instead use Valve’s official Steam product labeling to ensure consistent accuracy.
Where Steam’s Hypothetical Local Co-Op Game Filter Could Go
In many cases, users are suggesting Valve add a local multiplayer option to the Advanced Filtering section of the Steam client. Similar to how the existing “Cooperative” label functions as a subset of the broader “Multiplayer” category immediately above it, a “Local Multiplayer” filter could likewise be introduced as a subset of the “Cooperative” group. Doing so would be the quickest and easiest way to identify one’s already owned Steam games that support single-screen co-op.
What Steam Offers for Co-Op Filtering Right Now
Valve has offered a rudimentary way to filter for local multiplayer games since April 2019, when it introduced a corresponding filter to the beta version of the Steam client. The catch was that this option was initially exclusive to Big Picture Mode. In September of that year, Valve added the Advanced Filtering feature to the beta client, effectively allowing similar functionality outside Big Picture Mode for the first time ever. Eventually, store tags also allowed for filtering between co-op and other types of local multiplayer titles, such as party games.
Why Valve Has So Far Relied on User-Submitted Tags for Local Multiplayer Game Filtering
One likely reason Steam has yet to implement a full-fledged local multiplayer filter is that doing so would require manually reviewing every single multiplayer title on the platform to verify support for that feature. With a robust system of user-submitted tags already in place—one that largely serves the same purpose—Valve has likely found it more efficient to accept some degree of inaccuracy rather than allocate resources toward quality-of-life improvements for local co-op gamers, who remain a relatively small subset of its user base, as suggested by some March 2025 findings from MIDiA.
Next-Gen Steam Machine Is a Ray of Hope for an Official Local Multiplayer Library Filter
Be that as it may, things could change in the near future. The recently announced Steam Machine marks Valve’s first serious push to bring gaming PCs into the living room in over a decade. If the device proves successful, the company may be more inclined to cater to this user segment, many of whom are expected to connect the system to TVs rather than monitors. In that context, an official local multiplayer filter could be far more relevant, especially given couch co-op’s traditional roots in console gaming. The second-gen Steam Machine is currently targeting a Q1 2026 launch, with more concrete availability info being expected to follow in the weeks ahead.
Sources: Cynicle / Steam, Tree_Dude / Reddit, Steam