Parsec will allow you to play any game with local multiplayer over the Internet

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

It will come in handy if you want to complete the game with a friend, but there is no online functionality in it.

What is Parsec

Many cooperative projects can be played with friends over the Internet, but in some it is possible only if you are sitting at the same computer. Fortunately, there is a Parsec service, with which you can easily play with your friends, even if the game has an exclusively local multiplayer mode.

Basically, Parsec is a screen sharing app, but adapted for games. For comfortable use, it is recommended that the host, that is, the creator, have a cable connection with a speed of at least 30 Mbps.

How to use Parsec

1. Install the program

First, download the Parsec client from the official site. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and even Raspberry Pi. We'll be using the Windows version as a demonstration.

2. Configure the program

On first launch, create an account and confirm it via email. To get the opportunity not only to connect to other people's games, but also to create your own, click on the Enable Hosting button in the upper right corner of the client. If suddenly there is no button, the function can be found in the settings, in the Hosting section.

Please note that you cannot create games in the Windows 7 and Android versions of Parsec.

3. Add friends

To play with someone on the Internet, you need to either connect to the person, or make him connect to you. Since Parsec is a cloud service, the game should be created by the one who has it on the computer. If both have the game, then it is better to host the one with faster Internet and more powerful PC.

To add a friend, open the Friends tab and search for the user by nickname or numeric ID. When everything is done, the person's PC will appear in the list on the Play tab. Of course, for this it must be on the Web.

4. Connect to another player or create a game yourself

Click on the Play button opposite the computer you want to connect to. The host will need to acknowledge your request and choose which controls you have access to, such as only the keyboard and mouse, or just the gamepad.

If you want to create a game yourself, a friend should send you a request. It will appear in the sidebar. Here you can also configure all the necessary permissions. Also, through the list of friends, you can make it so that this or that user can connect to you without a request.

Among other things, the app has a Party Finder tab. Through it you can try to play with strangers. There is an opportunity to either create your own party, or join someone else's.

When the connection is established, a screen sharing window will open. It can be controlled by someone who has access to the keyboard and mouse.

5. Set up control

As with playing in one room, you have to decide how to control the character for one person or another. That is, either assign different keys on the keyboard, or take a gamepad. In the latter case, you don't have to bother with the setting - just connect it to your computer.

6. Play

Ready! You can now start the game. If you need to customize the gamepad buttons or, for example, open a group chat, click on the blue floating icon in the upper left corner of the game window.

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