How can I prevent Steam games from updating, is it even a feature

[Maître yoyo]

I'm quite puzzled as I go through the internet looking for a way to NOT update games.

As far as I understand it, Steam gives you 3 options :
- we'll update your game without asking you anything
- we'll update your game next time you want to play it
- we'll update your game without asking you anything and put it on top of the list

why thank you very much.

What if I'm fine with the current game build and my mods ?

e.g. GTAV updates used to totally prevent me from playing, until I either go vanilla, or the mod gets updated (several days at least)(plus it was just updating online stuff so I coudnt care less).

I'm reading all kind of tweaks and tricks, from disconnecting internet before launching the game, scheduling to just 1 hour a day when I'm not playing, etc.

I know I sold my soul to our overlord when I clicked on "I agree and understand" but there has to be better and bulletproof ways.

Are not speedrunners playing on Steam ? Are not modders playing on Steam ?

I may not be looking in the right places because 99% of players don't gaf about updates. Understandably they don't care to play on an older or newer version. They don't mod, they don't compete in speedrun.

I think it's most a rant than anything else because I'm not expecting any miracles here.

When the next RDR2 update will be pressed upon us (because it eventually will), Im gonna be even more salty.

Why can't we have a "Don't keep this game up to date" option ?

[Aachen]

Keep the system for which you wish to avoid updates in offline mode. Otherwise you’re going to be up-to-dare.

[Maître yoyo]

Originally posted by Aachen:

Keep the system for which you wish to avoid updates in offline mode

Afaik offline mode does not let you off the hook.

I just tried to launch RDR2 with the internet plug pulled : it didn't work.

There has to be a way. for instance GTA5 speedrunners have basically always played and still play on the same outdated build

[eram]

get a dedicated pc that never goes online.

[Maître yoyo]

Originally posted by eram:

get a dedicated pc that never goes online.

well then you're in tough luck because these games need internet at the very least for DRM.
I also could never use Steam so he won't update my games

And in my particular case with RDR2, he won't start. It needs internet for story mode for some reasons.

I bet a crcked version of the game would give me way less hassle.
If the only way is "use a crck" or "disable internet" there is something very, very wrong with this.
Y'all okay with this ? I regret not reading the ToS now

[eram]

Originally posted by Varg:

Originally posted by eram:

get a dedicated pc that never goes online.

well then you're in tough luck because these games need internet at the very least for DRM.
I also could never use Steam so he won't update my games

And in my particular case with RDR2, he won't start. It needs internet for story mode for some reasons.

I bet a crcked version of the game would give me way less hassle.
If the only way is "use a crck" or "disable internet" there is something very, very wrong with this.
Y'all okay with this ? I regret not reading the ToS now

speed run the latest versions instead?

[Elucidator]

You could try launching the game from the .exe file rather than through Steam.
But other than that you could limit when Steam tries to download:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/71AB-698D-57EB-178C#disable
Or... you could fool Steam Client into thinking the game is already updated:
https://gaming.stackexchange.com/a/396974

Edit:
You can read: https://www.defectivebydesign.org/
for some activists group against abusive drm control (that breaks things for the end user); in your case this seems true.
(I have seen an update that prevents a game I could play to become a game i could no longer play, because of a version change in directx. xd, not because it was functionally a good update.)
e.e; yeah, it happens unfortunately.

DRM has a history of being anti consumer.

but anyway, what you mentioned, that option is indeed also possible, but we're not allowed to discus that on this board. xd
Maybe you can ask on the game's hub for advise, maybe other people or maybe even the game's developers could help you with the issue. Its worth trying to ask there.

[Jaunitta 🌸]

Keep the games installed you want to play if you stop the updates these days Steam needs to sync the updates for quality and other stuff if you dont allow the updates the game wont launch till you sync steam with cloud.
uninstall games you nolonger want to play. They are always tied to your account anyway.

Steam Client Update, March 4
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/593110/view/3091163163094740757

[muckymucks]

Steam used to have a feature that prevented updates but then Valve removed that feature because people would prevent old games with copyrighted music from updating. GTA games, for example, have a ten year contract for music. After that the music is removed, but if the game is never updated the music isn't removed.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by muckymucks:

Steam used to have a feature that prevented updates but then Valve removed that feature because people would prevent old games with copyrighted music from updating. GTA games, for example, have a ten year contract for music. After that the music is removed, but if the game is never updated the music isn't removed.

Such feature never existed. All that was, is not updating at all until a game was started. Then, update it is.

It's the same feature as is it is now, by the way. Nothing has changed since back then and now (except your perception of the feature).

[muckymucks]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by muckymucks:

Steam used to have a feature that prevented updates but then Valve removed that feature because people would prevent old games with copyrighted music from updating. GTA games, for example, have a ten year contract for music. After that the music is removed, but if the game is never updated the music isn't removed.

Such feature never existed. All that was, is not updating at all until a game was started. Then, update it is.

It's the same feature as is it is now, by the way. Nothing has changed since back then and now (except your perception of the feature).

This feature predates that.

[ReBoot]

When was that? I've been on Steam since 2003, when have you seen that?

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by muckymucks:

Steam used to have a feature that prevented updates but then Valve removed that feature because people would prevent old games with copyrighted music from updating. GTA games, for example, have a ten year contract for music. After that the music is removed, but if the game is never updated the music isn't removed.

No it never had that option.

It previously had "Do not automatically update this game" and Steam would not download the update UNTIL you pressed play.

https://ibb.co/0FrYrp1

And it changed to.

"Only update this game when I launch it" and the update will download when you press play.

https://ibb.co/bFtzRxj

[Eagle_of_Fire]

Originally posted by Varg:

Originally posted by Aachen:

Keep the system for which you wish to avoid updates in offline mode

Afaik offline mode does not let you off the hook.

I just tried to launch RDR2 with the internet plug pulled : it didn't work.

There has to be a way. for instance GTA5 speedrunners have basically always played and still play on the same outdated build

You can plainly see this on RDR2 Steam page:

Requires 3rd-Party Account: Rockstar Games Social Club

This mean that it has a further requirement of having to be online to be able to play this particular game. Same thing happen with stupid DRM like Denuvo, which force you to connect to the internet to "prove" that you actually own the right to play the game.

Personally I avoid such games like the plague. I've got had a touch too often in the past myself too.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Could try my guide, but it not user friendly. Didn't spend much time, and might redo somethings in it.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2901860378

Anyways I wouldn't recommend doing it for online multiplayer games, as there risk getting ban by game Dev system, as never know what you might trigger by running an out of date game that trying to connect to their server.

The other problem is if game has their own launcher, may update the game for you either way, or try to force you to update.

[Maître yoyo]

Thanks all of you guys for contributing

Originally posted by Elucidator:

You could try launching the game from the .exe file rather than through Steam.
But other than that you could limit when Steam tries to download:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/71AB-698D-57EB-178C#disable
Or... you could fool Steam Client into thinking the game is already updated:
https://gaming.stackexchange.com/a/396974

Edit:
You can read: https://www.defectivebydesign.org/
for some activists group against abusive drm control (that breaks things for the end user); in your case this seems true.
(I have seen an update that prevents a game I could play to become a game i could no longer play, because of a version change in directx. xd, not because it was functionally a good update.)
e.e; yeah, it happens unfortunately.
DRM has a history of being anti consumer.
but anyway, what you mentioned, that option is indeed also possible, but we're not allowed to discus that on this board. xd
Maybe you can ask on the game's hub for advise, maybe other people or maybe even the game's developers could help you with the issue. Its worth trying to ask there.

This looks really interesting and promissing thank you. Why can't we discuss this here ? It should be a Steam feature IMO

EDIT : So basically it says you can prevent updates just setting a file to Read Only ?
Seems too good to be true