Quick Answer
For connection failures, update Steam on both PCs and invite through Shift+Tab; for missing player control, try activating the controller with any button. Launch Tape to Tape on the host before inviting, and check that you can see each other in Steam’s friends list. If Tape to Tape game Remote Play is not working after these checks, follow the connection or controller steps below.
How do you fix Tape to Tape Remote Play not working?
Update Steam on both PCs, launch the game on the host, and invite through the Steam overlay; if your friend connects but cannot control a player, start with controller activation and detection.
Choose the steps that match where the session stops. A friend who cannot get past the invitation needs the connection checks first. A friend who reaches the game but has no input needs the controller checks. The 8bitdo workaround below applies to a particular controller setup, so keep it for that matching problem.
Tape to Tape has no native online multiplayer. Remote Play Together lets you play remotely through its local multiplayer support. For the distinction between local play, Steam Remote Play Together, and Parsec, see Tape to Tape multiplayer and Remote Play.
If your friend cannot connect
Start with Steam’s setup checks before changing controller settings. Both PCs need an updated Steam client, and the host should launch Tape to Tape at least once to check that the game is updated and starts correctly.
Update Steam on both PCs
Have both players check that Steam is up to date. Do this on the host and the friend’s PC before trying another invitation.
Launch Tape to Tape on the host
Open the game on the PC that will host the session. Check that it starts normally before bringing your friend into the session. This separates a game launch problem from a failed Remote Play invitation.
Check your friends lists and invite
Your friend should see you as in-game, and you should see your friend as online. While the game is running, press Shift+Tab to open Steam’s overlay and invite your friend from the friends list.
The same-account instruction for Remote Play Anywhere is not a requirement for inviting a friend through Remote Play Together. Follow the friends-list invitation flow for this session.
If the invitation leads to a brief black screen
Try a complete Steam restart first. In a developer reply dated January 18, with no year displayed, the suggested troubleshooting options for this symptom were a full Steam restart, a full game reinstall, and trying the Steam client beta.
Fully restart Steam
Completely close and reopen Steam, then launch Tape to Tape and send another invitation. The developer suggested this in case a Steam update was involved.
Try reinstalling Tape to Tape
If restarting does not help, the developer also suggested fully uninstalling and reinstalling the game. This was a way to investigate whether a recent update had damaged game files, rather than a diagnosis that damaged files caused every failed connection.
Consider the Steam client beta
The same reply gave this menu path: Steam Settings → Interface → Client Beta Participation → Steam Beta Update. Treat it as a historical troubleshooting option if the earlier checks have not helped.
These are developer troubleshooting suggestions, not guaranteed fixes. The Steam Beta Update option changes your Steam client participation; it is separate from a Tape to Tape game beta.
If your friend connects but cannot control a player
After connecting the controller, try pressing any button to activate it. Tape to Tape’s April 23, 2024 patch 0.1.13 described this activation behavior.
If the controller also fails in other games, check Steam Big Picture’s controller settings on your friend’s PC. Steam recommends checking whether Big Picture recognizes the controller and configuring it there if needed. That check is especially useful when the device has no input across games, rather than only during one Tape to Tape session.
Once the controller responds, use the Tape to Tape controls page to check the gameplay inputs you need. Controller detection and knowing which action to press are separate checks, so establish that the device responds before troubleshooting an individual hockey action.
If multiple 8bitdo controllers appear duplicated
For multiple 8bitdo controllers connected through 2.4 GHz USB dongles, one player reported success with X-input mode and Steam Input disabled for Tape to Tape on March 24, 2025.
Match the controller setup
Keep this workaround for the reported combination: multiple 8bitdo controllers, 2.4 GHz USB dongles, and duplicated controller behavior.
Change the game’s controller setting
From the game’s gear icon in Steam, open Properties → Controller and disable Steam Input for Tape to Tape. The player’s working setup also used X-input mode.
This is a player’s device-specific workaround. It is not a general fix for failed invitations, black screens, or every controller allocation problem.
Controller duplication and selection problems have also received game patches. The May 9, 2023 patch 0.1.3 applied tentative fixes for duplicated Remote Play controllers and a soft lock in the controller selection window. Patch 0.1.13 on April 23, 2024 included a fix for controllers disconnecting when you tabbed out. Campaign 2.0 Beta Patch #2 on January 14, 2026 described improved controller assignment and fixes for Steam Remote Play and local co-op. Those historical changes do not make the 8bitdo workaround a universal solution.
Once your friend can join and control a player, continue with Tape to Tape beginner tips for help getting into the action.
FAQ
Start by updating both Steam clients and opening Tape to Tape on the host. Check your friends-list status, then send the invitation through the in-game Shift+Tab overlay.
Fully restart Steam and retry the invitation first. A developer also suggested reinstalling Tape to Tape and trying Steam Beta Update as further troubleshooting options, without guaranteeing a fix.
Try pressing a button after connecting the controller to activate it. If the device does not work in other games either, check its detection and configuration in Steam Big Picture on your friend’s PC.
Consider that workaround if you match the reported setup of multiple 8bitdo controllers using 2.4 GHz USB dongles with duplicated controller behavior. The player used X-input mode with Steam Input disabled for Tape to Tape; this is not a fix for every Remote Play problem.
No, the same-account setup instruction concerns Remote Play Anywhere. For Remote Play Together, launch the game and invite your friend through Steam’s friends list.