How to run games on Steam, EGS, PlayStation, Xbox without access to the Internet

The list of sanctions imposed on Russia is growing by the day. At some point, restrictions may also affect game libraries. What should you do if you suddenly find yourself using the”sovereign Internet”? We decided to look back at how to use offline mode on popular platforms and consoles.

The key point – it is obvious that you will not be able to download games after losing the connection. That’s why it’s important to download all the games you want in advance. Stock up on space on your hard drives and SSDs!

Steam

To use the library from Valve the program has a standalone mode. Here you can run games that do not require a permanent connection to the network.

• Install the desired games from your library. It is important that all titles are up to date. If a game requires a patch, you will not be able to play it.
• Check that the setting”Do not save account data on this computer” is off. You can find it in the settings under the Account section.
• To check, start the offline mode, which is activated through the menu in the upper left corner. Now you can check if your favorite games will start.
• If there is no internet, Steam will prompt you to activate offline mode when you log in. It is important that you are already logged into your account at this point.

Epic Games Store

• Go to the settings. To do this, click on the profile icon in the upper right corner and select the line you want.
• Turn on the”Enable offline viewing” function.
• If you try to log in without the internet, the launcher will prompt you for a login and password. Skip this part by clicking on”Skip Login”.
• You are offline and can run the downloaded games.

GOG

Most single-player games in GOG will run smoothly and without access to the Internet due to the fact that the platform has no DRM. To do this, when installing games, in addition to the main exe-ship, a shortcut named Launch [game name] is also placed in the folder – for example Launch Cyberpunk 2077. This launches the game directly, without the GOG Galaxy Launcher.

Battle.net

The Activision Blizzard Launcher only suits StarCraft II and remasters of StarCraft, Diablo 2 and Warcraft III for offline gameplay. That said, even these games will only launch if you’ve logged in to them in the last 30 days. To enter offline mode, you simply need to click”Skip Login” when logged in.

Ubisoft Connect

To activate offline mode, go to settings through the menu in the upper left corner. Select the”Go offline” function.

Microsoft Store

Activate offline mode in the settings. To do this, turn on the”Allow offline mode” function. The downloaded games are now available to you.

Origin

The most capricious launcher. Offline activation is easy, you just need to select the option in the menu, but sometimes the program still requires a login and password.

PlayStation 4/5

• Life is easiest for owners of physical copies of games. They can just run them from their discs.
• If you use a digital copy, you need to activate the”Activate console as primary” function. This can be found in the account settings.
• It’s worth checking to see if you can run the games. If you see a lock on them, then go to settings and activate the function”Restore licenses”.

Xbox

• As with PlayStation, owners of discs can safely run their games, even without the Internet. They only need to install all the updates beforehand.
• In the case of digital copies, you need to enable offline mode. To do this, you need to run the settings, select”General”,”Personalization”.
• Under”My Xbox Home Console” you need to activate the”Make this Xbox home console” option.

Nintendo Switch

Single-player games on the Nintendo console should run unrestricted if you downloaded them in advance or use cartridges. In the latter case, don’t forget to install any updates.

We believe this guide won’t be useful to anyone, but in this day and age it pays to be prepared for anything. And if you’re interested in how you can recharge your Steam account after the sanctions and buy games, check out our other material.