All Discussions > Steam Forums > Suggestions / Ideas > Topic Details
Caliburno 8 Oct @ 10:20am
Feature to choose the time of download/update
Basically:

imagine you're downloading something at it'll keep your Wi-Fi occupied for 1 hour, after that you'd want to have Steam start downloading something like, for example, Path of Exile 2 (almost 100 GBs); to not kill your ability to navigate and slow-down both downloads, it'd be nice to have a feature where you can simply set up a "Download in 1/2/3... hours" and then go to work, to the gym, to have a drink, and come back with the download already completed and your game ready to be played.

This would be different to the normal queue for downloads we have since it allows you to queue a download even if you have nothing downloading on Steam at that moment.

You can simply set up a time or an amount of time after which the download will start and then come back and reap the benefits.

It's basically an expansion on a pre-existing feature to make it even better to use for the consumers and streamline the UI so it's not as confusing as it is now.

[Simply, right click a game (or other software) in your library and choose "Queue download at specific time" then choose "the time (according to your local timezone) at which the download will start" and that's it.]

[The download will appear in your downloads section, if you want for something else to start downloading immediately, just download it normally.]

[If due to Wi-Fi issues or because it was a very large filesize, the other download finishes AFTER the time you had set up for the other download to start, we can have two scenarios:

A. Steam allows the download you wanted to start immediately to finish first and then start the one you had set up to start later;

B. Steam pauses the download you had starting immediately, starts the one you had set up to start at that precise time, let's it finish, then resumes the other download.

Both would work, even though, due to making things fair, if we can have only one, I think scenario B should be how overlapping downloads should be handled by Steam.

Hopefully we can choose either of them on a case by case scenario.]

That's all. I tried to explain the feature as well as I could and cover scenarios where it might be useful and where there might be issues of sorts due to multiple downloads (scheduled or not).

I'm curious to read your thoughts on this matter and I thank you for reading so far.
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Nx Machina 8 Oct @ 10:27am 
You can do remote download via the app on your mobile. Your PC must be on at home for it to function.
#1
Caliburno 10 Oct @ 2:22am 
Originally posted by Nx Machina:
You can do remote download via the app on your mobile. Your PC must be on at home for it to function.

I'm not talking about starting a download remotely.
I'm talking about scheduling a download to start at a specific later time.

On top of that, it'd be from your PC, no need to download and log into an app.
This is another thing, I don't like: you can only do certain things from certain versions of Steam.

For example, you can only upload artworks to your profile from the browser version.

It's stupid and, while I understand "remote" downloading, since it wouldn't have much of a sense doing it from a PC, any other feature should be possible from the program version of Steam. No need to access a browser or anything else.
#2
Hikari Light 10 Oct @ 7:17am 
The download will still require your computer to be on.
Not in sleep or hybernation.

This means you have to leave your computer on all the time and that's bad for a computer.
#3
Caliburno 10 Oct @ 5:11pm 
Originally posted by Hikari Light:
The download will still require your computer to be on.
Not in sleep or hybernation.

This means you have to leave your computer on all the time and that's bad for a computer.

Ok...and?

If the owner of the PC wishes to do so? Why is that an issue?

Like, is your argument here that just because something is bad for a computer, Steam should not allow a feature? Isn't that a thing that's up to the individual person to decide?

On top of that, I think that depends. I turn my PC on in the morning or afternoon and I leave it on till late at night with zero issues. I've been doing this for more than 4 years and it's a laptop.

I can still run Cyberpunk smooth as butter.

Sorry for being a bit aggressive, it's just that: that's not a valid argument to sustain not adding the feature, in my humble opinion.

I will also admit, that maybe it is bad for most computers and my experience is an exception...still, should that be a disqualifying factor for not adding the feature? I still don't think so.
#4
Ben Lubar 10 Oct @ 7:24pm 
Is it always around the same time of day when you're out and want the games to download their updates? If so, Steam -> Settings -> Downloads -> Schedule Auto Updates can help here.
#5
Mensis 10 Oct @ 7:45pm 
OP, I would advise you to ignore the first two posters you replied to. Both of them regularly engage in posting pointless replies, I don't know if it's intentional trolling but it achieves the same effect. You might even want to add them to your blocklist. I only haven't done so because I figure it's better to be able to correct their frequent tendency to misread posts, post misinformation, or post bad arguments and to warn others who are not familiar with the regulars of this board.
#6
Caliburno 24 Oct @ 3:45pm 
Originally posted by Mensis:
OP, I would advise you to ignore the first two posters you replied to. Both of them regularly engage in posting pointless replies, I don't know if it's intentional trolling but it achieves the same effect. You might even want to add them to your blocklist. I only haven't done so because I figure it's better to be able to correct their frequent tendency to misread posts, post misinformation, or post bad arguments and to warn others who are not familiar with the regulars of this board.

I see. Thank you, I'll probably just block them.

I tried to argue in good faith, thinking maybe I wasn't clear enough but I have no will to entertain weirdos that try to ragebait or annoy others.
#7
Caliburno 24 Oct @ 3:46pm 
Originally posted by Ben Lubar:
Is it always around the same time of day when you're out and want the games to download their updates? If so, Steam -> Settings -> Downloads -> Schedule Auto Updates can help here.

It's clearly not what I'm talking about. I'm describing something entirely different. Next to nothing to do with updates.

I think I've been clear enough so you just have to re-read my post.
#8
Ben Lubar 24 Oct @ 3:55pm 
Originally posted by Caliburno:
Originally posted by Ben Lubar:
Is it always around the same time of day when you're out and want the games to download their updates? If so, Steam -> Settings -> Downloads -> Schedule Auto Updates can help here.

It's clearly not what I'm talking about. I'm describing something entirely different. Next to nothing to do with updates.

I think I've been clear enough so you just have to re-read my post.

I didn't say it was the exact thing you were asking for. I said it could help in a specific overlapping situation.

If you want games to update "later" when you're not at your computer and you can predict when "later" is because it's on a consistent schedule, you can put games into the queue to download (as in, drag them down from the active slot) and Steam will download the updates when you've told it it's allowed to.

It's not "start the update in 1 hour", but it's something you can do right now, which I posted because I thought it might help.
#9
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All Discussions > Steam Forums > Suggestions / Ideas > Topic Details
Date Posted: 8 Oct @ 10:20am
Posts: 9
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