How To Downgrade A Game On Steam

To downgrade a game on Steam, you’ll typically need to use the Steam console to access specific depots and then force Steam to download an older version.

Ever felt a game update ruined your favorite experience? It happens, and thankfully, there’s a way to potentially roll things back. If you’ve been asking ‘how to downgrade a game on steam’, know that it is possible, though it requires a bit of technical know-how.

You aren’t alone in wanting a previous game version, maybe for mod compatibility or personal preference. The process uses Steam’s own developer tools, letting you specify earlier builds. This allows you to revisit earlier game states, though it’s not guaranteed for every game.

How to Downgrade a Game on Steam

Sometimes, a new update to your favorite game isn’t exactly what you hoped for. Maybe it introduced annoying bugs, changed the gameplay in a way you dislike, or perhaps your computer doesn’t run it as smoothly anymore. In these situations, you might wish you could go back to a previous version. Luckily, downgrading a game on Steam, while not officially supported, is often possible with a bit of know-how. This article will guide you through the different methods you can use to revert your game to an older build.

Understanding Steam’s Update System

Before we dive into the “how,” let’s understand how Steam updates games. Steam uses a system called “depots” to store different versions of game files. When a game updates, Steam downloads the new files and replaces the old ones. Normally, Steam doesn’t offer a built-in feature to choose which depot version you want to use. It always aims to use the newest version. This is where our methods come into play; they basically allow you to tell Steam to use an older version instead of the latest one.

Method 1: Using Steam Console Commands (Easiest Method)

The Steam console is a hidden feature that gives you more control over Steam’s functions. This is usually the easiest way to downgrade a game, but it doesn’t always work for every game, it’s like a secret cheat code for Steam!

Accessing the Steam Console

To get to the Steam console, you need to open the Steam app on your computer.

1. Start Steam
2. Press Windows Key + R. This opens the run dialog.
3. Type steam://open/console and press “OK”.
4. A new tab or window will appear, this is the Steam Console.

Finding the Depot and Manifest ID

Now that the Steam Console is open, you need to find some specific numbers for the game you want to downgrade: the Depot ID and the Manifest ID. You need to find these ID numbers from SteamDB.

1. Open your web browser and go to SteamDB.
2. In the search bar at the top of the page, type the name of the game you want to downgrade and press Enter.
3. Click on the game from the search result.
4. On the game’s page, look for “Depots” on the left side of the page and click on it.
5. You’ll see a list of Depots, Usually there will be main depot, for most games this will have same ID as the game ID itself. you will likely need to downgrade the main depot. Click on that Depot.
6. Now, click on the “Manifests” tab.
7. You’ll see a list of past versions of the game. Each version has a unique ID called the Manifest ID.
8. Find the Manifest ID of the version you want to downgrade to. Note this number down, you’ll need it later.

   Important Note: Newer versions are usually at the top and older versions at the bottom, be sure to pick the correct one.

Using the download_depot Command

Now that you have the necessary Depot ID and Manifest ID, it’s time to use the console command to download the old game files and this command will download the specific version of the game.

1. Go back to the Steam Console window.
2. Type the following command, replacing the placeholders with your actual Depot ID and Manifest ID:

download_depot  <App ID> <Depot ID> <Manifest ID>

For example, if the App ID is 123456, Depot ID is 123457, and the Manifest ID is 12345678901234567, the command would be:

download_depot 123456 123457 12345678901234567

3. Press “Enter.” The download will begin. It might take some time.
4. Once the download is complete, Steam will tell you where the downloaded files are located. This is usually in a folder named “depots” within your Steam folder
5. You need to manually copy files from downloaded folder into your game’s folder, to do this, find your game’s folder and go into this path steamapps/common/. You can find the path of game folder by right clicking on game in steam, then click on manage and click on browse local files.
6. Copy and replace all the files from the depot folder to the game folder.
7. Now, start your game as normal, and it should be the version you downloaded.

Important Note: Steam will often try to update the game again automatically. To prevent that, you might have to disconnect from the internet when playing, or use another method to stop updates. See the next method.

Method 2: Using Third-Party Tools: Steam Depot Downloader

If you find the Steam Console method a bit too complicated, there are third-party tools that can make the process easier. One such tool is Steam Depot Downloader. This is a little more technical but still not that difficult.

Downloading and Installing Steam Depot Downloader

1. Search online for “Steam Depot Downloader GitHub”. You will usually find it on GitHub.
2. Download the latest release for your operating system.
3. The downloaded file will likely be a ZIP archive. Extract the files to a new folder on your computer.

Using Steam Depot Downloader

Now you are going to run the tool that you have downloaded and get the old versions of your game files.

1. Open a command prompt or terminal window, navigate to folder where you have extracted the files.
2. Type the following command, replacing the placeholders with your actual App ID, Depot ID, and Manifest ID:

dotnet SteamDepotDownloader.dll -app <App ID> -depot <Depot ID> -manifest <Manifest ID>

For example, if the App ID is 123456, Depot ID is 123457, and the Manifest ID is 12345678901234567, the command would be:

dotnet SteamDepotDownloader.dll -app 123456 -depot 123457 -manifest 12345678901234567

3. Press “Enter.” Steam Depot Downloader will download the specified version of the game. This will download the files into the folder SteamDepotDownloader\depots directory where you have extracted the software.
4. Once the download is complete, you will need to find your game’s local game files, usually located within steamapps/common/ directory. You can find the exact path by right-clicking on the game in Steam, going to “Manage,” and then “Browse Local Files”.
5. Now, copy all the files from the downloaded depot folder to game’s local files location, and replace all.
6. Run the game, It should be running in the version you just downloaded.
7. Like the console method, Steam might update your game automatically. To prevent updates, there is a method shown in method 3.

Method 3: Preventing Automatic Updates

As mentioned earlier, Steam loves to keep your games updated, which means it might try to override your downgraded version. Here are some ways to try and stop that.

Using Steam’s App Manifest

Each Steam game has an app manifest file that has game related settings. You can edit this file so Steam doesn’t automatically update your game.

1. Go to the game folder.
2. Locate the file called appmanifest_<App ID>.acf, replacing <App ID> with the game’s app ID. For example, for the game “Portal 2” the appmanifest will be named appmanifest_620.acf.
3. Open the appmanifest_<App ID>.acf file with notepad or any text editor.
4. Find the line that starts with "AutoUpdateBehavior".
5. By default, the value will be "AutoUpdateBehavior" "0", change this to "AutoUpdateBehavior" "1".
6. Save the file.

This will tell steam that it should not update the game automatically. This will not prevent the update, but it will pause the update.

Using Steam’s Library Settings

Another way to stop automatic updates, is to pause them from steam library settings

1. In the Steam library, right-click on the game and select “Properties”.
2. Go to the “Updates” tab.
3. In the “Automatic Updates” section, select “Only update this game when I launch it”.
4. This will prevent steam from updating your game automatically until you actually run the game.

Playing in Offline Mode

This is the most foolproof way, steam can’t update your game if you aren’t online!

1. Start the Steam client.
2. Click “Steam” in the top-left corner.
3. Select “Go Offline…”
4. When Steam asks to go in offline mode, click on “Restart in Offline Mode”. Steam will restart in offline mode and your games will not update.

Important Considerations and Potential Problems

Downgrading a game is not an official feature of Steam. So, there can be some problems, it’s good to be aware of the potential pitfalls before trying these methods:

• Game Stability: Older versions might have bugs that were fixed in later updates. Your game might be unstable or crash.
• Compatibility Issues: Saved games from newer versions might not work on older versions. Also, multiplayer is usually not supported if you are not running the same version as other players.
• Steam Updates: Steam might still try to update the game even if you have taken precautions. This is because they want everyone to have the latest version of games.
• Steam Changes: Steam can change how its system works, and this might make the methods listed above stop working. So, there is no guarantee that this will work in future.
• Legal issues: Downgrading games are within Steam’s terms of service, so there is a legal risk with this method.

Always back up your game files before making any changes. So, If something goes wrong, you can easily revert it back. If it’s a new game, and the game breaking bugs are fixed in the latest version then you should always play on the latest version.

Why Downgrade? Common Reasons

You might be wondering, why would someone want to downgrade a game? Here are some common reasons:

• Poor Updates: A new update might make the game worse in your opinion. Maybe it has new bugs, change game play or run slower.
• Mod Compatibility: Some mods may only work on specific versions of the game. If you have to use specific mods to play the game, then you will need to downgrade to an older version that’s compatible with your favorite mods.
• Performance Issues: A new update might make the game harder to run on older computers.
• Missing Features: An update might remove a feature you really liked.

These methods allow you to play the version of the game that you want to play, at least until Steam changes things.

Downgrading a game on Steam, while not officially supported, can be done with a little bit of effort. Whether you choose to use the Steam console, a third-party tool, or a combination of methods, you can often get back to the version of the game you prefer. Just remember to proceed carefully, make backups, and be aware of potential issues. With the right steps, you can regain control of your gaming experience and enjoy your favorite games the way you want to.

How To Downgrade Any Game from Steam – DepotDownloader Tutorial

Final Thoughts

Downgrading a game on Steam requires using the console or third-party tools. These methods allow you to access older versions, though they may not always be perfect. Always back up your game data.

You can use Steam’s console or utilize community-made depots for the game. Always research your game beforehand to check the downgrade availability and any potential issues you may face.

Successfully achieving the desired older version needs care and proper research. Knowing how to downgrade a game on Steam gives you more game control.