Steam Bridge
by ragalk
Steam Bridge routes Minecraft network traffic through Steam's relay network, so friends can join a hosted world without port forwarding or public IP addresses.
What it does
Steam Bridge is a network proxy that sends Minecraft connections over Steam peer-to-peer connections using Steam Datagram Relay. It talks directly to Steam's internal ISteamNetworkingSockets API to set up relay-based links, which keeps latency low and transport stable and encrypted through Valve's system. Players reach a host through their Steam accounts instead of an open port, and the mod is client and server, so both the host and every joining client need it.
The mod uses a virtual port that has to be set in its configuration file. Before hosting, make sure no other application is already using that port. Steam Bridge can route UDP packets through Steam Relay for voice chat mods that support it, including Simple Voice Chat, and an option turns off its own socket swap when a different mod already controls Java's socket layer. Files are published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across seven release versions, 1.7.10 – 1.21.1, and the code is open source under the MIT License. Linux support is planned, and the current build targets Windows x64.
Key features
Relay-based connections
Connections are established through Steam Datagram Relay, so players can join a host without forwarding ports.
Virtual port setting
A virtual port is set in the configuration file, and the host must confirm that port is free before starting a session.
UDP tunneling for voice chat
Compatible voice chat mods can send UDP traffic through the relay, and Simple Voice Chat works without extra network setup.
Default test application
The default Steam application ID is 480 (Spacewar), Valve's Steamworks test application, and that ID is fixed in the code.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
How it compares
J4mc [Now with invitations] is a Fabric and Forge client-side only mod for 1.16.2 – 26.3 under All rights reserved, so it is not open source. World Host is open source under the MIT License, client-side only, and covers Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt for 1.16.1 – 1.21.5. Voice Bridge for e4mc is a Fabric client and server mod under the MIT License for 26.2 – 26.3, so it is not tied to the same version range.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Bridge | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.7.10 – 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-07-23 |
| J4mc [Now with invitations] | Fabric and Forge | 1.16.2 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-10-11 |
| World Host | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.16.1 – 1.21.5 | Client-side only | 2025-04-05 |
| Voice Bridge for e4mc | Fabric | 26.2 – 26.3 | Client and server | 2026-10-06 |
Questions
Does Steam Bridge need to be installed on both sides?
Which loader should be used for Steam Bridge?
Is the official Steam client required?
In the catalog
Steam Bridge is one of 5,392 Social mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,084 Social mods for Fabric. 32,366 mods support Minecraft 1.21.1.
Similar mods
What the author says
Steam Bridge redirects Minecraft's network traffic through the Steam Datagram Relay (SDR) network. It allows players to host and join multiplayer worlds without port forwarding, public IP addresses, or third-party VPN software such as Hamachi or Radmin VPN. The mod also supports compatible voice chat mods by…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/steam-bridge
- Owner
- ragalk
- Published
- 2026-07-06
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-07-23
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15