Workaround for downloading old versions

BeatSaberKeepers download version is currently not working due to a change in Steams API. As I am currently unable to provide a quick fix, I will provide a workaround for you to make this somewhat work again.

Prerequisites

Step-by-step instructions

Part 1: Preparation

  1. Create a new folder. We will put all our files in here as we work on it. For this guide, I will call it DepotFolder.
  2. Download the latest release of DepotDownloader, then unpack it into the DepotFolder. It should look something like this:
    workaround-old-version-1.png

Part 2: Download Game

  1. Next, hold the [Shift] key while right-clicking into an empty space in your Explorer window where your DepotFolder is open and select “Open PowerShell window here”.
    workaround-old-version-2.png

    On some older versions of Windows, this might say “Open Command Prompt here”. For the purpose of this guide, this option is also usable.

  2. First, check if you can start the tool by typing this command:
    .\DepotDownloader.exe
    If you see a screen like this, it worked and you can continue.
    workaround-old-version-3.png
  3. You will now have to create the correct command to download the version of BeatSaber you want. The general command will look like this:
    .\DepotDownloader.exe -app 620980 -depot 620981 -manifest <ManifestId> -username <SteamUser>
    You will have to replace <ManifestId> with the correct ID and <SteamUser> with your Steam accounts login name. For reference you can use the table found on this Steam community thread: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1805934840

    For the purpose of this guide, I will choose Version 1.19.0, which has the manifest ID of 8948172000430595334. The resulting command will therefore be:
    .\DepotDownloader.exe -app 620980 -depot 620981 -manifest 8948172000430595334 -username MyCoolUserName

  4. Once you have your command put together, execute it by pressing enter. You will then be asked to enter your Steam password and your Steam Guard token. Go ahead and do so.
    workaround-old-version-4.png
  5. The download will now start and take a minute or two, depending on your internet connection. If everything goes as planned, it should end like this:
    workaround-old-version-5.png

Part 3: Create an Archive of the Game

We’re now gonna create a BeatSaberKeeper archive so you can reuse it later.

  1. Open BeatSaberKeeper and click on “Settings” > “Set Game Directory”. Then navigate to your DepotFolder and then to depots/620981/7762726 (you can find this path also mentioned in the PowerShell window where you can the download command before) then select the Beat Saber.exe.
    workaround-old-version-6.png
  2. Now select “File” > “New Archive” and give it a meaningful name, then click “Pack”.
    workaround-old-version-7.png
  3. Finally, go to “Settings” > “Set Game Directory” again and change it back to where your Steam version of BeatSaber is installed.

Congratulations! You have manually downloaded an older version of BeatSaber. You can now use BeatSaberKeeper as you normally would.

workaround-old-version-8.png

You will notice that the Game Version will say <unknown>. This is because BSK cannot identify BeatSabers version before it has been run at least once. It is however adviced that you pack it before you run it to ensure your archive doesn’t get corrupted by Steam trying to autoupdate your game files again.

FAQ

Is all this really necessary?

For the moment, yes. DepotDownloader is a fairly reliable tool to download Steam games. This was initially possible with Steam-native tools but Valve decided to patch this functionality out. Also, BeatSaberKeepers download feature used parts of DepotDownloader to make it work but since this has to be maintained by me alone, I can’t promise anything. In future versions I would like to (re-)incorporate DepotDownloader into BSK again so you’ll have a more reliable tool to work with.

The guide didn’t work for me?

That’s unfortunate. Please report any mistakes via [GitHub issues]1 or on [Reddit]2.

I know how to fix your program!

Really?!! In that case, feel free to fork this project on GitHub, create a fix and submit a pull request. I would really appreciate your help.

  1. https://github.com/rGunti/BeatSaberKeeper/issues/new/choose ↩

  2. https://www.reddit.com/r/beatsaber/comments/pbhnbs/i_wrote_a_program_to_backup_your_beat_saber/ ↩