How do I connect two computers using USB 3.0?

I know this question exists, but it's about USB in General. Mine is about USB 3.0 and newer specifically.

USB 3.0 specification introduces the feature known as direct host-to-host connection with normal USB 3.0 A/A (male/male) cables (or some bridge cables? Anyway I can't find any to buy). [1] [2]

But it's now 2018, I have a pretty new laptop. The sources date from 2012 or older.

My question is:

How can I connect two computers (preferably using Windows 8.1, I don't mind using a OS with a linux-kernel) with USB 3.0 ports together to transfer files or maybe play LAN games? (I know how to do it with normal networking cables :P)

Solution 1:

This cable connects two USB3.0 hosts together. They provide chinish app for that but in Linux, you can use my patch to use it as virtual ethernet card. I managed to achieve speeds between 1-2Gbps. But you can write own driver to transfer any data: you simply write to USB EP0 and read from USB EP0 on the other side.

Solution 2:

Host-to-Host Connections

USB 3.0 Type-A Connector Detail

Unlike USB 2.0, the new standard will allow for two host devices to be connected directly with a USB 3.0 crossover cable. This new cable features the typical Type-A connectors on each end but with a new internal wiring. This cable omits the Vbus, D+ and D- wires (USB2.0 data and voltage) and cross-routes the SuperSpeed transmit and receive connections. This crossover cable is designed for debugging and host-to-host applications and will not cause damage if plugged into a USB 2.0 port.

What software, if any, is needed; I do not know. A USB 3.0 crossover cable may be purchased online or at a few major Computer retailers.

Solution 3:

There's Transfer Express from ASUS, but it is not on the market, and probably never will be. And it works only if both your boards are ASUS. Also it's over 3.0, which is already outdated since the intro of 3.1, which the link is testing using 2 SSDs in RAID 0 to get higher than 500 MB/s. There are videos on YouTube for the Transfer Express device. Just get yourself a fast thumb drive like the SanDisk Extreme or Lexar LP20 or 2 10 Gb NICs.

ASUS Goes All In With USB 3.1 Capable Motherboards has some information.  Here are some quotes from Using Asus Transfer Express: A Multi-Platform Control Hub (Part 4):

I like the PC-to-PC and PC-to-Android keyboard and mouse sharing. The overall usage experience was hassle-free; the shared keyboard and mouse was great for controlling multiple PCs simultaneously, and I was even able to play real PC games through my Nvidia Shield tablet. An improvement here would be the option for a more seamless PC-to-Android keyboard/mouse switch than a hotkey.

The biggest adjustment that I would like to see on the Asus Transfer Express is functionality with other vendors’ hardware when the device bundle hits retailers in the coming months. If an Asus motherboard is deemed a requirement for the primary PC, that is understandable, but forcing both PCs to be Asus hardware seems unnecessary and very restrictive.