Game streamer back down to £15.99 from £39.99 RRP
Free delivery or click and collect.
Offer ends on 1st March
Top comments
thetwistedblue
23 Feb 1711#2
It works perfectly for me.
Only adds 3ms of latency which is less than my 'gaming' monitor.
If its not working properly for you, either your cpu is too rubbish to encode the video or maybe your having a driver issue or something.
I would suggest the first thing would be to try reinstalling windows.
JamesUK
23 Feb 174#22
I work in IT support and that is insulting.
The first thing to try is turning it off and back on. THEN reinstalling windows... THEN getting a new PC!
Always had terrible WiFi lag with a SteamLink, although wired or via HomePlugs is fine
CampGareth
23 Feb 173#76
Put it this way. I have a desk. On my desk is lots of really nice gear, multiple monitors, a good keyboard, speakers etc. I also have a living room. In my living room is a comfy sofa, even better speakers than at the desk, a projector, etc.
The ideal situation would have a computer at the desk and a computer in the living room so I can play games in either place but that'd get expensive, like 4 digits expensive. Plus one computer at a time would be sat around doing nothing.
I could move the computer at my desk into the living room, that'd be nice when I wanted to play games but bad when I want to work or have some privacy. I'm also not a fan of moving 20kg+ of computer around, potentially breaking it in the process.
So I own a Steam Link as it's the best of both worlds, I lose a little performance but don't have to spend over a grand or break my back in order to play games in the living room. This is 'throwing more gadgets' at the problem when they're cheaper than one alternative and easier than the other.
KCooperman
23 Feb 173#16
Wow that would be your first suggestion? You should get a job in IT support...:stuck_out_tongue:
Latest comments (136)
spacedog
1 Mar 17#136
OOS
charley_white
27 Feb 17#135
To be helpful, if you are experiencing lag on Steam Link on a PC like I was, and you have a wired internet connection, disable windows Aero mode, do this by changing your desktop theme from windows Aero to a non-Areo theme. Solved the problem for me, I already had changed the streaming setting to Fast as well (this didn't have any effect for me).
andyres77
27 Feb 17#134
How often would this be used though. I guess it'd be good for some games
Themadcow
27 Feb 17#133
Yeah, I think people have to accept there's limitations on things such as competitive multiplayer shooters. You have to take into account that the streaming process involves converting the picture into a visual streaming format on the fly, so even with the best connection in the world it'll be less than optimal for very twitchy games. Rocket League is certainly one kind of game I don't think is ideal for streaming if you're into competitive multiplayer.
For the kind of games I want to play - things like Skyrim, Diablo 3 or whatever, it's absolutely fine. The comparison I'd draw is with my old PSTV which was absolute turd for pretty much everything unless it was connected with a LAN cable (and even then...).
awoodhall2003
26 Feb 17#132
I play mine over 5ghz WiFi and plays perfectly fine. Twitch games not too great - but generally they're more hardcore FPS and thus keyboard and mouse games anyway.
Kr0n1c
26 Feb 17#131
Mine works perfectly
soulgod123
26 Feb 17#130
missinformation
slliw
26 Feb 17#129
Using this to stream my MacBook Air and PC to my 65 inch Tv. For £16 this a bargain streaming device for kodi and MKV files. Can't comment on games as that's not what I bought it for.
Rhythmeister
25 Feb 17#128
I had issues with mine initially using the most recent Virgin hub but its worked flawlessly since a hard reset of said hub. I'd recommend resetting your network if you're having issues, I even use homeplugs on mine :smiley:
Themadcow
25 Feb 17#127
Finally tried mine today - WiFi connection to link, cabled from router to PC. It runs flawlessly. So much so that I couldn't notice any difference from being in front of the TV.
I'm not even using a decent WiFi router - it's a Virgin Superhub 2 (non AC)
indigo_raj
25 Feb 17#126
Despite all the mixed reviews, for £16 it's worth a order surely?
basergorkobal
25 Feb 17#125
This is why I added castors to mine. Improves portability.
Still bought a steam link last time it was on offer. Worked well for a while. Then started lagging horribly. This thread reminded me of its existence. May give it another chance.
HereKittyKitty
25 Feb 17#124
It's worth £16 just for the novelty value, but you probably need a top-of-the-range router to enjoy the wireless streaming. Wired is okay, but still a bit quirky and ever-so-slightly laggy, which leaves you thinking, you might as well have just used a long HDMI cable, unless you wanna use your router (attached to multiple Steam Links) as a kind of HDMI splitter/multicasting doodah
Crossbow
25 Feb 17#123
Or, his Steam Link box could be a faulty one.
alltaken123
24 Feb 17#122
The_Hoff
24 Feb 17#121
Something wrong with your network. I picked one up yesterday and have been playing over 5ghz AC MIMO WIFI (Nighthawk 7800) and it's almost flawless.
It's plain to see your experience is anything but typical from this thread alone.
StormB
24 Feb 17#120
The Xbox One wireless controller with Bluetooth works too - nothing more required than to pair it (I had to use a USB keyboard to do that)..
keenan316
24 Feb 17#119
@jewelie
Indeed, both my Xbox360 wireless controller worked straight away. I just connected the receiver to the usb and that was it. No fiddling or issues at all..
jewelie
24 Feb 171#118
The Steam Link is based on Linux. Given the Linux kernel has had support for original and dodgy 3rd party XBox 360 USB wireless gaming receivers for years and that Valve have been behind developing the kernel module, I'd be amazed if an old XBox 360 Wireless controller and one of those didn't work a treat on the Steam Link? In fact, when I've considered purchasing a Steam Link, I've just assumed that they would work.
StormB
24 Feb 17#117
Seems some people have had issues with the Steam Link and others haven't. It's worked flawlessly for me - here's my set up in case it helps people make up their mind.
- i5 3570k CPU
- Nvidia GTX 660
- Connected via 2x ZyXEL Gigabit AV2 PLA5206 powerline adapters, and also going through 1 Netgear gigabit switch and 1 TP-Link gigabit switch
- Samsung 40" 1080 TV set in game mode
- New Xbox One (bluetooth) controller
Despite the poor specs of my PC by current standards, it really does run really well. No discernable latency at all, and the picture is really clear; can't see any compression artifacts.
I suspect I'm using the nVidia GPU to do the encode on the fly (haven't checked). I wonder if others having issues perhaps aren't using nVidia GPU hardware encoding?
The other thing to mention (as others already have done) is that it's probably worth just plugging a laptop in to wherever you're going to install your Steam Link and opening Steam, then seeing how well the streaming is to it. If it seems to work well then I'd say there's a good chance of the Steam Link working well too.
Oh, and I'd almost always avoid WiFi for low-latency streaming like this. Ideally I'd like to avoid powerline too, but sadly I haven't got around to doing my ethernet cable runs yet.
cicobuff
24 Feb 171#116
Yep, same here as posted above, I got one from my non local store, up in North Wales at the moment and they had stock in Rhyl.
JayExxx
24 Feb 17#115
I got a steam link at my local store (church street liverpool) for £15:99...happy days...
nougat
24 Feb 17#114
just ordered thanks
timb999
24 Feb 17#113
Yeah I have just ordered this for delivery too...
cicobuff
24 Feb 17#112
This deal should be unexpired, just because it is out of stock online does not mean it is out of stock instore.
Picked one up this morning, marked up at £39.99 instore, got the gent on the checkout to barcode scan to check the price and it was £15.99.
No brainer of a deal in my opinion, anyone with a half decent PC that wants retro gaming on a big tv can be happily playing through Retro Arch with a PS4 Controller wirelessly. Cheaper than a Raspberry Pi 3, admittedly will consume more power, but far more universal a solution for just one aspect of what this thing can do.
Thanks for the heads up OP...should for any reason I not get on with it there will be no loss, easily make your money back on it at this price....if I do get on with it, cheaper than a Pi 3 for my use.
luann1986
24 Feb 17#111
I would unexpire this, there's more stock online now, just ordered one myself.
J1135
24 Feb 17#110
Cmon theres no need for sillyness :wink::stuck_out_tongue: RX pfft hahaha, nah I've been red team for a long time now but this came along at a price I couldnt resist :smiley:
As the for the i5 yup as long as it runs on your PC without hitch then it should run via the steam link without problem :smiley:
60" TV aint nowt fancy it's dumb and was about 450 quid from richer sounds lol
Stowgood
24 Feb 17#109
It's ****, I like to know if stuff is **** before I buy it. I wish I'd know beforehand. If people want to risk it it's fine. If anyone wants mine they can come and have it for free if they live in York.
alltaken123
24 Feb 171#108
Yes and yes, I completely get the sentiment but don't buy the whole 'I wasn't showboating'. It will run just fine from an i5 and 40" TV too apparently.... :stuck_out_tongue: (I'm going to be absurd and suggest it could also run just fine with a RX 470)
J1135
24 Feb 171#107
lol someone completeley missed the point of my post :stuck_out_tongue:
The steam llink is only fgoign to run the games as well as the host machine can, don't go expecting miracles from the little streamy box :stuck_out_tongue:
It's so convenient too, can power on/off via the ps4 pad!
bobbagoose
24 Feb 17#106
Yeah, I tried in game mode then chose the PC setting on top of that. I've used the PC on the TV using the same settings and regularly use a PlayStation as well. I'm gonna check the encoding/decoding settings over the weekend. Thanks for your help.
RohanWC
24 Feb 17#105
Played in a shared uni house last year from PC - Laptop and that worked just fine with others using the internet. I'd guess your cpu or internet wasn't fast enough to encode and send the video.
EQL
23 Feb 17#104
Might it be your TV settings? Do you have a decent (100mbps) router? Or some other problem someone has mentioned?
For Wireless Xbox 360 controllers you'd need a Windows adapter/adaptor.
See the previous deal for discussions on these and other topics
technobot
23 Feb 17#103
Great device, once updated works great with the PS4 controller and even the vibration feedback works great, for best results must use ethernet or high speed powerline (1200mbps+).
With a controller, it's so convenient, as long as your pc is powered up with steam running:
Just pick up and power on your controller and the steam link comes to life, can then switch the device and your pc off from the same controller. FPS for me never drops below 60fps.
I have it connected to an AV receiver with Q Acoustic bookshelf speakers and a projected 100“ screen, really cannot recommend enough, here is a video I recorded of how well it works (please excuse the rubbish gameplay, holding controller one handed and phone in the other hand):
I got one last time around and it was unusable over power line plugs, I was gutted and couldn't understand why it was so bad. In the end I swapped over the homeplug it was connected to an lo and behold, it works brilliantly. Steam's support for the device is terrible, be wary of that. If it doesn't work perfectly out of the box, you're gonna have to do some digging around the web for answers and suggestions. Like I said though, once up an running, amazing little bit of kit. Heat for this price - it's a steal.
mani5001
23 Feb 17#101
thanks for mentioning that, I play in 21:9 so resolution switching would always have to be done and I didn't even think about it
verbumSapienti
23 Feb 17#100
antialias much
meathane
23 Feb 17#99
Driver issues and reinstalling windows, F me, what year are we in?! PC gamer nerds have to put up with some right sh*t, not for me
Vistrix
23 Feb 17#98
It works flawlessly. Play it every now and then with a mix of PS4 and Steam controllers.
I paid £40 for it at the time and I'd say its still worth that price.
The latency is next to zero for me, its not noticeable. A gigabit ethernet connection is a must though.
JayExxx
23 Feb 17#97
Fair call, I wouldn't pay a tenner shipping either m8...
I would however make a trip to my local game store to get one if someone could confirm if the price in store is the same as this online deal I'd appreciate it...
sweetangelxx
23 Feb 17#96
At £15...I have bought it and will try it!
Good or bad...It's worth a try at this price :smile:
HOT
alltaken123
23 Feb 172#95
Glad to hear it works with a 60" TV, GTX 1080 and i7 - I'm sure many on here were wondering if such low spec would be accommodated. Well done for not trying to showboat, I've given a slow rolling clap for your setup, I hope it helps. :smirk:
cmdr_elito
23 Feb 171#94
Actually try restarting your computer......
wild_quinine
23 Feb 171#93
Plus over a tenner of shipping.
That's a no from me, Bob.
laweffect
23 Feb 17#92
Got one. Wired it to router via ethernet cable. Slow as ****. The end.
TehJumpingJawa
23 Feb 17#91
To cut short the "this is great/rubbish" debate:
To get the most out of Steam Link, you will want:
- Powerful host PC; as with all streaming, the host is having to do significantly more work.
- Host PC's primary display should be the same aspect ratio as the client TV. (Ideally both should be 1920x1080)
- Ethernet or strong WiFi
- Controller based games to mask the added latency.
It's a good product, but it isn't flawless nor completely transparent.
If you've got a moderately powerful laptop, plug it into your TV (and Ethernet), and try streaming to it from your gaming PC.
That'll give you a good idea of how the Steam Link will perform
It's not magic, just a video sink + input proxy in a convenient form factor.
JayExxx
23 Feb 17#90
Out of stock...
But same price on steam store until 27th feb I believe...
tuckeral
23 Feb 171#89
Bought this last time it was this price on offer. Absolutely great device for what I wanted it for. Works flawlessly for me on a bog standard PlusNet wireless router. Works fine with ps3 and xbox 360 controllers too (via usb).
If anybody knows offhand of a good way of allowing the pc (upstairs) to be used for other stuff while it's streaming to the steam link (downstairs) I'll be grateful. Not something I've looked into properly yet but would be dead handy... (for the games being played downstairs processing power won't be an issue)
paulst
23 Feb 17#88
Yes, wired 360 works fine, not sure about wireless though..
keenan316
23 Feb 17#87
Absolutely love mine! Got it on the last sale and it has converted me to a full on couch gamer! I used to be strictly keyboard and mouse for all first person games, but since getting it absolutely loved Resident Evil 7 on the bigger screen of the tv.
Currently making my way through Doom and I have absolutely no framerate or latency issues at all!
Well worth it at this price!
Lloydinio
23 Feb 17#86
yes, it should work
Lloydinio
23 Feb 17#85
works well with an Ethernet and well on Wi-Fi if you are near, of you are heading using a WiFi booster, there will be lag but it's alright mostly. My new Xbox one controller works plugged in but not via Bluetooth but my ps3 controllers work wirelessly. it's a good buy for 16 quid. handy when family come round and you have a game like jackbox.
br1bri
23 Feb 17#84
Can you just plug in a 360 controller to this ?
paulst
23 Feb 171#83
I meant that if family members are using the internet while you're using the SL etc!
CampGareth
23 Feb 17#82
Wat. Internet connection has nothing to do with this. The speed of your home's internal network does. "Does this car have heating?" "Depends on if there's ice on the roads"
It functions on anything, even your grandmother's Pentium 1 (slowly admittedly). It'd work well for you though, very well if you enable hardware encoding (which uses your CPU's built in QuickSync video encoder)
CampGareth
23 Feb 171#81
This box will let you run anything that Steam can start. Remember that you can add programs on your computer to Steam's list of games, so even something like Battlefield 1 that relies on Origin will work through Steam. As for desktop programs, I've briefly tried it and iirc ran Word over the Link, it's not ideal vs something like RDP because of how the protocol works (link streams video, RDP understands a 'window' and 'text' so builds the image locally).
The_Hoff
23 Feb 17#80
Just grabbed one. Thanks
paulst
23 Feb 17#79
Yes, I have a 4690K and plays flawless over wired connection. There's a bit more to it than just CPU power though, especially if you have slow internet for example..
donslibi
23 Feb 17#78
I like how you mentioned privacy, we all know what you really mean :wink:
In all seriously, well explained. Seems like an ok compromise for you. I personally would game on a dedicated console or a purpose built gaming HTPC. At some stage of a person's life (grown up) gaming becomes a thing of the past or at best, an occasional pastime.
Out of interest, does this box let you play any game or just a particular selection? And can you do other stuff such as web browsing?
Crossbow
23 Feb 17#77
The CPU doesn't matter to the Steam Link - it just transfers the ability of your PC to play a Steam game to a TV.
CampGareth
23 Feb 173#76
Put it this way. I have a desk. On my desk is lots of really nice gear, multiple monitors, a good keyboard, speakers etc. I also have a living room. In my living room is a comfy sofa, even better speakers than at the desk, a projector, etc.
The ideal situation would have a computer at the desk and a computer in the living room so I can play games in either place but that'd get expensive, like 4 digits expensive. Plus one computer at a time would be sat around doing nothing.
I could move the computer at my desk into the living room, that'd be nice when I wanted to play games but bad when I want to work or have some privacy. I'm also not a fan of moving 20kg+ of computer around, potentially breaking it in the process.
So I own a Steam Link as it's the best of both worlds, I lose a little performance but don't have to spend over a grand or break my back in order to play games in the living room. This is 'throwing more gadgets' at the problem when they're cheaper than one alternative and easier than the other.
CAL23
23 Feb 17#75
Would this work with an i7 4790?
donslibi
23 Feb 17#74
No need to lose sleep over this deal. It's clearly cheap and useful to some. Just struggle with the logic of putting things in the wrong place then deciding to throw more gadgets at them to make them do what we wanted originally. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Perhaps you should share more on other posts and learn something from them rather than assume you have no interest or value to add.
Crossbow
23 Feb 17#73
Not sure what you are talking about. Why on earth would I want to permanently keep my great hulking gaming desktop computer in the living room where the TV is?
Yes, it does to some of those, but at a fraction of the effort of carting many other items all over the place & back again. This is the whole point of all gadgets in case you hadn't realised - makes things more convenient & fun.
And, as you can see from the popularity of this offer, & even more so the last time it was offered, alongwith with practically no one agreeing with you, you are in the barest minority. If this offer is not for you just stay away. Simple. I don't mess around in offers that are of no interest or benefit to me.
hcm145
23 Feb 17#72
Its possible to sideload Kodi onto the device, so the link runs it natively without the need of a host pc (Here) But its not perfect, parts of it work perfectly however a few bugs do occur.
There is a Steam forum with some working apps such as RetroArch and someone has even made Doom for the link to run natively :smiley:
Triumerate
23 Feb 171#71
Doesn't matter what speed his internet is.
Doesn't even matter what speed his LAN network is.
Doesn't matter if he has a gigabit router, a gigabit switch, or a gigabit powerline.
What does matter is that the Steamlink only has a 100mbit ethernet port.
So therefore, the max attainable is only 100mbit, wired.
But to make matters worse, the max bitrate for the Steamlink is only 30mbit.
xtrem3x
23 Feb 17#70
It works well but my pc monitor is 3440x1440 ultra wide so I have to change fov settings for a lot of games if I ever switch between the 2.
Ive resorted to having certain games I play at the pc and others I use steam link for.
Chilling out on the sofa playing games with much better graphics and fps than any modern console is nice though, dirty console peasants :sunglasses:
CatBusStop
23 Feb 171#69
Mine works as well with my old i5 4570 + gtx 770 as it does with my i7 6700k + gtx 1080 machine - honestly couldn't tell the difference. Having said that, I am using wired gigabit and am only using it for local co-op games with controllers.
Worth noting that you still can't use wireless xbox one controllers with the adapter without some fiddling. I ended up buying VirtualHere for SteamLink which does the job pretty well.
donslibi
23 Feb 171#68
Not sure what you are talking about. You wouldn't constantly move your pc, just keep it in the room you use most. This actually adds hassle, electricity usage, space and wires.
TheGuyWhoNeverGetsSamples
23 Feb 17#67
Cold £10 and i my considering wasting my money, i have trash wifi
CampGareth
23 Feb 171#66
Got great wifi but the device was only capable of maybe 30mbit on it. Switched to wired (and at one point a router that repurposed as a wireless client), flawless performance. Lag was low, gaming was comfortable, now we don't need a PC in the living room attached to the projector.
Hardware encode support on the desktop hosting the game is a must, tried it with a GTX 970 which is fine but an AMD 7970 was a bit dodgy. Also no matter how good your home wifi is, use wired.
XP200
23 Feb 171#65
25 feet hdmi cable, low profile, sorted. lol
fattyuk
23 Feb 17#64
sorry invested in this day 1, its a piece of junk really thats why its so cheap
and the controller is awful and yes i spent a good 5 hours trying to get used to it.
nivida shield tv - complete diffrent kettle of fish!
Crossbow
23 Feb 172#63
That's true, & also the hassle of unplugging all the cables & plugging them back in.
£15.99 is a small price to pay to overcome all the inconvenience.
jewelie
23 Feb 171#62
BTW No offence but are you sure you've not got delay on the TV making things worse? On my Samsung TV I have to tell it a PC is connected via that connection for the Samsung to remove all processing and do RGB mode (game mode on the samsungs is awful, but PC/RGB mode is excellent.)
jewelie
23 Feb 17#61
Is the steam link definitely doing hardware decoding? I know valve have done some updates in the past that disabled it for a while (stupidly) which is going to seriously hurt performance on a basic ARM config!
bobbagoose
23 Feb 17#60
I'm using a GTX 970 - the curious thing is it streams better to my MacBook over Steam than with Steam link. The fact that the laptop worked so well convinced me to get the Steam Link but it's just not as good in my experience. I'll check all my settings again later.
adam0812
23 Feb 17#59
20kg PC's notorious for their portability of course.............
Kiyoshi
23 Feb 17#58
Works perfectly for me on a wired network, probably one of the best tech purchases I ever made.
David23
23 Feb 17#57
Works OK but doesn't play nicely with Intel HD Graphics 3000 chipset on board my i5. Have to keep my laptop monitor open otherwise the screen flashes and mouse judders on the steam link. Must be some resolution bug when the screen switches off.
Consistent 1080p @ 60Hz with 0% frame loss. Hardware encoding and decoding. Input lag <1ms. Display (encoding + network + decoding) lag 13ms. Incoming stream just under 30mbps and outgoing (controls) 28kbps with 0% packet loss.
Ah apologies, I thought I remembered reading you needed a minimum / recommended internet speed to run it.
maizecorn
23 Feb 17#54
How does the Steam Link work with controllers? I'd use it so I could play games from my PC (downstairs) on the TV in my bedroom, but what do you do about wired controllers? And how is it overall?
steevhan
23 Feb 17#53
I have made a steam review on this recently, for this price you are crazy not to buy one if you have a decent PC and a Decent Wired connection, and ofcourse you want PC gaming on your TV/Other rooms, i thank you OP
delsaber
23 Feb 17#52
I bought this last week!! Urgh!
Works pretty well. Hooked up to LAN and have been playing lots of worms. Issues seem to be more around game compatibility that anything.
I do have a decent rig (i5 and 1080gtx) so that may help.
Themadcow
23 Feb 17#51
Nice. Got the steam link last time, and now the controller - ideal for my bedroom TV. Only downside is the stupidly bad Virgin router downstairs, but I can always get something a big beefier if I need to.
synasla
23 Feb 17#50
Just tried with The Division, no lag at all, even at FPS intense scenes AND I am on Wireless upstairs in my room, router is downstairs (A crap BT one) .
Just buying a gigabit router and plug a cable in there, doesn't mean you have a flawlessly set up network in your home.
Oneday77
23 Feb 17#49
You don't work in IT at all.
The first thing you do is make sure it is plugged in and the lights work...in the room.
thetwistedblue
23 Feb 17#48
Good spot. Should be ms.
Crossbow
23 Feb 17#47
Yes, could be. I think you should try with another known working unit to rule this out. Borrow one from a friend perhaps?
J1135
23 Feb 17#46
i7 6700K. 32GB RAM, GTX 1080
Steam link with the beta software installed.
FANTASTIC
Use it in the front room, ethernet to router, HDMI to 5.1 Amp.
Ps4 remote and hooked up to 60" TV
Despite initial setup problems has been absolutely flawless.
Even switches to full 5.1!
PC is set to steroe and 1440p
Well worth the price :smiley:
TheGuardian
23 Feb 17#45
Good for casual gaming of course, but not for serious online matches or fast paced games. And of course it can't be used for 3D or multi-monitor gaming regardles of how expensive your cpu or internet router is. :wink:
MrHot
23 Feb 17#44
Ironically if you have a large enough setup, reimaging a PC is much easier (if it has an actual problem ofc)
MrHot
23 Feb 17#43
3ns or 3ms??
fitzyfitz29
23 Feb 17#42
Voted hot. I have one. I personally hardly use it as the games I play I prefer a keyboard and mouse but my misses loves it for controller games.
I do have the steam controller and whilst it is good in some games, in others there just isent enough time to think what combos you need to press compared to one key on a keyboard
jewelie
23 Feb 17#41
Wouldn't advise most using WiFi for game streaming in a built up area though - you need flawless 25mbps streams with no glitches for pretty 1080p, and that can be tough sharing airwaves with many other people.
El.Siccse
23 Feb 171#40
I bought one before christmas. Works well via TP link devices. I personally would not play online over it due to a tiny bit of lag but that is probably my TV. But for any offline game it works perfectly. Also added VLC as steam app to stream music and videos from PC.
bobbagoose
23 Feb 17#35
I got one, for £16 it's not bad. I mean it works, but the image quality is poor, can stutter every now and then and there is definitely some latency from the controller. I honestly don't enjoy playing games with it all that much but at a push it's ok.
jewelie to bobbagoose
23 Feb 171#39
Curious. What GPU are you using? Are you definitely using hardware encoding? It's worth turning on the on-screen statistics via the streaming options on the client. The graph is dead handy. From memory, the bottom section is the encoding delay, the middle is the network delay, and the top section is the decoding delay. Additionally, the on screen information will tell you what the encoder and decoder are, and what kinds of delays there are. If the whole thing is taking more than about 20ms in total then something is wrong somewhere.
JamesUK
23 Feb 172#38
Your BB speed has no bearing on it whatsoever. You do not need to be online in any form to use the Link.
showstopper81
23 Feb 17#37
What provider is your gigabit internet?
jewelie
23 Feb 17#36
You can pop the statistics up via an option in Steam. With hardware encoding and decoding and a gigabit Ethernet it's less than 20ms IME.
donslibi
23 Feb 17#30
Pretty useless product when you can just put your pc in whatever room you want. It's one of those gadgets that fixes a problem that doesn't really exist. Voted hot for the price, as that's what this site is about, and I don't like being unfair.
delusion to donslibi
23 Feb 172#34
That's hilarious, you are funny.... Assuming you aren't being serious
LagunaLoire
23 Feb 17#29
Your mileage will vary, it depends entirely on your BB speeds and latency of your home network. If you know anyone who's got one, best thing to do is ask if you can borrow to test it out.
I borrowed a mate's the other day. Wireless was a bit crap but powerline wired worked pretty well (not flawless, but well enough) so am definitely going to be investing. Excited to try the Steam Controller as well. Heat :smiley:
JonN to LagunaLoire
23 Feb 172#33
Fair point on trying one out if you can, though just to point out for other people reading your comment, your experience with this will have nothing to do with your broadband speed. It's an internal networking process. Unless you plan on playing remotely outside of your own LAN, but that's not what this is for and will require some fiddling to get working.
Karmazyn
23 Feb 171#32
i am loving my steam link. it is comnected wirelessly through 5ghz virgin router super hub.2 and it is working flawlessly. truly amazing device.
Firejack
23 Feb 17#31
Playing on the Steam Link I see an extra 18-25ms latency depending on the game. This is a [email protected] 30Mbit/sec stream. Using the Intel QuickSync hardware encoder on my i5-4690k and wired 100Mbit Ethernet.
ukez
23 Feb 17#28
So because you had a bad experience no one else should ever experience it yeah? Hmm
Can you imagine if everyone applied your logic to life in general...WTF! :laughing:
tjc2005
23 Feb 171#19
Great deal, runs much better than my Nvidia shield tbh, I don't get all the stuttering with the steam link like I do with the shield.
it is only "1080p" but you can't complain at this price imo.
ukez to tjc2005
23 Feb 171#27
Exactly...
I hummed and harred as to whether i needed one and tried to justify it, but then i was like.. what am i doing man its only £15.99 a box of cigarettes is a £10; let me just buy it and try it!
Now i have it and its all setup and working, i use it pretty much every other day. I love the fact that I can use it to properly remote desktop by using the Link, a wireless keyboard with touchpad on the side plus I fling on my bluetooth headset and browse or watch kodi no additional PC required.
Plus it supports WOL and remote shutdown, what's not to like? :laughing:
Joshimitsu91
23 Feb 17#26
You don't have to switch resolutions.
And anyone complaining about this device either hasn't set it up correctly (selected correct encoding for their GPU) or has a sub standard network. On wired you should be getting very minimal input lag, good enough to play Rocket League but probably not for competitive Counter Strike.
Stowgood
23 Feb 17#25
My network and setup is fine but the steam link is ass. I got it on release. I have tried the beta builds. Perhaps my unit is defective. My standards are high and it's not worth my time. I am advising others to avoid it because of this.
Stowgood
23 Feb 17#24
Nope I have a intel Kaby lake based system that is very powerful. I have a gigabit internet connection, Gigabit router, and a gigabit switch.
I notice when the FPS is bad or there is an input delay. When I say unplayable I mean competitively there is a noticeable timing difference when playing the ball in rocket league messing up the aim. If I was only playing on the TV I might eventually get used to aiming with the delay but I'd be at a disadvantage of being a few fractions of a second behind my opponent.
RedRain
23 Feb 17#20
what benifit does this offer over using a hdmi stright from gpu to tv
ukez to RedRain
23 Feb 17#23
The benefit is that if you had your PC downstairs and you wanted to jump in bed upstairs and continue gaming, watching Kodi or even just browsing in bed you can. Its not really to put in the same room as your PC to be honest. You can but what's the point?
JamesUK
23 Feb 174#22
I work in IT support and that is insulting.
The first thing to try is turning it off and back on. THEN reinstalling windows... THEN getting a new PC!
Always had terrible WiFi lag with a SteamLink, although wired or via HomePlugs is fine
Stowgood
23 Feb 17#1
It's crap don't waste your time. I have a gigabit LAN network and rocket league is unplayable on my TV in the Lounge when streamed from my PC upstairs.
vhero to Stowgood
23 Feb 172#4
I got the same experience to be fair. I switched back to a long ass hdmi lol. The idea is good but execution is terrible plus a lot of games crash and if you don't run your pc at 1080p or 720p you have to keep changing resolution in games everytime you switch from steam link to pc.
garybb to Stowgood
23 Feb 173#7
Plays everthing with no issues great little peace of kit. You either have a PC that cant handle the streaming or a dodgy network.
HEAT
ukez to Stowgood
23 Feb 172#21
I have one and it plays absolutely perfect on my WIFI, It plays that good that I didn't even need to hook up my hardwired connection. Saying that I have an expensive router and awesome WIFI.
My Bluetooth headset works nice on it too, same with my wired 360 and wireless steam controller. You either had a bad unit, a bad router and setup or you did something wrong. :laughing:.
This device not only allows you to transmit your games, both steam and others added to your steam library, it also allows you to fully remote desktop your Windows desktop as well which is brilliant if you want to transmit Kodi to your TV or want a proper desktop browser experience without having to buy a HTPC.
All keyboards work with it, but it pairs well with K400 and K400R logitechs...
Always keep it up to date, I tend to use Steam Beta so its regularly updating.
Steve.Mac
23 Feb 17#18
Great piece of hardware. The wireless experience is awful but wired is flawless, I use 2 power line adapters and it runs at the same quality as my PC in terms of resolution and frame rate.
sharzam1
23 Feb 171#17
As long as you have sensible expectations this is a useful device that fulfills a particular role. I use it for third person action games and platformers while on the sofa. Works perfectly fine but I wouldn't use it for competitive online games.
KCooperman
23 Feb 173#16
Wow that would be your first suggestion? You should get a job in IT support...:stuck_out_tongue:
Aquacadabra
23 Feb 17#15
People moaning just don't have the right setup. Good bit of kit but lacking enough local co op games for my liking.
delusion
23 Feb 171#14
Mine is perfect as well. Never had any latency / lag issues at all, and I use powerline adapters too...
thetwistedblue
23 Feb 1711#2
It works perfectly for me.
Only adds 3ms of latency which is less than my 'gaming' monitor.
If its not working properly for you, either your cpu is too rubbish to encode the video or maybe your having a driver issue or something.
I would suggest the first thing would be to try reinstalling windows.
MBeeching to thetwistedblue
23 Feb 17#13
Complete rubbish, that's just the ping of the device. You're not taking into account the video encode, input latency or display latency.
Bet it's more like 50-100ms but you're comfortable with the lag.
Danjw91
23 Feb 17#12
Got this Christmas when it was on sale. Used it once and wasn't impressed with it. Sold it a week later.
The_IMF
23 Feb 171#11
Cheers! I've already got one in my living room, needed one for my study. I've experienced no issues on my gigabit lan network so I'm happy enough with it!
MadeInBeats
23 Feb 17#10
Steam Controller also back down to £27.99.... It's a great controller IMO, so give it ago. Here's a video of me using its motion controls to aim in Sniper Elite II .. this was just after a day or 2 practice.
Excellent device. Got mine just after Christmas last time it was on sale. Played The Crew, Rocket League and Batman Arkham City all without issues. Great match with the Steam Controller, I've used a couple of Wired Xbox 360 controllers with friend in Rocket League and they perform perfectly too.
Worth adding that you now have the option to set a PIN (Steam >> Settings >> In-Home Streaming) each time the Steam Link connects to your host computer. I recommend doing this if you live with other people. Nothing worse then someone launching a game while you are trying to type an Email.
Opening post
Free delivery or click and collect.
Offer ends on 1st March
Top comments
Only adds 3ms of latency which is less than my 'gaming' monitor.
If its not working properly for you, either your cpu is too rubbish to encode the video or maybe your having a driver issue or something.
I would suggest the first thing would be to try reinstalling windows.
The first thing to try is turning it off and back on. THEN reinstalling windows... THEN getting a new PC!
Always had terrible WiFi lag with a SteamLink, although wired or via HomePlugs is fine
The ideal situation would have a computer at the desk and a computer in the living room so I can play games in either place but that'd get expensive, like 4 digits expensive. Plus one computer at a time would be sat around doing nothing.
I could move the computer at my desk into the living room, that'd be nice when I wanted to play games but bad when I want to work or have some privacy. I'm also not a fan of moving 20kg+ of computer around, potentially breaking it in the process.
So I own a Steam Link as it's the best of both worlds, I lose a little performance but don't have to spend over a grand or break my back in order to play games in the living room. This is 'throwing more gadgets' at the problem when they're cheaper than one alternative and easier than the other.
Latest comments (136)
For the kind of games I want to play - things like Skyrim, Diablo 3 or whatever, it's absolutely fine. The comparison I'd draw is with my old PSTV which was absolute turd for pretty much everything unless it was connected with a LAN cable (and even then...).
I'm not even using a decent WiFi router - it's a Virgin Superhub 2 (non AC)
Still bought a steam link last time it was on offer. Worked well for a while. Then started lagging horribly. This thread reminded me of its existence. May give it another chance.
It's plain to see your experience is anything but typical from this thread alone.
Indeed, both my Xbox360 wireless controller worked straight away. I just connected the receiver to the usb and that was it. No fiddling or issues at all..
dodgy 3rd party XBox 360 USB wireless gaming receivers for years and that Valve have been behind developing the kernel module, I'd be amazed if an old XBox 360 Wireless controller and one of those didn't work a treat on the Steam Link? In fact, when I've considered purchasing a Steam Link, I've just assumed that they would work.
- i5 3570k CPU
- Nvidia GTX 660
- Connected via 2x ZyXEL Gigabit AV2 PLA5206 powerline adapters, and also going through 1 Netgear gigabit switch and 1 TP-Link gigabit switch
- Samsung 40" 1080 TV set in game mode
- New Xbox One (bluetooth) controller
Despite the poor specs of my PC by current standards, it really does run really well. No discernable latency at all, and the picture is really clear; can't see any compression artifacts.
I suspect I'm using the nVidia GPU to do the encode on the fly (haven't checked). I wonder if others having issues perhaps aren't using nVidia GPU hardware encoding?
The other thing to mention (as others already have done) is that it's probably worth just plugging a laptop in to wherever you're going to install your Steam Link and opening Steam, then seeing how well the streaming is to it. If it seems to work well then I'd say there's a good chance of the Steam Link working well too.
Oh, and I'd almost always avoid WiFi for low-latency streaming like this. Ideally I'd like to avoid powerline too, but sadly I haven't got around to doing my ethernet cable runs yet.
Picked one up this morning, marked up at £39.99 instore, got the gent on the checkout to barcode scan to check the price and it was £15.99.
No brainer of a deal in my opinion, anyone with a half decent PC that wants retro gaming on a big tv can be happily playing through Retro Arch with a PS4 Controller wirelessly. Cheaper than a Raspberry Pi 3, admittedly will consume more power, but far more universal a solution for just one aspect of what this thing can do.
Thanks for the heads up OP...should for any reason I not get on with it there will be no loss, easily make your money back on it at this price....if I do get on with it, cheaper than a Pi 3 for my use.
As the for the i5 yup as long as it runs on your PC without hitch then it should run via the steam link without problem :smiley:
60" TV aint nowt fancy it's dumb and was about 450 quid from richer sounds lol
The steam llink is only fgoign to run the games as well as the host machine can, don't go expecting miracles from the little streamy box :stuck_out_tongue:
It's so convenient too, can power on/off via the ps4 pad!
For Wireless Xbox 360 controllers you'd need a Windows adapter/adaptor.
See the previous deal for discussions on these and other topics
With a controller, it's so convenient, as long as your pc is powered up with steam running:
Just pick up and power on your controller and the steam link comes to life, can then switch the device and your pc off from the same controller. FPS for me never drops below 60fps.
I have it connected to an AV receiver with Q Acoustic bookshelf speakers and a projected 100“ screen, really cannot recommend enough, here is a video I recorded of how well it works (please excuse the rubbish gameplay, holding controller one handed and phone in the other hand):
https://youtu.be/K2sRWEcQy2M
I paid £40 for it at the time and I'd say its still worth that price.
The latency is next to zero for me, its not noticeable. A gigabit ethernet connection is a must though.
I would however make a trip to my local game store to get one if someone could confirm if the price in store is the same as this online deal I'd appreciate it...
Good or bad...It's worth a try at this price :smile:
HOT
That's a no from me, Bob.
To get the most out of Steam Link, you will want:
- Powerful host PC; as with all streaming, the host is having to do significantly more work.
- Host PC's primary display should be the same aspect ratio as the client TV. (Ideally both should be 1920x1080)
- Ethernet or strong WiFi
- Controller based games to mask the added latency.
It's a good product, but it isn't flawless nor completely transparent.
If you've got a moderately powerful laptop, plug it into your TV (and Ethernet), and try streaming to it from your gaming PC.
That'll give you a good idea of how the Steam Link will perform
It's not magic, just a video sink + input proxy in a convenient form factor.
But same price on steam store until 27th feb I believe...
If anybody knows offhand of a good way of allowing the pc (upstairs) to be used for other stuff while it's streaming to the steam link (downstairs) I'll be grateful. Not something I've looked into properly yet but would be dead handy... (for the games being played downstairs processing power won't be an issue)
Currently making my way through Doom and I have absolutely no framerate or latency issues at all!
Well worth it at this price!
It functions on anything, even your grandmother's Pentium 1 (slowly admittedly). It'd work well for you though, very well if you enable hardware encoding (which uses your CPU's built in QuickSync video encoder)
In all seriously, well explained. Seems like an ok compromise for you. I personally would game on a dedicated console or a purpose built gaming HTPC. At some stage of a person's life (grown up) gaming becomes a thing of the past or at best, an occasional pastime.
Out of interest, does this box let you play any game or just a particular selection? And can you do other stuff such as web browsing?
The ideal situation would have a computer at the desk and a computer in the living room so I can play games in either place but that'd get expensive, like 4 digits expensive. Plus one computer at a time would be sat around doing nothing.
I could move the computer at my desk into the living room, that'd be nice when I wanted to play games but bad when I want to work or have some privacy. I'm also not a fan of moving 20kg+ of computer around, potentially breaking it in the process.
So I own a Steam Link as it's the best of both worlds, I lose a little performance but don't have to spend over a grand or break my back in order to play games in the living room. This is 'throwing more gadgets' at the problem when they're cheaper than one alternative and easier than the other.
Yes, it does to some of those, but at a fraction of the effort of carting many other items all over the place & back again. This is the whole point of all gadgets in case you hadn't realised - makes things more convenient & fun.
And, as you can see from the popularity of this offer, & even more so the last time it was offered, alongwith with practically no one agreeing with you, you are in the barest minority. If this offer is not for you just stay away. Simple. I don't mess around in offers that are of no interest or benefit to me.
There is a Steam forum with some working apps such as RetroArch and someone has even made Doom for the link to run natively :smiley:
Doesn't even matter what speed his LAN network is.
Doesn't matter if he has a gigabit router, a gigabit switch, or a gigabit powerline.
What does matter is that the Steamlink only has a 100mbit ethernet port.
So therefore, the max attainable is only 100mbit, wired.
But to make matters worse, the max bitrate for the Steamlink is only 30mbit.
Ive resorted to having certain games I play at the pc and others I use steam link for.
Chilling out on the sofa playing games with much better graphics and fps than any modern console is nice though, dirty console peasants :sunglasses:
Worth noting that you still can't use wireless xbox one controllers with the adapter without some fiddling. I ended up buying VirtualHere for SteamLink which does the job pretty well.
Hardware encode support on the desktop hosting the game is a must, tried it with a GTX 970 which is fine but an AMD 7970 was a bit dodgy. Also no matter how good your home wifi is, use wired.
and the controller is awful and yes i spent a good 5 hours trying to get used to it.
nivida shield tv - complete diffrent kettle of fish!
£15.99 is a small price to pay to overcome all the inconvenience.
Consistent 1080p @ 60Hz with 0% frame loss. Hardware encoding and decoding. Input lag <1ms. Display (encoding + network + decoding) lag 13ms. Incoming stream just under 30mbps and outgoing (controls) 28kbps with 0% packet loss.
I broke from watching the Keeping up with the Kattarshians live kitteh cams to post this data for you doubters, so I hope you appreciate it. :innocent:
Julie
xxx
Screenshot-
Works pretty well. Hooked up to LAN and have been playing lots of worms. Issues seem to be more around game compatibility that anything.
I do have a decent rig (i5 and 1080gtx) so that may help.
Just buying a gigabit router and plug a cable in there, doesn't mean you have a flawlessly set up network in your home.
The first thing you do is make sure it is plugged in and the lights work...in the room.
Steam link with the beta software installed.
FANTASTIC
Use it in the front room, ethernet to router, HDMI to 5.1 Amp.
Ps4 remote and hooked up to 60" TV
Despite initial setup problems has been absolutely flawless.
Even switches to full 5.1!
PC is set to steroe and 1440p
Well worth the price :smiley:
I do have the steam controller and whilst it is good in some games, in others there just isent enough time to think what combos you need to press compared to one key on a keyboard
I borrowed a mate's the other day. Wireless was a bit crap but powerline wired worked pretty well (not flawless, but well enough) so am definitely going to be investing. Excited to try the Steam Controller as well. Heat :smiley:
Can you imagine if everyone applied your logic to life in general...WTF! :laughing:
it is only "1080p" but you can't complain at this price imo.
I hummed and harred as to whether i needed one and tried to justify it, but then i was like.. what am i doing man its only £15.99 a box of cigarettes is a £10; let me just buy it and try it!
Now i have it and its all setup and working, i use it pretty much every other day. I love the fact that I can use it to properly remote desktop by using the Link, a wireless keyboard with touchpad on the side plus I fling on my bluetooth headset and browse or watch kodi no additional PC required.
Plus it supports WOL and remote shutdown, what's not to like? :laughing:
And anyone complaining about this device either hasn't set it up correctly (selected correct encoding for their GPU) or has a sub standard network. On wired you should be getting very minimal input lag, good enough to play Rocket League but probably not for competitive Counter Strike.
I notice when the FPS is bad or there is an input delay. When I say unplayable I mean competitively there is a noticeable timing difference when playing the ball in rocket league messing up the aim. If I was only playing on the TV I might eventually get used to aiming with the delay but I'd be at a disadvantage of being a few fractions of a second behind my opponent.
The first thing to try is turning it off and back on. THEN reinstalling windows... THEN getting a new PC!
Always had terrible WiFi lag with a SteamLink, although wired or via HomePlugs is fine
HEAT
My Bluetooth headset works nice on it too, same with my wired 360 and wireless steam controller. You either had a bad unit, a bad router and setup or you did something wrong. :laughing:.
This device not only allows you to transmit your games, both steam and others added to your steam library, it also allows you to fully remote desktop your Windows desktop as well which is brilliant if you want to transmit Kodi to your TV or want a proper desktop browser experience without having to buy a HTPC.
All keyboards work with it, but it pairs well with K400 and K400R logitechs...
Always keep it up to date, I tend to use Steam Beta so its regularly updating.
Only adds 3ms of latency which is less than my 'gaming' monitor.
If its not working properly for you, either your cpu is too rubbish to encode the video or maybe your having a driver issue or something.
I would suggest the first thing would be to try reinstalling windows.
Bet it's more like 50-100ms but you're comfortable with the lag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2jw-OcABkk
Worth adding that you now have the option to set a PIN (Steam >> Settings >> In-Home Streaming) each time the Steam Link connects to your host computer. I recommend doing this if you live with other people. Nothing worse then someone launching a game while you are trying to type an Email.