Simplicity
Setup is easy. Just connect your Steam Link to your TV and home network, where it will automatically discover any computer running Steam. All that’s left to do is grab your favorite controller, kick back, and enjoy your collection of games from the comfort of your couch.
Performance
Steam Link is designed to take advantage of the horsepower you already have in your home, streaming from your current gaming computer by mirroring its experience to your TV. Video and audio data is sent from your computer to the Steam Link, while your controller input is sent back in real time. Virtually every game that your computer runs can be played on your TV using Steam Link.
That is not a simple question to answer unfortunately. A lot depends on the games you are going to play.
Its biggest advantage is you can program nearly everything on it and it has a gyroscope control and two pads that work a lot like laptop mouse pads.
So if you play a lot of mouse driven games then programming one of the pads to emulate a mouse is great. And something that is not really possible on a normal xbox controller. Similar for using the gyro to emulate a steering wheel etc.
Also you can program controls like the paddles to switch over the controls on the rest of the pad to a different program. So you can emulate a huge variety of buttons and controls. Which is virtually essential for something Elite Dangerous.
But this is also its downside. there are lots of pre-built profiles on steam and you have to find the one that suits you. Also creating your own programme (or customising a pre-built one) could take quite a bit of trial and error.
But, in my opinion, many games that are not designed for a control pad are only playable by either using the steam controller or by adding a keyboard and mouse, which can be a pain on the sofa.
Joe90_guy
11 May 173#4
Thank you kind sir. Looks like I'm good to go.
All comments (66)
stoneblade
11 May 171#1
Was holding off buying on ebay for this deal to come back, thanks for spotting op heat added.
Joe90_guy
11 May 17#2
Silly question...
Do I need to specifically use the Steam Link controller or can I simply use my XBox controller plugged into my laptop?
The reason I ask is because my lad bought me GTA V for Christmas. However I found it impossible to play on my laptop with a keyboard & mouse (especially the driving bits). So he bought me an XBox controller and that works fine but I don't like using it because it feels like there's not enough distance between the controller and the screen. I'm thinking using a controller with the laptop hooked up to my 42" TV might might feel more natural. This Steam Link thingee sounds like it's something that will sort me out.
johnthehuman to Joe90_guy
11 May 17#14
Why don't you just plug the laptop into the telly (via HDMI), and the controller into the laptop?
pheyshunt1 to Joe90_guy
11 May 17#15
I used an xbox controller on it, it's just harder when it comes to mouse games and trying to type.
Joshimitsu91 to Joe90_guy
11 May 17#20
Why don't you plug your laptop directly into the TV?
ocelot20 to Joe90_guy
11 May 17#37
If your laptop has an HDMI port. You can plug that into the TV and just use it like a normal PC. This thing eliminates the need to plug the laptop into the TV. But it 100% rely on your internet connection. I had one I have decent internet for simple platforming indie games it was fine. For FPS games I suffered with micro stuttering which was a little unplayable for me.
Oh...one last (again silly) question. Would I be right in thinking that Steam Link DOESN'T work for games that run via UPlay & Origin??? If not, is there a similar box that does all three??
timb999 to Joe90_guy
11 May 17#7
You can add non Steam games to Steam, so yes, some other games will work, but there is no guarantee.
I added the Origin launcher to Steam, and got Titanfall 2 working over the Steam Link with no issues, but that's the only non Steam game I have tried so far.
These boxes are awesome...I was sceptical as to whether there would be lag/glitches, but I have had very minimal issues...it really is like playing a console. However, a wired connection is recommended over wireless. I am using a Homeplug which works great.
BuzzDuraband
11 May 175#6
You're going to think I'm just throwing links at you now (p.s I am :smile: )
Anybody know if this works with the official XBOX 360 controllers but a 3rd party receiver?
(The receiver requires manual driver installation on windows so I'm unsure, could never get them working on a Fire TV)
Thanks,
iLikeDiscount to chris_avfc
11 May 17#10
I have a knock off ebay one, worked fine.
iLikeDiscount
11 May 17#9
Scenario: Xbox One in the lounge – streaming to Asrock N3700-ITX in the study (running windows 10 and on 24/7, silent) via Xbox App, install Steam, add Xbox App to Steam Library via UWPHook – then stream from Xbox One to Steam Link in the bedroom via the computer in the study. All hard wired, no wireless. I cannot confirm if this will work but I have all the pieces to try. Or should I not waste my time?
ovisan
11 May 17#11
Will using the link count towards my upload allocation set by my broadband?
pyroteki to ovisan
11 May 172#13
No. It's uses your local network.
ovisan
11 May 17#12
I think Virgin capped this to 2.5 GB daily
bulletfoss to ovisan
11 May 17#33
I suggest you switch providers, that is a terrible restriction. Most suppliers are now unlimited as standard.
However, Steamlink will not use any more upload data than Steam, but it will require more download data, as it has to receive updates.
jetskichimp
11 May 17#16
Got one last time, great bit of kit.
Is it worth me now investing in the controller or should I stick with my 360 wired controllers?
Over to the experts :-)
stuartc to jetskichimp
11 May 17#23
I have got the steam controller but I still haven't totally warmed to it. It feels so strange when you first use it and took me ages to get my fingers used to the touch pads rather than sticks.
timb999
11 May 17#17
Fwiw - i have a Logitech K400 wireless keyboard that works on it fine - i need to get a wireless mouse to accompany it really so I can play some FPSs 'properly' :smiley: So much better to use keyboard and mouse for those I have found.
Has anyone found a good lap tray/lap desk that will fit a small keyboard/laptop and mouse beside it?
timb999
11 May 17#18
Fwiw - the XBoxOne Elite controller also works in case anyone wondered, although it has to be wired.
Karmazyn
11 May 17#19
i love my steamlink woooo hooooo. it is packaged really well. packgaging alone is worth 15 pounds. i love steam link so much i have bought 2nd one as a spare.
silverhawk
11 May 17#21
I alreday got an xbox one controller is it worth getting the steam controller?
bulletfoss to silverhawk
11 May 171#32
No, Xbox controller is infinitely better. So much fuss with the steam controller
kiddela to silverhawk
11 May 174#35
That is not a simple question to answer unfortunately. A lot depends on the games you are going to play.
Its biggest advantage is you can program nearly everything on it and it has a gyroscope control and two pads that work a lot like laptop mouse pads.
So if you play a lot of mouse driven games then programming one of the pads to emulate a mouse is great. And something that is not really possible on a normal xbox controller. Similar for using the gyro to emulate a steering wheel etc.
Also you can program controls like the paddles to switch over the controls on the rest of the pad to a different program. So you can emulate a huge variety of buttons and controls. Which is virtually essential for something Elite Dangerous.
But this is also its downside. there are lots of pre-built profiles on steam and you have to find the one that suits you. Also creating your own programme (or customising a pre-built one) could take quite a bit of trial and error.
But, in my opinion, many games that are not designed for a control pad are only playable by either using the steam controller or by adding a keyboard and mouse, which can be a pain on the sofa.
CaptainCheapestcheap
11 May 17#22
Absolutely love my steam link. highly recommended, I run mine off a wired network.
dnetherway14yahoocom
11 May 17#24
I bought this the last time it was on offer but last week i traded it in because it was too much hassle even with a decent wifi signal instead i bought a 12.5m hdmi which although it means there is a long cable across the house i dont have to worry about lag and also there was no sound on black ops 3 which annoyed me
It gives you portable access to your steam games plus works with ps4 and xbox one remote play (ps4 remote play requires a ds4 though) and also has a hdmi output if you want to set it up with a bedroom tv etc. It's also powerful enough to run many games natively up to about skyrim/fallout 3. It can run later games but you need to mod them to reduce their requirements, low texture mods etc. Emulation wise it will just about run up to Gamecube at full speed and all weaker consoles below it. The built in joypad cradle is directly compatible with xbox and as a generic pc controller (there is a sliding switch on the cradle) so runs pc and xbox games no problem.
One thing that is better about the steam link is the ethernet port I guess. You would need a usb to ethernet adapter for the linx vision.
Other options for steam remote play are all windows tablets, low performance windows boxes and older windows hardware. Many of us may have something suitable for remote play which also benefits from xbox one and ps4 remote play over the steam link.
penguinman93
11 May 172#27
If anyone is wondering about using this on the wireless, I have my pc wired to my sky q hub, and the steam link connected to 5ghz wireless with about 3 walls in the way. No lag or major difference to ping times between the two, can actually be used to play rocket league with which I was surprised.
If you have a decent 5ghz network and can hook up at least one device by Ethernet to your router it is impressive!
dklunan
11 May 17#28
I couldn't see the answer to this one anywhere... can I play 2 player games through this with either wired or wireless Xbox one controllers? Thanks in advance
bulletfoss to dklunan
11 May 171#30
Yes you can, wired is fine.
Wireless requires the PC receiver for Xbox controllers, you plug that into the steamlink.
Both wired and wireless work really well.
bulletfoss
11 May 17#29
Steamlink is amazing, use it all the time to play racers and 3rd person games on the lounge telly, would highly recommend (if you use Ethernet or Powerline, not so good over WiFi).
I cannot recommend the controller however, it is utterly terrible. Stick to wireless 360 controller, plug the receiver into the steamlink USB port, works beautifully.
dklunan
11 May 17#31
Thanks!
phoenixbbs
11 May 17#36
dammit, now I'm going to have to work out how I can add a switch to my router and still keep my existing stuff working... 2x security camera, 1x network video recorder, and a feed to a switch in the attic that has kit with designated IPs... thanks op, appreciate the heads up :-)
Nexy to phoenixbbs
11 May 17#38
Make sure your security cameras are running up-to-date software with non-default passwords. Consider firewalling it off, because their security is often flamin' awful.
penguinman93
11 May 17#39
I know this has already been answered but just to add that if you have one of the newer xbox one controllers with bluetooth it will connect to the steam link no problems! Also works with a combination of 360 controllers wired or wireless with an adapter from eBay for those of you that only have 1 xbox one controller.
samsonious
11 May 17#40
Definitely does not even slightly rely on your internet connection. It streams the game from your normal PC, so in the specific example the laptop, to the steam link over the local network. Ideally not using wifi. Depending on your homes electrical wiring, powerlines may or may not be suitable if a physical cable isnt possible.
bulletfoss
11 May 17#41
Won't it depend on an internet connection to download updates?
samsonious
11 May 17#42
Not in the context of the post i replied to, it was about how well it would perform as the poster experienced microstutters which were suggested to be caused by the internet connection rather than the local connection.
crazygoldfish
11 May 17#43
don't buy this kit unless you are absolutely desperate for a streaming solution and your stuck with AMD cards.
If you have an Nvidia card, buy a fire tv stick or android box, and stick moonlight on it
Sc00byd00
11 May 17#44
Moonlight on a fire tv stick or box is awful. Latency is huge and i never got a good experience with it.
Steam link at 1080p on my TV is awesome, never any stutter and just like im playing it straight at the pc.
At £15.99 its a bargain, i also got the controller and it works with 99% of games and is better then the xbox controller as it can emulate a mouse.
lomax to Sc00byd00
11 May 17#48
On a Fire TV box I remember it indeed being awful but I tried it quite a way back.
If you have a Nvidia card it's worth giving a quick try. It's free and is fairly easy to setup. I use it often to play indie games on my phone. Moonlight Game Streaming
The steam controller is awesome for playing third and first person shooters on the couch. It's not great if you want a plug and play solution though it's a controller for people who like tweaking stuff.
Rid1
11 May 171#45
Page not found Buzz?
katrinawhitmore
11 May 17#46
Dose anyone know how long the offer is on for?
Crossbow to katrinawhitmore
11 May 17#52
This offer keeps coming & going, but they're apparently bringing out a newer model soon &/or integrating it into some newer TVs, so this could very well be discontinued altogether in the not-too-distant future.
So, don't miss out this time, although sites like eBay/Gumtree should still have them when they've all disappeared in the shops.
ocelot20
11 May 17#47
Yer my bad I meant local network. But still it depends on the wifi connections. Or as you mention powerline which is what I used. But it depends on how good they are. I had a fairly cheap one (300mbps) and for FPS games it wasn't to good. Direct connection from the link to the router should be a lot better. But it all depends if that is possible.
If you have a laptop which is pretty portable and has an HDMI port. Then connecting it to the TV will be better than getting one of these.
pinchez
11 May 171#49
I have a Steam Link and also had the controller but replaced it with a 360 controller as I didn't like it, the steam link is pretty good and well worth the price but both my Raspberry Pi 3 with Moonlight installed and Shield TV do a better job than the Link streaming from my GTX 1070 equipped PC over my wired network.
fattyuk to pinchez
11 May 17#50
Shield tv is a fantastic piece of kit
eloo
11 May 17#51
Input lag with this is unbearable for me literally unplayable..
Bought this last time it was £16.
WiFi didn't really work well for me, even though speed test was claiming a 30meg connection to the router! i was getting stuttering and stops. This was a virgin super hub 2 which seems pretty poor in terms of a stable connection. However, with a hard wired network it is perfect!!
i've just run a LAN cable up the outside gable end of the house from my router in to an old switch in the loft and dropped another cable down to my PC.
if you are running WiFi, you may not be too impressed, especially with an older router. Wired is pretty much like using a local PC.
You can run a mouse and keyboard from it as well as gamepad.
Just.Wondering
12 May 17#55
Okay, just bought one, but where does the steam link go, is it at the location your using it, is it along these lines,
PC network cable to my router from my main pc.
Cable from router to upstairs, plugged into steam link.
Steam Link connection out via hdmi into my display.
Plug in a xbox controller.
Job done?
timb999 to Just.Wondering
12 May 17#56
Yes :smiley:
Just.Wondering
12 May 17#57
Perfect, I'm now thinking powering adapter choice of 200 or 500mb 14.99 or 18. 99, would the cheaper ones at 200mb be more than adequate?
aikey2011
12 May 171#58
Any chance of this deal coming back AFTER the exams? Like in June :smile:
BuzzDuraband to aikey2011
12 May 171#60
I'd say most definitely. It's only been 5 weeks since it was last on. They seem to drop it in line for when Steam do, only Steam charge £7.40 P&P :smiley:
BuzzDuraband
12 May 17#59
I'm not sure what's happened bud. HUKD seems to have broken it.
timb999
12 May 171#61
I am using the 500mb versions with no problems. 200mb would probably be fine, although apparently you typically get much less bandwidth than these devices state on the box.
Personally if it were me, for the sake of a couple of pounds I would go with the faster units, maybe some time in the future you might want the extra bandwidth.
PinkSpider
13 May 17#62
Heat. Just tried it out and I can operate my PC from my TV downstairs with very little lag using a PS4 pad. Ordering a wireless keyboard and mouse asap but currently have an old USB pair setup. Next up one of those 400 quid 4k TV's and I'm set!
kylewatkins
13 May 17#63
picked it up for £14.99 instore at neath
Just.Wondering
13 May 17#64
steam link Can I use just 2 Poweline Adaptors 1 into my pc ,1 into my steam link and still use WiFi Card on the PC?
Or do I need 3 powerline adaptors , 1 into pc , 1 into router , then 1 into steamlink.
Ideally my PC has a wifi card , so simply use that for internet and downloading etc...
But have a dedicated link from network card on my PC into a powerline adaptor then the 2nd adaptor upstairs plugged into my steam link....
Would this work ?
Will my PC happily work with a WIFI card plugged and a powerline connector plugged into the ethernet port via suitable cable or will I lose internet connection as the powerline connector based on using just 2 , will have no internet access ?
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Opening post
[Steam Controller]
Stream your games to your TV with Steam Link
Simplicity
Setup is easy. Just connect your Steam Link to your TV and home network, where it will automatically discover any computer running Steam. All that’s left to do is grab your favorite controller, kick back, and enjoy your collection of games from the comfort of your couch.
Performance
Steam Link is designed to take advantage of the horsepower you already have in your home, streaming from your current gaming computer by mirroring its experience to your TV. Video and audio data is sent from your computer to the Steam Link, while your controller input is sent back in real time. Virtually every game that your computer runs can be played on your TV using Steam Link.
Top comments
List of compatible controllers with Steam Link
How to Stream Your Desktop and Non-Steam Games with Steam Link
Its biggest advantage is you can program nearly everything on it and it has a gyroscope control and two pads that work a lot like laptop mouse pads.
So if you play a lot of mouse driven games then programming one of the pads to emulate a mouse is great. And something that is not really possible on a normal xbox controller. Similar for using the gyro to emulate a steering wheel etc.
Also you can program controls like the paddles to switch over the controls on the rest of the pad to a different program. So you can emulate a huge variety of buttons and controls. Which is virtually essential for something Elite Dangerous.
But this is also its downside. there are lots of pre-built profiles on steam and you have to find the one that suits you. Also creating your own programme (or customising a pre-built one) could take quite a bit of trial and error.
But, in my opinion, many games that are not designed for a control pad are only playable by either using the steam controller or by adding a keyboard and mouse, which can be a pain on the sofa.
All comments (66)
Do I need to specifically use the Steam Link controller or can I simply use my XBox controller plugged into my laptop?
The reason I ask is because my lad bought me GTA V for Christmas. However I found it impossible to play on my laptop with a keyboard & mouse (especially the driving bits). So he bought me an XBox controller and that works fine but I don't like using it because it feels like there's not enough distance between the controller and the screen. I'm thinking using a controller with the laptop hooked up to my 42" TV might might feel more natural. This Steam Link thingee sounds like it's something that will sort me out.
List of compatible controllers with Steam Link
I added the Origin launcher to Steam, and got Titanfall 2 working over the Steam Link with no issues, but that's the only non Steam game I have tried so far.
These boxes are awesome...I was sceptical as to whether there would be lag/glitches, but I have had very minimal issues...it really is like playing a console. However, a wired connection is recommended over wireless. I am using a Homeplug which works great.
How to Stream Your Desktop and Non-Steam Games with Steam Link
(The receiver requires manual driver installation on windows so I'm unsure, could never get them working on a Fire TV)
Thanks,
However, Steamlink will not use any more upload data than Steam, but it will require more download data, as it has to receive updates.
Is it worth me now investing in the controller or should I stick with my 360 wired controllers?
Over to the experts :-)
Has anyone found a good lap tray/lap desk that will fit a small keyboard/laptop and mouse beside it?
Its biggest advantage is you can program nearly everything on it and it has a gyroscope control and two pads that work a lot like laptop mouse pads.
So if you play a lot of mouse driven games then programming one of the pads to emulate a mouse is great. And something that is not really possible on a normal xbox controller. Similar for using the gyro to emulate a steering wheel etc.
Also you can program controls like the paddles to switch over the controls on the rest of the pad to a different program. So you can emulate a huge variety of buttons and controls. Which is virtually essential for something Elite Dangerous.
But this is also its downside. there are lots of pre-built profiles on steam and you have to find the one that suits you. Also creating your own programme (or customising a pre-built one) could take quite a bit of trial and error.
But, in my opinion, many games that are not designed for a control pad are only playable by either using the steam controller or by adding a keyboard and mouse, which can be a pain on the sofa.
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/linx-vision-8-inch-gaming-tablet-intel-atom-quad-core-32gb-emmc-windows-10-refurbished-2660776
It gives you portable access to your steam games plus works with ps4 and xbox one remote play (ps4 remote play requires a ds4 though) and also has a hdmi output if you want to set it up with a bedroom tv etc. It's also powerful enough to run many games natively up to about skyrim/fallout 3. It can run later games but you need to mod them to reduce their requirements, low texture mods etc. Emulation wise it will just about run up to Gamecube at full speed and all weaker consoles below it. The built in joypad cradle is directly compatible with xbox and as a generic pc controller (there is a sliding switch on the cradle) so runs pc and xbox games no problem.
One thing that is better about the steam link is the ethernet port I guess. You would need a usb to ethernet adapter for the linx vision.
Other options for steam remote play are all windows tablets, low performance windows boxes and older windows hardware. Many of us may have something suitable for remote play which also benefits from xbox one and ps4 remote play over the steam link.
If you have a decent 5ghz network and can hook up at least one device by Ethernet to your router it is impressive!
Wireless requires the PC receiver for Xbox controllers, you plug that into the steamlink.
Both wired and wireless work really well.
I cannot recommend the controller however, it is utterly terrible. Stick to wireless 360 controller, plug the receiver into the steamlink USB port, works beautifully.
If you have an Nvidia card, buy a fire tv stick or android box, and stick moonlight on it
Steam link at 1080p on my TV is awesome, never any stutter and just like im playing it straight at the pc.
At £15.99 its a bargain, i also got the controller and it works with 99% of games and is better then the xbox controller as it can emulate a mouse.
If you have a Nvidia card it's worth giving a quick try. It's free and is fairly easy to setup. I use it often to play indie games on my phone.
Moonlight Game Streaming
The steam controller is awesome for playing third and first person shooters on the couch. It's not great if you want a plug and play solution though it's a controller for people who like tweaking stuff.
So, don't miss out this time, although sites like eBay/Gumtree should still have them when they've all disappeared in the shops.
If you have a laptop which is pretty portable and has an HDMI port. Then connecting it to the TV will be better than getting one of these.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/353380/discussions/0/405692758719316568/
Have you tried them? Any improvement?
WiFi didn't really work well for me, even though speed test was claiming a 30meg connection to the router! i was getting stuttering and stops. This was a virgin super hub 2 which seems pretty poor in terms of a stable connection. However, with a hard wired network it is perfect!!
i've just run a LAN cable up the outside gable end of the house from my router in to an old switch in the loft and dropped another cable down to my PC.
if you are running WiFi, you may not be too impressed, especially with an older router. Wired is pretty much like using a local PC.
You can run a mouse and keyboard from it as well as gamepad.
PC network cable to my router from my main pc.
Cable from router to upstairs, plugged into steam link.
Steam Link connection out via hdmi into my display.
Plug in a xbox controller.
Job done?
Personally if it were me, for the sake of a couple of pounds I would go with the faster units, maybe some time in the future you might want the extra bandwidth.
Or do I need 3 powerline adaptors , 1 into pc , 1 into router , then 1 into steamlink.
Ideally my PC has a wifi card , so simply use that for internet and downloading etc...
But have a dedicated link from network card on my PC into a powerline adaptor then the 2nd adaptor upstairs plugged into my steam link....
Would this work ?
Will my PC happily work with a WIFI card plugged and a powerline connector plugged into the ethernet port via suitable cable or will I lose internet connection as the powerline connector based on using just 2 , will have no internet access ?