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
BuzzDuraband
29 Jun 173#168
Back in stock for delivery.
All comments (222)
hotfinder
22 Jun 171#1
Great find. May want to say it was £15.99 and super hot before, as I had to double-check! :smiley:
clarky666
22 Jun 171#2
Can you use this to mirror your actual desktop outwith steam? Would be good to let kids play zsnes emulators on the living room tv.
dark_nugget to clarky666
22 Jun 171#3
Yes you can, I use the mirror mode to watch Crunchyroll on my TV using a proxy that my chromecast cannot handle. It also pulls the sound through the TV, meaning it can automatically go through your surround sound set.
slayermatt to clarky666
22 Jun 17#4
I'm not sure if you can do that, however you could add an emulator as a non-steam game and stream that way? I do vaguely remember at least the non steam game thing working.
The tutorial enables Console games and categories in your Steam library.
sblundell_1996 to clarky666
22 Jun 17#23
Yes you can, I use it to watch movies. all you do is click the power icon on the link menu then select minimise big picture then it will show your desktop. there will be a default controller configuration to move mouse with controller and left click, right click etc
dark_nugget
22 Jun 17#5
All you have to do to mirror your PC or laptop screen is ALT + TAB when the steam link is connected. Can confirm, have owned a Steamlink for a few months.
slayermatt
22 Jun 17#6
Makes you wonder why they even attempted to limit it to big picture in the first place :laughing: Tempted to get one, I mean. I have absolutely no use for one but still tempted.
Danny41294
22 Jun 17#7
Great price. I bought it a few weeks back at £15.99 and it's definitely worth it.
OdhranC
22 Jun 17#8
Any recommendations on what controller would be good for this device?
slayermatt to OdhranC
22 Jun 171#9
360/steam ones are recommended, although I'm sure a One/PS3 or 4 controller would work.
garybb to OdhranC
22 Jun 171#15
Xbox one bluetooth controller :smile:
reddragon105 to OdhranC
22 Jun 17#40
It will take pretty much any controller so whichever is your favourite. Connection options are Bluetooth and USB (or any USB wireless adaptor if a controller uses its own).
Steam controller - the design is unconventional but it's supposed to be very good once you get used to it (even for games that usually require a keyboard and mouse).
Xbox 360 controllers - wired ones can just plug in, for wireless ones you'll need a USB wireless adaptor. Official ones aren't that expensive but you can also get cheap third party ones for a few quid and I can confirm that those work because that's what I have.
Xbox One controllers - apparently the USB wireless adaptor for these doesn't work natively with the Steam Link, but if you have one of the newer ones (introduced with the Xbox One S last year) they have Bluetooth, so they can just connect to the Steam Link directly. But any Xbox One controller can be used wired with a standard micro USB cable.
PS4 Dual Shock 4 - also works wired with a micro USB cable but they also all have Bluetooth - press the PS button + Share to put it into sync mode.
I've got a Steam Link connected to my desktop via PowerLine adaptors and can't fault the performance on it, except with maybe a little lag on games like Rocket League, which may be down to things like other people/devices using the network or maybe could be solved by turning picture quality down.
PowerLine performance depends on few things, like which adaptors you get, your router and your house's electrical wiring's quality and layout, so your mileage may vary, but in any case it should be faster than Wi-Fi and with less interference!
mattlong37051
22 Jun 17#10
Well I wasn't planning on buying one but much prefer couch gaming now over sitting at my desk, I may actually get round to my PC games again. Heated :smiley:
Spark
22 Jun 17#11
I have one and it doesn't really work well for me at all tbh. Could be because my gaming PC is on Wi-Fi, I don't know but I'm certainly not going to re-arrange my home or invest in PowerLine adaptors to find out.
uksparky to Spark
22 Jun 17#19
Anyone else comment on the recommendations for this? I'll likely have my PC connected via powerline adapter and the link directly plugged into the router.
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Opening post
Top comments
All comments (222)
The tutorial enables Console games and categories in your Steam library.
There is a great list of what works and what doesn't here - http://steam.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_compatible_controllers_with_Steam_Link
Some options include -
Steam controller - the design is unconventional but it's supposed to be very good once you get used to it (even for games that usually require a keyboard and mouse).
Xbox 360 controllers - wired ones can just plug in, for wireless ones you'll need a USB wireless adaptor. Official ones aren't that expensive but you can also get cheap third party ones for a few quid and I can confirm that those work because that's what I have.
Xbox One controllers - apparently the USB wireless adaptor for these doesn't work natively with the Steam Link, but if you have one of the newer ones (introduced with the Xbox One S last year) they have Bluetooth, so they can just connect to the Steam Link directly. But any Xbox One controller can be used wired with a standard micro USB cable.
PS4 Dual Shock 4 - also works wired with a micro USB cable but they also all have Bluetooth - press the PS button + Share to put it into sync mode.
I've got a Steam Link connected to my desktop via PowerLine adaptors and can't fault the performance on it, except with maybe a little lag on games like Rocket League, which may be down to things like other people/devices using the network or maybe could be solved by turning picture quality down.
PowerLine performance depends on few things, like which adaptors you get, your router and your house's electrical wiring's quality and layout, so your mileage may vary, but in any case it should be faster than Wi-Fi and with less interference!