Support us on Patreon to keep GamingOnLinux alive. This ensures all of our main content remains free for everyone. Just good, fresh content! Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal. You can also buy games using our partner links for GOG and Humble Store.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.
Update: Valve said this about the missing option to run a game with the big picture mode overlay from the normal desktop client:
QuoteYou have to have a Steam controller active for the config editor option to be present, but the overlay option is disabled right now on Mac and Linux due to focus tracking bugs in SDL preventing it from working properly. This was originally specified in the beta release notes, but got lost in translation, sorry for the mixup.


Original article
A pretty major Steam Client Beta just landed, and with it comes hardware accelerated encoding for In-Home Streaming on Nvidia with Linux, and you can also now configure the Steam Controller for desktop mode (including using the big picture overlay when launching from the desktop client).

QuoteGames launched via the desktop client with an active Steam Controller can optionally use the Big Picture overlay.

This should mean now you don't have to run everything in Big Picture Mode to use the Steam Controller, which is extremely welcome.

Although, I have been unable to get it to work, it looks like it has a new checkbox here:
image
I assume that's the one to make it use the Big Picture Overlay, but there's no text to accompany it (totally a bug), so I could be wrong, but it's the only new option around in the desktop client. I imagine it's just totally broken right now on Linux at least. There's no new option in Big Picture Mode to tell the desktop client to use the Big Picture overlay either.

They also added:
QuoteThe controller configuration for a game can now be edited from its desktop library context menu

You have to have your controller setup, connected and turned on for this option to even appear, which confused me a bit.
image
image

There's the usual performance tweaks for the Steam Controller included, as well as an option to turn it off after 5 or 10 minutes of inactivity now too.

The Nvidia hardware accelerated encoding could be making the way to finally supporting the Broadcasting feature on Linux/SteamOS too.

See the full update notes here. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
0 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
27 comments
Page: 1/3»
  Go to:

dubigrasu Feb 10, 2016
Never mind...


Last edited by dubigrasu on 10 February 2016 at 1:42 pm UTC
leillo1975 Feb 10, 2016
Can I finally play games with Steam Link with a decent quality like in Windows?


Last edited by leillo1975 on 10 February 2016 at 3:13 pm UTC
chuzzle44 Feb 10, 2016
So, does this mean In home streaming is working now? Or is this just groundwork?
adolson Feb 10, 2016
The desktop configuration was there for a long time already. I keep checking for the other two after every beta update, and no dice... "Coming soon" - uh huh, right. (Valve Time, I know, I know).
Liam Dawe Feb 10, 2016
Quoting: adolsonThe desktop configuration was there for a long time already. I keep checking for the other two after every beta update, and no dice... "Coming soon" - uh huh, right. (Valve Time, I know, I know).

Yeah, had wrong shot in.

Updated article to show the correct quotes I'm talking about.
Liam Dawe Feb 10, 2016
Quoting: chuzzle44So, does this mean In home streaming is working now? Or is this just groundwork?

In home streaming has worked on Linux for a long time now.
1mHfoksd1Z Feb 10, 2016
Does the Nvidia acceleration thing increase performance when playing games on regular Steam for Linux?
minj Feb 10, 2016
I am not sure but IRRC the overlay checkbox you are talking about has been there since forever
chuzzle44 Feb 10, 2016
Quoting: TheBossIn home streaming has worked on Linux for a long time now.
Are you referring to the server or just the client? I know that you could stream from Windows to Mac and Linux, but I was under the impression that it would not work in any other configuration. See Here: http://store.steampowered.com/streaming/ I tried this with my desktop and my laptop, both running Mint. While they detected one another, they would not connect.
chuzzle44 Feb 10, 2016
Quoting: HoriDoes the Nvidia acceleration thing increase performance when playing games on regular Steam for Linux?
I believe that this is just encoding support, which allows Steam to create a video stream, that can then be sent wherever. It should provide no performance improvements on anything else.

Quoting: minjI am not sure but IRRC the overlay checkbox you are talking about has been there since forever
He is referring to the empty checkbox in the top left corner. I don't believe that it was there before, but I could be wrong.
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.