Steam Link hardware officially walks the plank, there's an app for that

Ehhhh. I have used this a lot for streaming stuff in-house, sad to see it discontinued. I too have a smartTv but an LG one which runs linux and not android - so no link app for me. :(
Who knows how long they'll plan on supporting the steam link interface - maybe I'll need to simply get a chromecast then.

I think the Steam Link will continue to work for the foreseeable future. They don't give up on InHome-Streaming. Just this particular hardware.

I have one, but my network was never good enough to actually use it. Although about a week ago I did install RetroArch on the hardware and it has gotten some use that way :P

I have an extra one, still sealed in the box.
It will make a great collector’s item. ;)

Yet, what’s replacing it? The Android app? So you must have an Android TV for it or connect the phone to the TV?
Doesn’t seem so practical. Cheaper but not as practical.

I just hope they keep supporting it for a long time.

I like mine. Don't get to use it much as I kept having trouble with the steam controller.

I kinda figured a software solution would replace it eventually, just never thought it would be an Android app. Hopefully they expand it to other platforms so the rest of us can use it.

The link was an interesting idea.

Quoting: coryrj19951I have one, but my network was never good enough to actually use it. Although about a week ago I did install RetroArch on the hardware and it has gotten some use that way :P

Quoting: coryrj19951I have one, but my network was never good enough to actually use it. Although about a week ago I did install RetroArch on the hardware and it has gotten some use that way :P

wait! You can do that?! With DOS box too? I've some old DOS games I'd love to play!

Have they also discontinued the steam controller? The potentiometer for the analog stick in mine is only half-functioning at this point and I was looking around to get a new one, but no stores seem to carry it anymore, and the amazon ones are listed at 100 euros which is insane.

So the trick with the audio is to disable 5.1 surround. Yeah it sucks, but fixed all the audio related glitches I found.

Isn't the link open source? Anyhow I ordered a second one, and amazon is still selling them for 120, so I got the Link and a 3rd controller from Steam for 89 for downstairs...

Last edited by slaapliedje on 20 Nov 2018 at 10:18 pm UTC

Hmmm, that's too bad. My children and I use one here at home almost every day :)

I like my steam link. Not getting any SmartTV/AndroidTV, so I'll keep it around as long as possible.

Valve seems to have taken a scattergun approach to encouraging their concept of open gaming, but I still think they would prefer a SteamOS device. I can't see many companies wanting to produce one with a cheap alternative available, even if streaming has a lot of issues for some people.

I guess Steamplay of games via proton is also much easier to validate on SteamOS-driven partner hardware.

Maybe we will see another round of Steam Machines in 12 months or so.

:O Was going to buy one this December! Sad, sad, sad...

I just looked on the steam store. It's 95% off right now if any one is thinking of getting it (U.S.A.)

Last edited by denyasis on 21 Nov 2018 at 4:34 pm UTC

Thing is, when it was heavily discounted, it was cheaper to buy a Steam Link for the network and HDMI cable included than buying the cables alone. So I bought 2 of them. :)

Tried using them hardwired and it did a good job with many games but for others (ex: Witcher 3) I had lots of pixelated frames or just bad performances (Deux Ex: Mankind Divided). Since that's the kind of games I play, the Steam Link doesn't really make it for me. Too bad, I really like the concept and tought that it might become a good client for an hypothetical "Steam streaming service".

Last edited by Mohandevir on 21 Nov 2018 at 6:10 pm UTC

Quoting: denyasisI just looked on the steam store. It's 95% off right now if any one is thinking of getting it (U.S.A.)

Seriously? I just bought one when I saw this article posted, but it was 89 for controller and link...

Oh, I DID get the discount! Sweet! Ha, the Shipping is more than the price of the Link.

Last edited by slaapliedje on 21 Nov 2018 at 8:15 pm UTC

Quoting: MohandevirThing is, when it was heavily discounted, it was cheaper to buy a Steam Link for the network and HDMI cable included than buying the cables alone. So I bought 2 of them. :)

Tried using them hardwired and it did a good job with many games but for others (ex: Witcher 3) I had lots of pixelated frames or just bad performances (Deux Ex: Mankind Divided). Since that's the kind of games I play, the Steam Link doesn't really make it for me. Too bad, I really like the concept and tought that it might become a good client for an hypothetical "Steam streaming service".

So I mostly had played Divine Divinity: Original Sin on Linux on a 1080p TV with the Link, and it'd have audio delay and was crashing (well to be fair, that was the game). But once I changed it from 5.1 surround to just stereo it worked perfectly. Well, was still crashing, but there wasn't any issues with the game. I've also now been playing Conan Exiles over it on my 4k tv, works fine. I've even played Fallout 4 with it. Mind you, now I'm using Wireless with Conan and it's working.

Quoting: slaapliedje

Quoting: MohandevirThing is, when it was heavily discounted, it was cheaper to buy a Steam Link for the network and HDMI cable included than buying the cables alone. So I bought 2 of them. :)

Tried using them hardwired and it did a good job with many games but for others (ex: Witcher 3) I had lots of pixelated frames or just bad performances (Deux Ex: Mankind Divided). Since that's the kind of games I play, the Steam Link doesn't really make it for me. Too bad, I really like the concept and tought that it might become a good client for an hypothetical "Steam streaming service".

So I mostly had played Divine Divinity: Original Sin on Linux on a 1080p TV with the Link, and it'd have audio delay and was crashing (well to be fair, that was the game). But once I changed it from 5.1 surround to just stereo it worked perfectly. Well, was still crashing, but there wasn't any issues with the game. I've also now been playing Conan Exiles over it on my 4k tv, works fine. I've even played Fallout 4 with it. Mind you, now I'm using Wireless with Conan and it's working.

Might give it another shot soon. I have a new RX 580 to test streaming with. Anyone know if the Mesa drivers are doing a good streaming job?

Edit: Did you say 4K? Is the Steam link 4K capable?

Last edited by Mohandevir on 21 Nov 2018 at 8:26 pm UTC

Quoting: Mohandevir

Quoting: slaapliedje

Quoting: MohandevirThing is, when it was heavily discounted, it was cheaper to buy a Steam Link for the network and HDMI cable included than buying the cables alone. So I bought 2 of them. :)

Tried using them hardwired and it did a good job with many games but for others (ex: Witcher 3) I had lots of pixelated frames or just bad performances (Deux Ex: Mankind Divided). Since that's the kind of games I play, the Steam Link doesn't really make it for me. Too bad, I really like the concept and tought that it might become a good client for an hypothetical "Steam streaming service".

So I mostly had played Divine Divinity: Original Sin on Linux on a 1080p TV with the Link, and it'd have audio delay and was crashing (well to be fair, that was the game). But once I changed it from 5.1 surround to just stereo it worked perfectly. Well, was still crashing, but there wasn't any issues with the game. I've also now been playing Conan Exiles over it on my 4k tv, works fine. I've even played Fallout 4 with it. Mind you, now I'm using Wireless with Conan and it's working.

Might give it another shot soon. I have a new RX 580 to test streaming with. Anyone know if the Mesa drivers are doing a good streaming job?

Edit: Did you say 4K? Is the Steam link 4K capable?

Verified that it scales to 1080p. So I have a 4k TV, my monitor is 2560x1440p (G-sync not that it should matter) and playing GTA V via Proton was really smooth, but the TV's info said it was 1080p. So it definitely scales down, there wasn't any chopped off hud or anything. Still works quite well, and Steam Controller is awesome for GTA V.

The Steam Link is on sale again. $2.50(US)

You can bundle it with a Steam Controller for only $35.61(US) essentially only $0.62 more than a steam controller alone.

However, I remember the last time I considered getting one, the price of shipping was another $7-10 making it not nearly as good as a price.

And, in my case, I am happy just hooking my gaming laptop up to the TV screen directly, so I would rather spend the money on a new game.

Ok since I couldn't wrap my head around I tried to get literate about the app.

Apparently if your tv is not smart or the native app is garbage like in my Samsung case, in the post-link world you're supposed to go with an Android TV. The android app says it officially supports Steam and Xbox One S controllers but I bet it works also with all the stuff that is Android compatible (including m+k devices) as regular ones. I bet that for officially supported they mean controllers that work with steam API and give access to profiles and that kind of stuff.

On a second thought it doesn't look that bad of a decision. All the world wants to be android compatible to get in reach of the endless hordes of people playing microtransaction baked heavy farming android games out there. By jumping on android platform Valve devs should be free to spend less time on drivers (and hardware maintenance) and more on actual features which doesn't sound that bad. The Android TV itself may cost more than a link but it also includes the same features of a Chromecast, a Firestick, it's google assistant compatible and has all the android apps including games that every serious gamer should play daily like angry birds and the fans favorite Diablo Immortal. All in all it's better value I guess and much less cabling behind the TV.

Personally I'm sticking to my link until it lasts (I already have a Chromecast and since I'm not a serious gamer I don't care about angry birds or Diablo Immmortal :) ). Then again I guess privacy champions won't be happy to be forced to have a Google product spying their gaming achievements in the living rooms...