I'm super sad Valve seems to be failing in hardware. Their Steam hardware, including machines and controllers, is actually really nice in my experience and it might serve as yet another instance where developing a good product doesn't necessarily translate into sales or long term success.
Steam machines are an interesting inverse of the normal console where a large established company makes a standardized piece of hardware and partner with publishes and studios to fill out a catalog of software. Steam instead was a huge catalog of software that asked computer companies to create specialized hardware.
Unfortunately their target audience also claims to be the PC Master Race. Its a bit like trying to sell Disco to the Punks.
Looking at the Linux gaming landscape now compared to what it was like before Steam machines the difference is night and day. Of course there is still more work to do in this area but I'd say they achieved what they set out to do - reduce Microsoft's dominance in PC gaming and create some real competition.
I play games on Linux on Steam, and I usually turn off all kinds of phone-home features and don't take part in questionnaires, this includes the Steam client, too. I guess I am not alone.
Point is, the statistics might not be an exact representation of reality.
I don't think Valve's imperative was to dethrone Microsoft at all, it was to introduce alternatives to Windows, which poses an existential threat to Steam with Windows Store. To that effect, Steam coming to Mac was probably a bigger deal, but even still, I think Steam for Linux and Proton were pretty big deals. The public is watching, largely with skepticism before Steam for Linux was announced, but now there's a legitimate chance newer games, sometimes even fairly high-end games, can get released for Linux on launch - something that used to only happen for a select few games by companies that did it for fun, like Unreal Tournament or most things from iD Software.
Steam also now offers me a platform where I can buy cross-platform software once and use it anywhere. I consider this to be fairly valuable, and it makes me a lot less likely to buy software on Windows Store or Mac App Store.
The problem is that they do 0 advertising outside the splash page on steam when 99% of people are just looking for deals.
They also did some absurd deals like $2.50 and $5 for the summer sale which is great but dilutes the value of the product when normal price is $50.
They probably could have teamed up with a major distributor like Target or Best Buy so people could give it a try in stores but Valve seems very anti-retail stores.
I think there is a lot of potential in this space with Google, Amazon, and Roku competing for Movies/TV while gaming is left wide open
Eh, I bought one of these on sale during the last big sale and was sorely disappointed. It was barely usable despite my network streaming video fine. Your mileage may vary of course, but this review is a little, ahem, exaggerated.
Yes like others have said, try it with the ethernet cable, that should fix any streaming issues.
To me the issue is more that the controllers are a bit annoying to use and there are not that many games that are co-op / local multiplayer and that support controllers on steam.
A lot of this comes down to people's TVs adding 100ms of latency, rather than device itself. For me with hardline coax up to the server the latency was 30ms for frame rendering which is totally usable, 130ms on the TV without 'game mode' enabled is not.
I disagree - I use mine all the time to play RimWorld and Minecraft on my TV in the living room. For Minecraft in particular it's nice to be able to use my gaming PC in my office to play in the living room, because my kids are on the couch on their laptops participating in the same world.
Latency is the big issue, so FPS games are right out. Once you realize that, then you can choose the games you play with it to fit the platform.
This is terrible. We own 2 links and they are great. Stream games from our computers to our living room. My son loves it. I guess we'll need to figure out a small Linux box to duplicate this. Wonder if a RasberryPi could do it.
I really hope this has no impact on Streaming in general, it is one of Steam's best features.
Tried Pi, and it can’t keep up with the video stream. You can always use an HTPC, with a GPU like GTX 1050 and use Steam’s in-home streaming. Works really well.
I have one plugged to our TV, and it was great fun to play games on.
Yeah, some games were buggy, and some games didn't work, but for the ones that did, it was great! I had some nice times playing Rocket League with my dad on cough, it brought us back to the Halo 3 days when we would play on the Xbox 360.
It seems like the developers didn't embrace it, as games supporting the Steam Link was lacking a bit.
From my experience, it only ever game down to if the games supported controllers well enough. Although as I mentioned in another comment, there was about a one week period where all Unity based games would just crash when launching. All other games fine. Unity games broken. Then fine a week later.
Have two of these, and a few Steam controllers, and god damn they are one of the best devices I own. My wife and I play games from the couch or bed all the time together.
Both of ours are hard wired, not wireless, and never had a problem with the streaming. Actually thats not true. After a windows update of some kind, possibly directx, all Unity based games failed to launch for about a week. Then back to normal.
The Steam controllers are not as awesome in my opinion, much preferred my Xbox controllers.
These things are awesome for when friends are over. Wish there was more games, but there are still a solid number of games that are great for the couch. Jackbox party packs, Tricky Towers, Tower Fall, Sonic All Stars Racing, Party Panic, Hell Divers, Overcooked, and the list goes on. Sooooo many good games and I got to keep them all in my Steam library without having to buy another console and rebuy games.
Suggestion thread then:
Overcooked, Keep talking and nobody explodes, Broforce, Call of Duty Black Ops 3 (Zombie mode), Enter the gungeon, Nuclear Throne
It's almost like a Chromecast for your games. It connects to your main computer on your network and can manage Steam remotely. Starting a game streams the audio and video from the game from your gaming computer to your TV, and returns input back to it, effectively letting any TV in your house become a gaming console if you already have a games-capable machine. Their Steam Link app does similar, except to your phone rather than to a TV.
Sounds like connecting TV to PC, which is good if your PC is far from TV, but in my case I use usual HDMI cable with 0 network lag. Plus it can be used for anything that PC does (I don't have any Steam/Valve product on PC)
Chromecast and all the other IPV4/6 based wireless HDMI are really intensive and saturate your LAN. I have a wireless HDMI that uses directional infrared and it's quite performant with no resource contention issues.
That sounds like a really neat device. In lieu of that, I segregate traffic with VLANs by SSID at home, which helps prevent mDNS spikes and other inconveniences from disrupting the rest of the network.
It's pretty common for people to buy into IoT without preparing their networks, and there's no networking hardware that I know of that's a seamless experience for managing what having an IoT integrated home brings.
I guess Ubiquiti's Unifi line is pretty close, but it's not what I'd imagine a plugnplay "Google Hub" automated router/switch with SDN manageable from Assistant.
Although, I haven't used Google WiFi, so I don't know if it already works like that.
My gaming PC is in the attic, but sometimes it can be nice to play something on the TV in the living room, or maybe even the one in the bedroom. Instead of having to move the PC in some manner, the Steam Link instead streams the game over my LAN. It's a gaming-focused thin client. The only limitation is that it's limited to 1080p.
I will just add to what others have said by saying it also has built in bluetooth so you can connect controllers (works with Steam, Xbox, and PS4 controllers). It also has USB ports on it so I think you could plug keyboard and mouse into it, but never tried.
We use it to play co-op and party games together.
I am a huge PC gamer, always have been. So it's really nice to be able to use the machine I spent multiple thousands of dollars on and enjoy it in more places. Also since I play games with the wife it helps justify the cost of the rig and upgrades. :D
I’m using Steam Link that’s built into my smart TV. Way superior as it supports 4K and 50mbps stream. The original physical Link is catching dust on the shelf. It’s quite okay setup with a headless gaming PC. You have to use a remote desktop from time to time to click on some system dialog, so it’s not a 100% console-like experience.
Not sure why it even called wireless gaming, since in my experience you have to introduce even more wires. Both computer and device have to be connected to ethernet if you want lag free experience. I'm so happy with my current setup, when I just plug HDMI to my laptop, and use either wireless PS4 or Switch controllers with it.
Are desktop PCs the primary use case here? I picked up a Steam Link during the sale, but never ended up using it past some initial messing around. It's easy enough to simply plug my laptop into the HDMI cable we leave running from the TV. Maybe if we had multiple TVs—but then, I could just carry my laptop over to whichever one, anyway...
I don't get the article, more and more vendors support steam link as an application for TV itself so its not like streaming is being phased out, it is being built in instead.
I don’t want that, though. I actively want a dumb tv and a bunch of boxes — My smart tv is unplugged from the internet and I’m using it as a dumb tv, because the software just sucks. Hopefully steam link will show up on iOS soon.
Same here. I had a Smart TV for a year and it was absoutely abhorrent. I sold it and got a 40" monitor for my PC instead. The PC actually boots faster than the TV did.
It's not the best device. Sometimes we get controller issues (3rd party). Some games don't support controllers at all. It doesn't feel like the full console experience at all.
It's basically just a remote desktop / streaming device.
Literally what it says in the article: Plug it into your tv and play your steam library from your main PC via in-house streaming. Hence the comparison to “wireless hdmi”
What a shame, I was looking forward to picking one of these up the next time I went back to the US. Seems like I may have to bite the bullet and accept that my Raspberry Pi, while a fun gadget, is not a substitute for a full fledged HTPC. Any recommendations on a HTPC which I can use to dual boot Win/Linux?
This is one of Valve's worst decisions. This device is a gem. I use it in uncapped bandwidth mode (lowest latency) with 8 thread CPU encoding (for the crispest image with fast motion) from my desktop and it's perfect. I've been having exceptional results with it ever since it launched. I never used wifi with it, as I'm old enough that I'm from the era where I don't believe that civilized people should use wifi with anything except laptops and phones.
People keep saying it can't do 4K and that's what the specs say, but it can indeed do 4K. Valve has done a lot of great updates to it over the years to enable features like that. There is no good replacement for these, a FireTV can sideload the app but you'll be doing every update manually. Nvidia has ShieldTV, but you have to use their GPUs to stream to it, so no using your random Intel powered laptop for lightweight and fun co-op games. Or AMD powered Macbook if you wanted to. Those also don't have the option for CPU encoding on the host, you have to use NVENC which is inferior. I would only use hardware encoding if I only had more of an old timey 4-core, 8-thread CPU.
I bought another one with this sale, but will be keeping an eye out for a true replacement. My hope is that Amazon gets the SteamLink App in their Appstore so we can get auto updates on their platform.
ShieldTV is the only real alternative today, but with the limitations noted above. If you've been more of a SteamLink power user like me who really likes to tweak the experience and get the most out of it, there's no clear successor yet other than a HTPC as the decoder or rummaging the market for some random Android media device. I'm holding on to my SteamLink until Amazon gets the SteamLink App in their store. Then I'll continue to hold onto it until it dies.
Terrible move by Valve. They had this one model, one little device that I could flatly recommend to everyone, and it wasn't hurting their megacorp. This is one of those things that doesn't make you rich, but it's an essential product offering. It's value to what Steam is can't be favorably calculated by bean counters. They're already booted out of the iOS Appstore, and they're not in Amazon's yet, and they would need to ensure the SteamLink App works perfect on both ecosystems to discontinue this. Unless you are really slopping things together, using wifi or have a failing router/switch, the SteamLink just worked.
One of the few tech purchases I've greatly regretted.
I don't doubt it works as advertised - but if I wanted to play games in my living room I'd use a console. The type of games I play would need mouse and keyboard, so why would I lug those to another room? So yeah, it doesn't solve THIS kind of problem :)
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[ 4.5 ms ] story [ 115 ms ] threadUnfortunately their target audience also claims to be the PC Master Race. Its a bit like trying to sell Disco to the Punks.
As long as windows is open there is no need for them and they exit as extremely niche alternative that could be ramped up in times of need.
They arw also very big on linux gaming for the exact same reason.
The actual number of SteamOS machines that were sold was a rounding error.
Google, Apple, Nintendo and Sony are the only ones that matter regarding PC gaming versus alternatives.
Point is, the statistics might not be an exact representation of reality.
Steam also now offers me a platform where I can buy cross-platform software once and use it anywhere. I consider this to be fairly valuable, and it makes me a lot less likely to buy software on Windows Store or Mac App Store.
I think there is a lot of potential in this space with Google, Amazon, and Roku competing for Movies/TV while gaming is left wide open
To me the issue is more that the controllers are a bit annoying to use and there are not that many games that are co-op / local multiplayer and that support controllers on steam.
Latency is the big issue, so FPS games are right out. Once you realize that, then you can choose the games you play with it to fit the platform.
I really hope this has no impact on Streaming in general, it is one of Steam's best features.
But a Pi will likely not run it as well tbh, always notice some lag, where with the Steam link it's buttery smooth.
https://moonlight-stream.com/
Moonlight can do 4k at 120fps and supports HVEC / H.265.
You can run Moonlight on a RPi and achieve 1080p at 60fps and 5.1 audio without much trouble. Sadly a RPi cannot do HVEC encoding using hw.
Do you know any small formfactor SoC that can, by any chance? Might be a good intermediate upgrade while waiting for decent AV1 hardware to arrive.
Yeah, some games were buggy, and some games didn't work, but for the ones that did, it was great! I had some nice times playing Rocket League with my dad on cough, it brought us back to the Halo 3 days when we would play on the Xbox 360.
It seems like the developers didn't embrace it, as games supporting the Steam Link was lacking a bit.
It's one of the most useful gadgets I have.
Both of ours are hard wired, not wireless, and never had a problem with the streaming. Actually thats not true. After a windows update of some kind, possibly directx, all Unity based games failed to launch for about a week. Then back to normal.
The Steam controllers are not as awesome in my opinion, much preferred my Xbox controllers.
These things are awesome for when friends are over. Wish there was more games, but there are still a solid number of games that are great for the couch. Jackbox party packs, Tricky Towers, Tower Fall, Sonic All Stars Racing, Party Panic, Hell Divers, Overcooked, and the list goes on. Sooooo many good games and I got to keep them all in my Steam library without having to buy another console and rebuy games.
Some suggestions in case you missed them: Castle Crashers, Son of a Witch, Duck Game, Rayman Legends.
It's probably the best party game I've played. It plays better with 4 or more people though.
I know what Steam is, but I can't fathom what this gadget actually does and what value it adds.
It's pretty common for people to buy into IoT without preparing their networks, and there's no networking hardware that I know of that's a seamless experience for managing what having an IoT integrated home brings.
I guess Ubiquiti's Unifi line is pretty close, but it's not what I'd imagine a plugnplay "Google Hub" automated router/switch with SDN manageable from Assistant.
Although, I haven't used Google WiFi, so I don't know if it already works like that.
We use it to play co-op and party games together.
I am a huge PC gamer, always have been. So it's really nice to be able to use the machine I spent multiple thousands of dollars on and enjoy it in more places. Also since I play games with the wife it helps justify the cost of the rig and upgrades. :D
It’s an app you can download
Fortunately, I used Moonlight on my Raspberry Pi using this Kodi addon - https://github.com/dead/script.moonlight
It's basically just a remote desktop / streaming device.
People keep saying it can't do 4K and that's what the specs say, but it can indeed do 4K. Valve has done a lot of great updates to it over the years to enable features like that. There is no good replacement for these, a FireTV can sideload the app but you'll be doing every update manually. Nvidia has ShieldTV, but you have to use their GPUs to stream to it, so no using your random Intel powered laptop for lightweight and fun co-op games. Or AMD powered Macbook if you wanted to. Those also don't have the option for CPU encoding on the host, you have to use NVENC which is inferior. I would only use hardware encoding if I only had more of an old timey 4-core, 8-thread CPU.
I bought another one with this sale, but will be keeping an eye out for a true replacement. My hope is that Amazon gets the SteamLink App in their Appstore so we can get auto updates on their platform.
ShieldTV is the only real alternative today, but with the limitations noted above. If you've been more of a SteamLink power user like me who really likes to tweak the experience and get the most out of it, there's no clear successor yet other than a HTPC as the decoder or rummaging the market for some random Android media device. I'm holding on to my SteamLink until Amazon gets the SteamLink App in their store. Then I'll continue to hold onto it until it dies.
Terrible move by Valve. They had this one model, one little device that I could flatly recommend to everyone, and it wasn't hurting their megacorp. This is one of those things that doesn't make you rich, but it's an essential product offering. It's value to what Steam is can't be favorably calculated by bean counters. They're already booted out of the iOS Appstore, and they're not in Amazon's yet, and they would need to ensure the SteamLink App works perfect on both ecosystems to discontinue this. Unless you are really slopping things together, using wifi or have a failing router/switch, the SteamLink just worked.
I don't doubt it works as advertised - but if I wanted to play games in my living room I'd use a console. The type of games I play would need mouse and keyboard, so why would I lug those to another room? So yeah, it doesn't solve THIS kind of problem :)