Steam Link

Review by eFreeware

Steam Link is Valve's free app for playing the games you already own on Steam somewhere other than the computer they are installed on. You pair a Bluetooth controller or a Steam Controller with your Android device, connect to a computer running Steam, and the picture and controls travel across your home network. Nothing is bought again and nothing is rebuilt for a phone screen: the same library you have on the desktop is what appears.

That is the appeal. If your gaming PC sits in one room and your television, tablet or phone sits in another, this removes the walk between them. It is also the cheapest route into big-screen gaming for anyone whose Steam account is already full of unplayed purchases, since the app itself costs nothing and the games are the ones you have.

How the streaming actually works

The setup is deliberately short. A controller pairs over Bluetooth, or you use Valve's own Steam Controller, and then the app reaches a computer that is running Steam. From that point the game runs on the computer and the Android device acts as the screen and the gamepad, which is why the machine has to stay on and logged in while you play.

Because the work happens on the desktop, the phone or TV does not need to be powerful. A modest tablet can display a demanding game if the computer behind it can run it. The trade is that the network carries everything, so quality rises and falls with your home setup rather than with the hardware in your hand.

What comes with it beyond the basic stream

Valve keeps adding controls rather than features, and the recent updates are a good example. A 59.94 FPS option now sits among the available framerate limits, which matters to anyone matching a television's refresh behavior, and frame drops have been reduced when the limit is left on automatic. Low Latency Video has also gained a Disabled setting, giving you a way to turn that processing off when you would rather have the picture untouched.

On 4x3 screens, including the AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini, the coordinate scale is now right. None of this changes what the app is, but it shows the streaming path is still being tuned years after release. The app is rated for Everyone, and Valve points bug reports to a Steam Community discussion thread.

What it asks of your home network

This is the part to read before installing. Valve's own guidance for Android TV is to connect the computer to the router by Ethernet and the television the same way. For tablets and phones, the recommendation is Ethernet from the computer to a 5GHz WiFi router, the Android device on the 5GHz band, and the device kept within a reasonable range of the router.

In other words, the app is at its best on a wired home network, and a phone on a distant or crowded band is the case it handles least well. There is no cost beyond that: the app is free, carries no ads, and offers no in-app purchases. The computer running Steam and the games themselves are the real requirement, and you supply those yourself.

Getting the most from a stream

If you can run a cable to the computer, do it, because that single change follows Valve's advice for both television and handheld setups. The app's own settings are worth a look too: dropping the framerate limit or disabling Low Latency Video can suit a television that prefers a steadier picture.

A controller is not optional in any practical sense, since the whole point is playing games built around one. Beyond that, treat this as a second screen for a library you already have rather than a reason to buy anything new. The install count is past ten million and the average rating sits at 3.3 from more than 53,000 ratings, which fits an app whose results depend heavily on the network it is given.

A second screen for an existing Steam library

Steam Link is worth installing if you own Steam games, keep a computer running Steam, and want them on a television, tablet or phone in another room. It is free, it asks for no purchases, and the recent updates suggest Valve is still refining how the stream behaves. The catch is the network: wired where possible, 5GHz otherwise, and the device kept close to the router.

Anyone whose home setup already looks like that will get the most out of it, and anyone unwilling to move a cable or change WiFi bands should expect a rougher experience. For the right household, it turns a desktop library into something the whole living room can reach.

What's new in version 1.3.32

* Added 59.94 FPS as an available framerate limit * Reduced frame drops when the framerate limit is set to automatic * Added a "Disabled" option for Low Latency Video * Fixed coordinate scale on devices with 4x3 aspect ratio, like the AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini * Please report bugs and crashes here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/353380/discussions/4/