I bought the Steam Link with the idea that I would have a hassle-free device to play video games on my television. After playing with it for a few hours, the device shows potential but does not deliver what Steam is trying to sell.
Note: The Steam Link is using a wired connection, and my desktop GPU doing the streaming is a GeForce GTX 660.
Introduction
I've been a console player for many years. When the last generation of consoles came out on the market, I got rid of my Xbox 360 to start playing on my computer and, even better, on Linux, but I've always preferred to play on my television. The problem with playing on a TV is it's not always in an easy location.
I tried with a 25 foot HDMI cable, it worked but I would have needed a 50 foot cable to be able to get a permanent installation and, I'm lazy. I did not want to play with the drivers to switch between my computer screen and my television all the time.
So, when Steam announced the Steam Link, I pre-ordered it.
Unboxing
The device is surprisingly small; not much longer than a pencil. It comes with an AC adapter, an HDMI cable, a network cable and a multiple outlet fitting. So you can buy one here in Canada and bring it back to UK. :)
The Steam Link does not have any LEDs except for the network cable. It really is a plug and play device.
Testing
One thing you need is a controller (I did not try a keyboard) to have it work. The box will start and scan your network to discover a computer with Steam. When it finds one and connects to it, it will display an authorization code that you have to enter on your computer. It is a very simple setup and I was really happy with its simplicity.
When the Steam Link connects to my computer, the Big Picture Mode starts automatically and this is where the complications started.
I was very excited and started to look around the menus. The first thing I noticed is that I had flashes of the wallpaper from my desktop here and there. Navigating or just waiting to do nothing. It's just a flash but it is enough to spoil the experience. (First support ticket opened with Steam). If you want to use the Steam Link, be sure that your screen saver is not activated. I have not yet reported the bug to Steam.
Anyway, I had to step out for a couple of hours and when I came back, I launched the Steam Link again and I saw my screen saver. I was not able to do anything. So I went on my computer to move my mouse and everything went fine.
I launched my first game and it had no sound. When I was in the Steam menu, I heard a background sound and another sound when switching in the Steam menus, but no sound for my game. After researching on the web, the trick is to connect headphones to my computer and then start the Steam Link; weird enough, but it works (second support ticket opened with Steam).
Editor Note: The article author sent us a message to tell us the sound problems went away by opting into the Steam beta.
The experience with the games I tried are really random:
XCOM: Enemy Within - The performance was choppy, so I had a real bad experience with it and it wasn't enjoyable at all. Reducing the video settings helped a bit but not enough. Especially when it is so smooth on my desktop directly.
Mark of the Ninja - I've never been able to use my Steam Controller; the game freezes every time. I don't think it is a Steam Link issue but an incompatibility with the Steam Controller... (To be investigated)
Borderlands Pre-Sequel - Wonderful, it plays flawlessly. It is smooth and working fine.
Defense Grid 2 - I got a green screen on the Steam Link but it was fine on my computer. I changed some video settings around, same result. (Third support ticket)
Conclusion
I don't think the Steam Link was ready for the mass market and it inherits all of the bugs: Big Picture Mode which is not really stable, incompatible games etc.
That being said, it is a device that shows a lot of potential, but I would suggest you to wait before buying it. Right now the experience is very disappointing. I really hope that it is working better for some of you.
All I wanted was to plug and play on my TV, but I end up trying to debug the thing and wondering if I should return it. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Trine 3 had a weird issue where the sound was slowed down horribly, seemed to work the next time I played though, so maybe it was fixed in the update that happened in between.
It really hates multiple monitors on Linux (seems to work okay on Windows), and tries to display all three screens (I have two 1920x1080 and one 2560x1080... all crammed into a 1920x1080 resolution on a 55" tv....)
Mark of the Ninja worked fine, except the random switching of windowed mode to full screen, then back... though again, I think that was partially the three monitors.
Fallout 4 played great on it, though when you're walking at full speed, you get streaming artifacts. Yes I have it wired (though there are two switches between my desktop system, one in the living room and the main switch in the room between, will have to fix that soon).
I think the biggest problem is games like Trine, Starbound, Chaos Engine, etc, that have separate launchers before you get in-game. They're a pain to navigate to get the game started.
Edit: I'm reading through this thread, and it seems to vary widely...
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/homestream/discussions/0/540731690608986828/
Last edited by Eike on 18 November 2015 at 11:10 am UTC
Cool, thanks for sharing!
I'm not looking out for the Link itself, I already have got a HTPC (VDR) Linux box at my TV and wonder what I can do with it Steam-wise... :) It may even run smaller games on its own.
I'm already looking for some modern MiMo powerline adapters.
Last edited by Eike on 18 November 2015 at 12:53 pm UTC
Hi Stan,
My computer is getting old and I should replace it in the next few months but to answer your questions, I'm using Linux Mint 17.2 with a AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 820 Processor.
I got rid of my powerline and just spent a few hours getting my wireless lan setup as best i could (too far away for a LAN cable ) the powerlines are imo for those situations where wireless is just too flaky or not supported. Getting the power / channel / direction / mitigating other RF noises helped a lot.
fyi my ping on a decent newly wired house with a new PL adapter pinged 25 - 40ms to the router, which is ridiculous ! When someone switches on an appliance on the same ring it goes higher ( 200+ ) and im not totally sold on the relative safety of the units or their effect on other appliances over time, but that’s an outside consideration they certainly used to run really hot.
my wireless ping is a sold 1.2 - 1.8 ms to the router with no spikes, so 99% LAN quality. Makes fps games much better.
might be fixed on an update, there is a steamOS reddit thread where this was fixed yesterday
a switch is a passive unit, hence the name. If its an unmanaged unit all its doing is working a bit like a cable real power adapter allowing you to bridge connections further and use more devices, that said if you have one cable in and lots out then there could easily be collision domain but really im thinking the fast movement thing is identical to every other form of compression in existence .. its blocking artifacts. Good job there are no racing games yet on Linux.
Last edited by on 18 November 2015 at 3:36 pm UTC
might be fixed on an update, there is a steamOS reddit thread where this was fixed yesterday
a switch is a passive unit, hence the name. If its an unmanaged unit all its doing is working a bit like a cable real power adapter allowing you to bridge connections further and use more devices, that said if you have one cable in and lots out then there could easily be collision domain but really im thinking the fast movement thing is identical to every other form of compression in existence .. its blocking artifacts. Good job there are no racing games yet on Linux.[/quote]
There is Dirt Showdown? I'll have to try that out, see how it goes. Yeah, I have the PS4, TV, Bluray Player and my Amiga 4000D going through that switch, then onto the other one. Granted most of those aren't turned on at any given time. One switch is managed, the other isn't (the one in the living room).
pics ?
Last edited by on 18 November 2015 at 3:38 pm UTC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Cables
http://www.hdmi.org/installers/longcablelengths.aspx
The solution for the TV vs Computer view issue I've found can be one of 2 options:
1) Get another 37-40 in. TV as the prices have dropped to around $200 average, and as Black Friday is coming up, that'll only get cheaper.
2) Try out newer Projectors, as they now use LED technology, and may require much less maintenance and replacement (theoretically, as I'm still hoping to buy one in the future). They can, of course, scale as large as you want (some have recommendations, but it should be fine), on any wall (preferably white, but you can even hang some paper or a sheet flat over it). If you could rent one or try it out in-store or something. I have no idea of how good it would be, or even how to choose one well except maybe good contrast, but according to the specs and technology, you shouldn't even need to go to theaters anymore ... theoretically.