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Why am I sad that a tiny black puck broadcasting games streaming on a Wi-Fi network is soon disappearing from shelves around the world? Because too few people have experienced the magic offered by the Steam link.
In the past two years, it seemed that Valve could not give the gadget fast enough, charging just $ 2.50 for the $ 50 gadget on sale. It is probably for this reason that the company is quietly shutting down the ring today even though it will continue its assistance. (Valve indicates that the Steam link has already sold around the world and is no longer used.)
The theory of my pet? Steam Link was too hard to convince all PC gamers. The little black box plays PC games on your TV thanks to the power of streaming – a nebulous concept that boils down to this: plug in a controller, a keyboard and a mouse, or even a headset (the Steam Link virtually supports n & # 39; Any USB device). can think of) and you can control your PC from the whole house as if you were in front.
A friend once described it as a wireless HDMI cable, which makes great sense – but it's a unidirectional cable that requires a good Wi-Fi router or an ethernet cable, as well as a wireless router. a computer under Steam the host.
But once properly configured, it works like a charm. The Link offers games with almost no lag in 1080p, 60 frames per second, and is reliable enough to play games like Twitch Nidhogg, Duck game, and Speedrunners, not to mention competitive combat games, as long as your router can handle it.
I've used one at weekly social gatherings to play sofa games for 4 players for a few years in a row. Since you can reduce your steam consumption and control your Windows desktop, I sometimes use it as a way to play videos from streaming services that I can not easily access (think VPN) with Roku or Chromecast.
Here is what I love this gadget: when the Steam link cost $ 20, I bought a second that I keep immaculate in the box, in case my main element disappears. But the Steam Link – launched in 2015 – certainly does not have as many reasons to exist today as it did at the time. Since, Valve has introduced the Steam Link application directly on Android phones and Samsung smart TVs, where it can support 4K streaming, unlike the original washer. (Apple rejected the Steam Link app for iOS.) And Valve no longer seems to have a hardware business but it feels the need to promote, recently, the hardware section of its website was hidden after its global Steam initiative Machines fell flat.
A proper laptop can also easily replace a Steam link if you have Steam installed and can be connected to your TV via the Valve streaming service. Nevertheless, I will never agree that a laptop or an old phone would have been an acceptable substitute for my trusty Steam Link. I have never tried an HDMI type wireless connection before, or since, as close as this one.
I asked Valve if it could provide lifetime sales figures for the Steam link, and I'll update this message if I get an answer. But for now, buy it while you can.
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