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Steam Link streams a game from a computer running Steam to an app or device connected to your TV. The computer runs the game; the TV-side device receives its video and audio and sends controller input back. For a reliable same-home setup, connect both devices to the same local network, pair them in Steam Link, and use Ethernet wherever practical.
What Steam Link does
Steam Link is Valve’s Remote Play client. Your gaming computer is the host: it runs the game and encodes the picture and sound. The TV, streaming box, or Steam Link hardware is the client: it displays the stream and relays your controls. The game stays installed on the computer, so Steam Link is not cloud gaming and does not replace a capable PC. Valve describes Remote Play as sending video and audio from the host while returning input and voice data.
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For playing at home, the important connection is usually the local network between host and client, not the speed of your internet plan. A fast broadband connection cannot compensate for weak Wi-Fi, interference, network isolation, a struggling host, or a client that cannot decode the stream smoothly.
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Choose a TV-side Steam Link option
| Option | What to do | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Link app on the TV | Search the TV’s app store for the official Steam Link app and install it if listed. | Support depends on TV model, operating system, region, and firmware. Do not assume every smart TV has the app. Valve’s announcement archive includes older, model-specific Samsung TV information; it is not proof of universal current support. |
| Apple TV | Install Steam Link from the App Store and connect Apple TV to the TV by HDMI. | The U.S. App Store listing specifies tvOS 11 or later and says the Apple TV and host must share a local network. Check the listing for current regional availability and requirements. |
| Android TV, Google TV, or Fire TV device | Check that device’s app store for Steam Link, install it, then connect the device to the TV. | Valve lists Android TV and Amazon Fire TV among supported destinations on its Remote Play page; the app’s availability on a particular device or in a region can differ. |
| Dedicated Steam Link hardware | Connect the unit to the TV over HDMI, connect power and network, and use its setup prompts. | This is a useful route if you already own the unit. Treat it as legacy hardware rather than assuming it is currently sold by Valve. See Valve’s Steam Link hardware guide. |
If none of these options is available, a direct HDMI connection from the computer is a straightforward alternative when cable routing allows. An external streaming device can also work, but confirm Steam Link is actually available in its current app store before buying it for this purpose.
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What you need before starting
- A Windows, macOS, or Linux computer with Steam installed and signed in.
- The game installed on that computer and able to launch normally there.
- A Steam Link app or dedicated Steam Link hardware, plus an HDMI input on the TV if the client is external.
- A shared home network connecting host and client. Ethernet cables are helpful if available.
- A controller, keyboard, or mouse supported by the client and suitable for the game.
- The host computer awake, powered on, and not about to enter sleep mode.
Update Steam and the client device’s software where possible. The exact controller features and app behavior vary across platforms; compatibility with one client does not guarantee every feature on another.
Set up Steam Link, step by step
1. Prepare the host computer
- Turn on the gaming computer, open Steam, and sign in.
- Confirm the game is installed and launches on the computer. Keep Steam running while pairing and streaming.
- Connect the computer to the router with Ethernet if practical. Check its power or sleep settings so it stays awake during play.
2. Install or connect the TV-side client
- For an app: Open the TV or streaming device’s app store, search for “Steam Link,” install the official Valve app if available, and launch it.
- For dedicated hardware or an external box: Connect it to the TV’s HDMI input, connect power, complete its on-screen setup, and install or open Steam Link as applicable.
Check what is included with the device before setup. For example, Apple’s Apple TV 4K purchase page says an HDMI cable is sold separately.
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3. Put host and client on the same local network
- Connect both devices to the same home network. Ethernet on one device and Wi-Fi on the other is fine if both are on the same local network.
- Prefer Ethernet for the computer and, if possible, the TV-side device. If the client must use Wi-Fi, use a strong 5-GHz connection where supported and keep it within good router range.
- Avoid guest Wi-Fi and isolated networks. Two devices can appear to use the same household internet while a guest network, VLAN, extender, or mesh configuration prevents them from discovering one another.
4. Pair the client with the computer
- In Steam Link, start the scan for computers and select the computer running Steam.
- If the TV shows a PIN, enter it in the Steam prompt on the selected host computer.
- Run the network test if the app offers one, then confirm that the Steam interface appears on the TV.
5. Connect a controller
In most setups, connect the controller to the TV-side client, not to the distant host PC. Depending on the device, you can pair over Bluetooth, plug in USB, or use a supported wireless receiver. Dedicated Steam Link hardware also supports documented controller, keyboard, and mouse options; consult Valve’s hardware guide for its compatibility details.
Valve documents Steam, Xbox, PlayStation DualShock 4, Nintendo Switch Pro, Logitech, Razer, and SteelSeries input among supported or documented options, but exact support depends on the client platform. Gyro, touchpad, rumble, headset audio, rear buttons, and wireless adapters may not behave identically across devices. If the controller pairs to the TV but Steam Link does not receive input, try USB or check the client’s controller settings.
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6. Launch a game
- Browse the host computer’s Steam library in the Steam Link interface.
- Select a game and start streaming.
- Use the Steam overlay or streaming controls to access performance information and stop the session.
Some non-Steam games can be added to Steam and launched this way, but launchers, anti-cheat, elevated permissions, DRM, and controller support can interfere. Treat this as a workaround, not a compatibility guarantee. A stream may also show the host desktop rather than only the game.
Improve picture quality and reduce delay
- Wire the host first. Ethernet removes one major source of wireless contention; wire the client too if possible. Valve’s network troubleshooting guidance recommends wired networking for the best streaming experience.
- Use strong 5-GHz Wi-Fi if wiring the client is not practical. It can be preferable to congested 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi when signal strength and range are adequate. A distant or weak 5-GHz signal may perform worse than a stronger connection.
- Turn on the TV’s Game Mode. This reduces the TV’s own display-processing delay; it does not fix network lag. The amount varies by TV. NVIDIA’s SHIELD guide also recommends Game Mode to reduce display latency.
- Lower stream resolution or bitrate if the picture stutters, freezes, or triggers network warnings. Change one setting at a time and check the result rather than forcing 4K when the host, client, game, or network cannot sustain it.
- Use host hardware encoding if available and stable. If the computer is GPU-limited, reduce the game’s rendering load as well as the stream demands.
- Pause competing traffic. Large downloads, cloud backups, and video uploads can consume local network capacity or create contention.
- Use the performance graph to identify the bottleneck. Network delay, host rendering or encoding, and client decoding are different problems; a faster internet plan will not fix a host that is dropping frames or a client that cannot decode smoothly.
There is no universal resolution, bitrate, or frame-rate setting that suits every host/client combination. Do not assume that 4K, HDR, 120 Hz, surround sound, rumble, gyro, or headset audio will work just because the TV supports it: host hardware, game, app, client, controller, and connection all matter.
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Fix common Steam Link problems
| Symptom | Checks and recovery |
|---|---|
| Steam Link cannot find the computer |
|
| Pairing code does not work | Enter the PIN in the same Steam installation as the computer selected in Steam Link. Reopen Steam Link to generate a fresh pairing attempt, ensure Steam is online and updated, and remove a stale client pairing if Steam offers that option. Test with both devices connected directly to the same router rather than through guest Wi-Fi or an isolating extender. |
| Controller works in menus but not in the game | Check the game’s controller settings and Steam Input configuration. Reconnect the controller after the stream starts, try USB, and check whether the game expects a particular controller type. In Steam Link, Valve documents the input-streaming option under Settings > Streaming > Advanced Options; confirm it is enabled. See Valve’s input and controller guidance. |
| Picture is blurry or blocky | Lower resolution first, then bitrate if the connection remains unstable. Improve the network with Ethernet or better client placement, and check whether the host is dropping frames or encoding at capacity. The game’s rendering resolution and Steam Link’s stream resolution are separate settings. |
| Input feels delayed | Check network latency or jitter, enable TV Game Mode, look for host frame-time spikes, and test for Bluetooth interference or client decoding limits. Wiring can improve the network portion but cannot remove TV processing delay or poor game frame times. |
| Stream freezes or disconnects | Switch host and client to Ethernet for diagnosis, lower resolution and bitrate, pause competing downloads, disable VPNs temporarily, check that the computer is not sleeping, and test another game to see if the issue is title-specific. Valve also recommends checking router firmware and trying a wired connection when wireless is unreliable. |
Power-cycle the network or Steam Link hardware
If basic checks fail, Valve’s support instructions give these sequences: unplug the router or network equipment, wait 30 seconds, reconnect it, and allow roughly 60 seconds for restart. For dedicated Steam Link hardware, unplug the unit, wait three seconds, reconnect it, and allow roughly 30 seconds to restart. These timings are Valve’s guidance for those devices, not a universal reset procedure for every TV app.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Steam Link versus a direct HDMI connection
Steam Link avoids routing a long cable from the computer to the TV and lets the computer stay elsewhere in the home. In exchange, quality and responsiveness depend on the local network and the TV-side client. A direct HDMI connection is generally the more predictable choice for latency and image quality when the computer is close enough and cable routing is practical. If responsiveness is the priority, try Ethernet or HDMI before buying a more expensive streaming box.
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