How To Play PC Games On Android, iOS, Apple TV Using Steam Link
If you are heavily invested in the desktop gaming space but often find yourself wishing you could game on anywhere around your house – on the TV in the lounge, on the terrace, or even in the lawn, then you’ll be [;eased to know that Valve recently released an app that will allow you to do just that. Called Steam Link, the app allows you to stream games from the Steam library on your PC to your mobile device or TV.
The app is compatible with Android, iOS, Android TV, and Apple TV and allows you to play your games of choice with a Bluetooth controller such as Valve’s very own Steam Controller. If this is something you see yourself leveraging on the regular, continue reading to learn how to set it up.
Steam Link is a free download for Android over at the Google Play Store with apps for iOS and Apple TV currently going through Apple’s approval process. Regardless of the ecosystem in which you are invested the setup process for the app should roughly be the same. Here’s what you need to do.
1. Launch Steam on your PC.
2. Download the Steam Link app for your device from its respective app store. The app is currently only available on the Play Store for Android and Android TV devices.
Download Steam Link for Android
3. Launch the app and, if you have one, pair your Steam Controller with your device when prompted. Any other gamepads will have to be paired separately.
4. Once that is done, the app will automatically scan for and display any computers on your local network that are running Steam. If you don’t see your PC, ensure that it is on the same network as your device.
Note: For optimal performance, you should have your PC, Android TV, or Apple TV connected directly to your router via an Ethernet cable, with your mobile device(s) connected over WiFi.
5. Select the PC to which you want to connect the app and you will be presented with a PIN.
6. On your PC, you will see a pop-up with an empty text field appear within Steam. Enter the PIN here and hit OK.
7. Provided your network fulfills the app’s requirements, Steam Link should now be connected to your PC. Hit Start Playing on your device to begin streaming. Read the touch controls tutorial that follows carefully before hitting Continue.
Note: You are likely to be prompted by Steam to install an audio driver update here, which may require a reboot.
8. Steam will switch to the full-screen Big Picture Mode on your PC, mirroring the same to your device. Simply jump into Library, select a game of choice, and start playing! Games that are compatible with gamepads will indicate the same by displaying a small controller icon as you hover over them.
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