Valve might have discontinued its Steam Link hardware streaming hub, but it hasn’t given up on the idea of streaming Steam games to any and all screens in your home. Expanding upon the existing functionality of its Steam Link app, Rasperry Pi support has now left beta, opening up new avenues of streaming potential for those who wish to play their Steam games on something other than their PC monitor.
Originally launched in 2015, Valve’s Steam Link streaming hub debuted alongside its Steam Machine platform as part of Valve’s major hardware push at the time. Since then both have become end-of-life products, but the Steam Link app has picked up the streaming slack. It’s available on Android smartphones, Samsung smart TVs, and now Raspberry Pi micro computers.
“The Steam Link App is now available free of charge for the Raspberry Pi 3B and 3B+ running Raspbian Stretch,” Valve’s statement reads. “The app, which debuted in beta last week, allows gamers to stream their Steam games library from their computer to other areas of the house via the home network using these Raspberry devices.”
Installing the Steam Link app on a Raspberry Pi is relatively simple. With both it and the host PC connected to the same network, Valve’s instructions suggest you only need run a couple of command line entries in a terminal window and the app will be installed. From there you can use the Raspberry Pi to stream your Steam games to any connected display, with support for gamepads like the Steam Controller, Xbox One and 360 wired and wireless controllers, Sony’s Dualshock 4, and keyboards and mice.
A wired connection is recommended for a smooth streaming experience and you’ll need to use wireless dongles for the controllers since the Pi doesn’t support Bluetooth out of the box.
This is just one more feather in the Raspberry Pi cap. There have been tons of fantastic Pi projects over the years, from game boys and Pip Boys, to NES Classic re-creations, all using the diminutive hardware. Being able to stream Steam games in 1080P and 4K is just one more thing it does well, and it helps keep the Valve Steam streaming dream alive.
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