Currently there are a lot of ways that let us stream games from a computer to any smart TV at home. However, most of these methods require a third party device or system. This could change soon, at least for the owners of Samsung smart TVs with access to the Samsung App Store.
On October of 2016, Samsung announced they were teaming with Steam to work on the Steam Link application, which allows players on the Steam platform to stream their video games to Samsung Smart TVs. Now the Steam Link app is in its beta phase and those who have been able to test it are claiming that it works really well.
If you are a regular PC player then you’ve probably have heard about Steam. If not, the platform is basically a digital distribution platform for video games developed by Valve. Through it you can buy and download games from different developers, play single or multiplayer games, and now with Steam Link stream video games.
Although the Steam is a software intended for a computers, not all users have a gaming PC connected to their TVs. With Steam Link, the Samsung smart TV detects any computer running Steam. Once detected, the game will run the computer, but will broadcast to the TV just like you do with Youtube or other major video platforms. And that’s it, you are set to enjoy your high-speed PC games via Steam Link. It’s seamless, with high resolution and smooth motion handling (to the degree that your particular Samsung TV is capable of motion handling for games) for incredibly fluid fast-moving content. The Steam app is compatible with all of Samsung’s 2016 and 2017 smart TVs including their latest and damn cool new HDR 4K UHD models.
At the moment the beta version of this is only available in the United States at the Samsung App Store. The Steam Link app supports a 1080p resolution at 60fps, but support for 4K streaming will be added later when it’s globally launched and will be available to users with the right levels of internet connectivity (roughly 25Mbps or more).
The Steam Link app is compatible with a large number of drivers. For high-quality graphic titles Steam strongly recommends that both the computer and the TV are connected by cable or a high-quality network (at least 5GHZ, according to Valve), for a more stable connection and a smooth experience. The streamed games can so far be played on your Samsung TV using either a Steam controller or an Xbox 360 controller, with support for more controllers coming soon.
In any case, if you don’t own a Samsung Smart TV or just don’t want to wait for the official release of the Steam Link app, you can just go and buy the Steam Link set-top box at Amazon for about $30 bucks.
The official Steam controller is also a good idea in either case. Amazon sells it too, for $49 dollars.
Story by 4k.com