Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
I decided to take a gamble and buy a Steam Link and controller just after the initial first batch. It was a gamble as a lot of the games in my Steam library are mouse and/or keyboard games. I knew that some just wouldn’t be suitable (X-Plane 10), but I hoped that some others (Euro Truck Simulator 2, Perfect Golf, etc) would be usable since the controller did seem to have pretty good key-mapping capabilities.
Steam Link
The Link is a small device, about the size of a pack of playing cards, which connects to your gaming device using either Wi-Fi or ethernet, and connects to your TV using an HDMI cable.
You turn it on, turn your TV to the appropriate channel and, after initial setup, you’re greeted by the Steam Link screen to connect to your gaming PC.
After selecting your PC the Steam software (on your PC) will go into Big Picture (aka: full screen) mode.
It’s a nice interface. From here you can browse your library, the Steam store, chat, and so on.
Once in your library, you can browse through your games for something to relax with.
Once you choose a game you are greeted with a menu of options down the left, and various bits of info about the chosen game. Selecting ‘Manage Game’ lets you choose a set of bindings for the controller.
Some bindings are supplied by the developer of the game, but, if none are on offer, the community usually has at least one set of bindings available.
It is good to have a choice of bindings. Of course, if you don’t like any of the settings on offer, you can create your own, or modify an existing setup.
So, yeah, the Steam Link definitely works. It streams your desktop screen to your TV.
Steam Controller
The controller is actually quite nice. It has an analogue stick, and the pad on the right acts like a laptop touchpad. Handy for mouse games and such like. It has more than enough buttons (four on the front, four shoulder buttons, and two grip buttons on the back) with the inevitable Steam button slap bang in the middle which will turn the controller, and your Link, on/off.
Updates can be sent to the controller via the supplied USB cable. Steam will pop up with a window telling you an update is available.
Disclaimer: this review is very subjective. My taste in games dictates as to how effective the Link/Controller is in practice. Your choice in games may make my review completely void.
In Practice
The whole idea behind the Steam Link is to get your PC games on the big (TV) screen. To an extent it does, but not always. And sometimes when it does, it’s not great.
So, some examples…
Perfect Golf - Surely one of the perfect games for the Link and controller! Yes, but the developer doesn’t recognise the controller as yet, so this game is unplayable.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 - Another one that would be excellent on the big screen, and in the comfort of your sofa. Well, this one does work! But at a price. Thus far, the only way I’ve managed to get it playable is by setting the control interface (in game) to keyboard then binding the relevant keys to the controller (or using an existing set of bindings and modifying them as necessary). Fine for most things, but terrible for driving. Which is what the game is about! Imagine driving in ETS2 using the keyboard. Not pleasant.
ARK - This one is marked as being controller compatible, so that’s a good start! Well, it might work for most people, but for me, I get to see it working perfect on the PC, but on my TV screen I see some garbled green junk.
Starbound - This one does work perfectly. No gripes here. The developer provides a great set of key bindings.
Cities: Skylines - A PC mouse and keyboard game if ever there was one, and the developer provides some good settings for it. I’m not saying it’s as good as, or better than, a mouse and keyboard, but it’s certainly playable.
Conclusion
So, you see, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Maybe all your games will work great, and you’ll love the Link, but, as it stands, I can’t see how the Link is going to bring PC gaming to the living room TV.
Yes, it’s great to be able to get in there and configure the layout to exactly how you like it with in depth controls, but, ideally, you want some preconfigured settings. Most games do, but some have none – and you’re on your own there.
The Link is a good idea, and in hardware it works well, but, until the game developers get on board, it’s a bit of a hit-and-hope thing. Even in the Steam software there’s no way to know in advance, and for sure, if a game is compatible with the Link/Controller.
Here’s hoping it improves with age.