Learn how to set up Steam Link, pair your PC and controller, choose streaming settings, play remotely, and fix connection, video and input faults.
To set up Steam Link, install Steam on the gaming PC and the Steam Link app on the receiving device, enable Remote Play, pair the two devices, then start a game from the Link interface. Use wired Ethernet or strong 5 GHz Wi-Fi, and connect your controller to the receiving device.
This is a general PC game-streaming setup: Steam Link does not run the game itself. The host PC renders the game, sends compressed video and audio to the client, and receives your controller, keyboard or mouse inputs in return.
What do you need for Steam Link?
- A host PC: Steam and the game must be installed on a computer powerful enough to run the game and encode the video stream.
- A receiving device: This can be a supported phone, tablet, television, streaming device, another computer or the original Steam Link box.
- A suitable network: Connect the host by Ethernet where possible. The client can use Ethernet or strong 5 GHz Wi-Fi; 6 GHz is also suitable where both the router and client support it.
- An input device: A gamepad is the simplest option, although keyboard, mouse and touchscreen controls are available on compatible clients.
The Steam Link app belongs on the receiving device, not the gaming PC. The full Steam desktop client provides the streaming service on the host.
How to set up Steam Link step by step
- Prepare the host PC. Install Steam, sign in, install the games you want to stream and update the graphics driver. Keep the computer awake and leave Steam running.
- Enable Remote Play. In the Steam desktop client, open
Steam > Settings > Remote Playand enable Remote Play. The wording around advanced options can vary slightly between client versions, but the Remote Play setting remains the key control. - Install the client. Install or open Steam Link on the receiving device. If another computer is the client, use its supported Steam or Remote Play interface instead.
- Pair the devices. Put both devices on the same local network for the easiest first-time setup. Select the gaming PC when it appears, then enter the displayed pairing PIN on the host when Steam requests it.
- Run the network test. Use the connection test offered by the app. A successful test confirms discovery, but it does not guarantee that a high-resolution stream will remain stable under load.
- Connect the controls. Pair a Bluetooth controller or connect one by USB to the receiving device before starting the session. Confirm that the Steam Link client can see it.
- Start playing. Select
Start Playingto open Steam's television-friendly interface, choose an installed game and launch it. Inputs from the client should now control the game on the host.
Which network setup works best?
Ethernet from the host PC to the router produces the most consistent Steam Link connection because it removes one wireless hop.
| Connection | When to choose it | Likely result |
|---|---|---|
| Host and client on Ethernet | Fixed television or desktop setup | Lowest variation in latency and image quality |
| Host on Ethernet, client on 5 GHz Wi-Fi | Phones, tablets and clients that cannot use a cable | The best practical wireless arrangement |
| Host and client both on Wi-Fi | When cabling the host is impossible | More vulnerable to interference, congestion and mesh-network hops |
| Client away from home | Remote play over the internet | Depends heavily on host upload capacity and the route between networks |
Start with the client's automatic bandwidth setting and a balanced quality preset where one is offered. If the picture freezes or breaks into blocks, cap the stream at 1080p and reduce the bandwidth before changing advanced encoder options. Raising the bitrate beyond what the network can carry makes quality worse, not better.
Hardware encoding and decoding should normally remain enabled. Disable one at a time only when diagnosing a black screen, corrupted colours or a device-specific decoder problem. On a television, enabling its game or low-latency picture mode can remove more input delay than changing Steam's quality preset.
Do Steam Link devices need to be on the same network?
Steam Link works most predictably on the same local network, but supported clients can also connect over the internet once the host is authorised and reachable.
The host must remain powered on, signed into its operating-system user session and connected to Steam. Sleep mode makes it unavailable unless Wake-on-LAN is configured and works across the relevant network; remote wake-up is less dependable than local streaming. Manual port forwarding is not normally required, so do not expose the PC directly to the internet as a first troubleshooting step.
For remote streaming, the host's upload connection matters as much as the client's download connection. Hotel, workplace, mobile and public networks may also block or heavily shape game-streaming traffic.
What controllers work with Steam Link?
Standard Xbox-style, PlayStation-style and compatible Bluetooth or USB gamepads are the safest choices because Steam Link can pass them through as normal game controllers.
If buttons are missing or incorrect, configure the controller through Steam Input rather than remapping the same action in several places. Our controller detection and Steam Input setup explains layouts, per-game profiles and double-input faults.
Touch controls can work on phones and tablets, but they are best suited to games with modest input demands. Flight yokes, HOTAS units, racing wheels and other specialist USB hardware are less predictable because Steam Link is not general-purpose USB-over-network software. Keep those devices connected to the host PC unless the specific hardware and client combination is known to support remote forwarding.
Can Steam Link stream non-Steam games?
Steam Link can often stream a non-Steam game after its executable or launcher has been added to the host's Steam library as a non-Steam shortcut.
Compatibility is not guaranteed. Secondary launchers, administrator prompts, anti-cheat systems and protected sign-in windows may interrupt the stream or prevent controller input. A Windows security prompt displayed on the protected desktop may require someone at the host PC to approve it.
Why can Steam Link not find the computer?
A missing host usually means Steam is not running, Remote Play is disabled or the network is preventing device discovery.
- Confirm that both devices use the same router during initial pairing.
- Do not use a guest Wi-Fi network; guest isolation commonly blocks clients from seeing the host.
- Temporarily disconnect VPN software on both devices.
- Allow Steam through the host operating system's firewall on the private network.
- Restart Steam, the client app and the router before reinstalling anything.
- Use the client's manual or other-computer pairing option if automatic discovery fails.
How do you fix lag, a black screen or missing sound?
Steam Link faults should be isolated by testing the network, video path, audio path and controls separately rather than changing every advanced setting at once.
The stream is delayed or keeps stuttering
Connect the host by Ethernet, stop downloads and cloud synchronisation, remove VPNs, and move the wireless client closer to the access point. Avoid 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi where possible. If the network remains unstable, follow our focused Steam Link latency and stutter fixes.
The client shows a black or frozen picture
Update the host graphics driver, reduce the streaming resolution and test with hardware decoding or encoding disabled one at a time. Leave a monitor connected and recognised by the host; headless PCs can fail to expose a usable display mode. HDR and unusual fullscreen resolutions can also cause trouble, so test the game in borderless or windowed mode with HDR disabled.
There is video but no audio
Check the client device's volume and confirm that audio streaming is enabled. End the session fully and reconnect so Steam can re-establish its streaming audio path. If the host's output device changed during the session, select its normal speakers or headset again after disconnecting.
The controller works in Steam but not in the game
Check the game's controller support and its Steam Input override. Remove duplicate mappings from third-party controller software, and disconnect extra virtual or physical controllers temporarily. A mistake we see constantly is configuring the same button in the client, Steam Input and the game, which can produce doubled presses or conflicting axes.