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Steam Link Launches on macOS, Enabling Game Streaming to Mac

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Apr 12, 2001
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Steam Link, which allows users to stream Steam games from a computer to another device, has officially launched on the Mac App Store.

ss_6221a3eef94810e3ceea2d0379653b91a5c6db5a.1920x1080.jpg

Steam users have been able to stream games from within the Steam Mac app for sometime. However, with the availability of Steam Link on macOS, users now have the option of choosing a lightweight download (29.8MB) to stream games to their Mac, rather than having to install the Steam app proper, which requires 1GB of drive space.

Steam Link launched on iOS and tvOS in 2019, however, until now it's been unavailable for Mac customers. As spotted by eagle-eyed Reddit users, the Steam Link has been quietly released by Valve on the Mac App Store.

The Steam Link app allows you to play your Steam games across all your computers. Just pair an MFI or Steam controller to your Mac, connect to a computer running Steam on the same local network, and start playing your existing Steam games.
Click to expand...

To run Steam Link, users must have a Mac running macOS 10.13 or higher and another Windows, Mac, or Linux computer running Steam. Additionally, both computers must be on the same local network. Steam Link for macOS is available on the Mac App Store.

Article Link: Steam Link Launches on macOS, Enabling Game Streaming to Mac
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/03/23/steam-link-launching-on-mac/
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somnolentsurfer

macrumors regular
Dec 28, 2008
178
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This is a curious decision by Valve. I don't think it provides any functionality that's not in the regular Steam desktop client anyway? Hope it's not an omen about the future of Steam on the Mac in general.
 
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mukiex

macrumors member
May 31, 2016
83
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somnolentsurfer said:
This is a curious decision by Valve. I don't think it provides any functionality that's not in the regular Steam desktop client anyway? Hope it's not an omen about the future of Steam on the Mac in general.
Click to expand...
My guess is that it's just taking advantage of that MacOS/iPadOS integration, so it's basically a freebie for Valve. At the end of the day, it doesn't really work all that well unless you have a Steam PC somewhere in the house that you have games purchased on, so they really have nothing to lose.

They can't put Steam proper on the Mac App Store so this is basically a foot in the door.
 
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mukiex

macrumors member
May 31, 2016
83
398
JPSaltzman said:
Wow, they really did name their company "Steam" ? It still looks like a typo.
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Software's named Steam. Company's named Valve Software.

I did have to double-check after I read that, though. It wouldn't be the first company to rename themselves after their most successful product. See:

  • Connecticut Leather Company, better known as CoLeCo
  • BlackBerry Limited, originally Research in Motion
  • Acorn computers created the Acorn RISC Machine, or ARM, with a very power-efficient CPU
  • Beat Games, formerly Hyperbolic Magnetism, the creators of Beat Saber
  • Quantum Computer Services, creators of America Online, renamed themselves AOL in 2006
  • Unadulterated Food Products created a carbonated apple juice drink called Snapple
  • Nippon Kogaku K.K. had a really popular camera brand, Nikon
 
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CJM

CJM

macrumors 68000
May 7, 2005
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Probably wasn’t difficult to recompile it for the Mac as it’s already on iOS.
Pretty nice if you don’t game natively on the Mac but still want access to your PC games.
 
U

utterer

macrumors newbie
Jan 14, 2016
24
146
Valve has made a push with their remote play technology where you can now play games with friends even if they don’t have a Steam account. You just need a web link, a controller, and this app.

It’s the same on iOS, Win, Android, Linux, Raspberry Pi.

Much easier to tell a friend to download the app from the app store and click a link instead of setting up a while new Steam account and then adding friends.
 
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C

CptnJustc

macrumors 6502
Jan 19, 2007
319
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I have a central computer that I stream from to Steam clients around the house. I guess this will remove the annoying '[computer] is now available for streaming' notices that pop up whenever a client wakes up. So, yippee.

But the 10.13 requirement will mean that two of my older PCs will still only be able to use the full Steam app!
 
N

nilk

macrumors 6502a
Oct 18, 2007
691
236
hvfsl said:
I found Steam Link to be a bit more reliable than the Nvidia version when streaming games from my gaming PC to my MacBook Pro. Plus you can add non-Steam games to Steam.
Click to expand...

Same. Steam Link has worked well with everything I tried (including from the macOS Steam client), but NVidia Gamestream / Moonlight are hit or miss and I have problems even on my NVidia Shield TV Pro using the official client.

Edit: Didn't realize person you were responding too was talking about NVidia Geforce Now, and not local streaming using Gamestream protocol.
 
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