The phone does not play the games, the phone receives a stream from a pc, similar to how netflix streams content.
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Valve's 'Steam Link' App Now Available on iOS
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Yeah right.
Valve first announced the Steam Link app in May 2018 and planned to launch it soon after, but Apple ended up rejecting the app due to "business conflicts."
DUH? because my iMac pro in the corner is only 27" and I would love to play the games in my steam library on my couch looking at the 55"tv + devialet phantom audio system via Apple TV via steam link playing with controller? ??? even better is valve somehow made the Apple TV compatible with steam controller, that's crazy
Not really. Valve caved and gamers won't be able to buy PC Games for example directly from their iOS app if they want to because Apple simply doesn't want to allow such a thing. Luckily Android users are not affected by this restriction.
Apple got the concession it wanted.
Valve got its platform on iOS.
Users got Steam.
I see that negotiations happened and everyone won. Who’s the bully?
I'm sorry, that's nonsense. What are you doing in the "bathroom" that leaves you with enough time to think to yourself "You know what, I need to play X game"Play on TV? Where TV is far away from desktop?
Or play the game anywhere when the desktop isn't next to you at home? Such as bathroom, bed, backyard and other various location...
I been doing this on android phone for awhile on casual steam games, it works great.
But that’s not how any of this works. The device is doing nothing more than streaming video and passing input back to the PC.
There are plenty of Remote Desktop apps that work on older devices including apps like moonlight that offer the same game streaming functionality using the Nvidia game streaming service (which actually swaps over to the steam system if you launch steam) and that runs on a 3rd gen iPad running iOS 9.
I’ll admit I’ve used moonlight to play a few PC games in the bath.
Somewhat. The negotiation was that Steam had to wait out Apple to make some of their own announcements and provisions. The main thing was that Steam Link was submitted under the same category as a desktop mirroring app. Those apps were reviewed and succeeded in getting approved. During the appeal these other apps were re-reviewed and found no violations despite the instant access to provide a means of purchase through an Apple device but outside of the confines of the Apple Market, the same as the original submission of Steam Link. Apple denied their appeal regardless of these self-admitted facts. Steam immediately decided to comply but Apple sat on the submittal until two weeks ago when they put it back in for review and final approval.
The key difference that Steam got a hard shaft was because the calculated revenue margins were exponentially higher than any other mirroring/streaming app combined. The assessment of the other apps determined that people aren't too inclined to go through and buy new apps for their computer, they're doing a task remotely. But the assessment provided on the Steam Link app showed that people would be highly inclined to buy games from Steam through the app that are more targeted to being used through a controller/mobile device and even higher risk since those types of apps would be promoted to the user. Apple feared deeply for a loss of proprietary monetization.
So if I read that right, the Steam Link tvOS app functions as a mirror to what's on your Mac or PC Steam app? And when you load a game, the game is being run by your Mac or PC, correct?
In the case of the controller, is the controller being connected through the Apple TV? Or from your computer? In other words, am I imagining this correct where you'd use the Apple TV remote to navigate inside the Steam Link app on Apple TV, then use your wireless bluetooth controller which is connected to your computer when actually playing the game? Or do you need a MFi controller?
I use Steam on my PC, but my PC is in my office, which is next to my living room. In order to play my Steam games on my 4K TV, I currently have to run a 25ft HDMI cable out to my TV, and use the "PC" HDMI port on my TV to run my desktop. But it's wonky and is a pain. If the Steam Link functions like I think it does (above), that will be awesome.
In the case of the controller, is the controller being connected through the Apple TV? Or from your computer? In other words, am I imagining this correct where you'd use the Apple TV remote to navigate inside the Steam Link app on Apple TV, then use your wireless bluetooth controller which is connected to your computer when actually playing the game? Or do you need a MFi controller?
I use Steam on my PC, but my PC is in my office, which is next to my living room. In order to play my Steam games on my 4K TV, I currently have to run a 25ft HDMI cable out to my TV, and use the "PC" HDMI port on my TV to run my desktop. But it's wonky and is a pain. If the Steam Link functions like I think it does (above), that will be awesome.
Good Morning, is there a controller anyone recommends for use of the Steam Link on iOS and tvOS? I'm a fan of Xbox controllers and am unsure if it works on both iOS and tvOS? Love to hear your feedback and what is working for you!
Same here. I use the wireless bluetooth XBox One controller for PC. Such a nice controller.
That said, my PC currently lacks WiFi capability, so I'm going to have to buy a PCIe card.
Screw that. We need a hack to get proper mouse and keyboard support.
Yeah, take away their autoaim and console gamers are just ways to pad your frag count.
Not necessarily an iPhone only. Some examples:
- Not needing to crowd around a PC, and streaming a 4-player game like "Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime" to an Apple TV connected to your living room home theater system for the family or with some friends to play.
- Streaming Jackbox Party Pack to an iPad with good speakers using Steam Link's mouse mode. Great party games right there.
- For multi-OS households running a Windows Steam instance for example - my daughter never got to play "Bookworm Adventures" and doesn't know her way around Steam or Windows. I just taught her how to use Steam Link to play the game on her iPad, no matter where she is in the house.
I'm glad I'm now able to use the 4 Steelseries Nimbus controllers I bought in early 2015 now. The best tvOs games were just never good enough.
Your use cases are exactly what I have in my head. I bought Gang Beasts specifically to bring friends over and get silly. I guess I need to get those Nimbus controllers now. As well as pick up the Steam version of Ultimate Chicken Horse.
Wait, are you saying this app is on tvOS, or are you saying that you're running on your iPhone and using AirPlay to mirror to tvOS?
I'll go buy a controller and download the app to tvOS for the next time I want to play through Half Life or Portal (and their sequels.)
I am glad everyone else has been having no issues, but it hasn’t been my experience so far.
The steam app on my iMac has frozen a lot as I have been trying to use it. In addition, when I first remote log in, I have to put in my local user password, but i haven’t been able to figure out how to do it except go back to my computer to type it.
I could disable requiring that password after inactivity I guess, but that doesn’t seem like a good idea with my children who like to randomly push the keyboard buttons. I thought it was also required to have a password for Apple Pay/credit card storage, but I might be confusing macOS and iOS systems.
I doubt this would have much real world use for me, as I have an Xbox (and can use OneCast in a pinch) to stream games instead.
The steam app on my iMac has frozen a lot as I have been trying to use it. In addition, when I first remote log in, I have to put in my local user password, but i haven’t been able to figure out how to do it except go back to my computer to type it.
I could disable requiring that password after inactivity I guess, but that doesn’t seem like a good idea with my children who like to randomly push the keyboard buttons. I thought it was also required to have a password for Apple Pay/credit card storage, but I might be confusing macOS and iOS systems.
I doubt this would have much real world use for me, as I have an Xbox (and can use OneCast in a pinch) to stream games instead.
I'm right there with you. If I have to have a PC to power the games then I'd much rather just play on a PC. I don't want to force myself to a smaller screen. And even on a ATV I'd have to use a controller when I'd much rather use a keyboard and mouse. I guess maybe if I could play cities skylines on my wifes 12.9" ipad pro by touch then maybe.
I just can't think of a situation where this would benefit me. Or most people outside of a handful of cases. Seems more like a novelty.
Sony was allowed to release their similar Remote Play App without any restrictions regarding purchases through the app.
This wasn’t about guideline violations but ‘business conflicts’: Although Apple obviously doesn’t care very much about gaming on the Mac, they’d rather see people buying games in the Mac App Store than Steam.
Think of it as social gaming. Yeah, you're not going to play Quake Champions on your TV, but get a bunch of friends over and throw a couple beers in them... suddenly playing Ultimate Chicken Horse on the couch is 4 hours of fun.
God I wish Apple would just natively support DS4/XB1 bluetooth controllers.
I'm jailbroken and can use them great with my iPad, but the Apple TV is a different deal.
If they aren't going to make great first party controllers, for gods sake, support the ones most people already have.
We don't want to buy the overpriced, mostly junk, mFI controllers when we already have better controllers around the house.
I'm jailbroken and can use them great with my iPad, but the Apple TV is a different deal.
If they aren't going to make great first party controllers, for gods sake, support the ones most people already have.
We don't want to buy the overpriced, mostly junk, mFI controllers when we already have better controllers around the house.
That's not something we really do anymore. No time. Life, work, kids and activities, etc. Though if we did it would most likely be xbox.
I can't think of a single game on the Xbone that would make me want to gather my buds and some brews.
This is why we all bought Switches. Mario -kart, -Party, Smash Brothers, etc.