SteamLink, works pretty good, game recommendations

glhs837

Power with Control
So, son, whos got a Steam Account (think AmazonPrime video for PC videogames, sort of) bought a SteamLink, a device similar to a SlingTV for your Steam Account, which is the front end for your Steam purchased games. Allows you to use what they call "Big Picture" mode, which sets the front end up to be more friendly for a TV vice a monitor.

Works great, we can use one Xbox and one PS4 controller for split screen on the 65 inch TV. They were playing a game called "Humans Fall Flat", which is pretty fun to watch. SOn and I are playing a game called FireWatch, which is a great game to play with one person controlling and the other kbitzing. "No,no, chose that response.", "No dont climb that rock, try the tunnel". Pretty relaxed pace, lots of time to discuss options.
 

Clem72

Well-Known Member
Bought one maybe 6 or 8 months ago, still haven't set it up. The main PC (the gaming rig) is connected to the family room TV and even though the video card is a couple years old it will still play everything at 1080p with all of the options turned on.

With the way video card prices have been spiked by virtual currency miners (which may be coming back down to MSRP range, but still crazy overpriced) I don't see upgrading any time soon. So once our PC doesn't play the games all that well anymore it may be time to rely on the steamlink, or NVIDIA's version which supposedly works better but has fewer games optimized for it.

I also heard rumor that the next X-Box will stream it's games with some processing done locally to limit the amount of data needed to transfer and reduce lag. A $100 next gen 4k x-box would be cool.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
I've been picking away at building an HTPC, partially based on cast-offs from the sons continual quest to upgrade his machine. He started making decent money last year and last August I think we went up near Bethesda to an actual store and he bought all the components to build himself a whole new rig, so that machine in his room is top of the line, and he was lucky to beat the worst of the crypto miners, I think he was telling me that whatever card he bought then is worth more now, thanks to the miners:). Think he got tired of waiting for me to build out the HTPC, but really wanted coop with me and his sister :) Helps a bunch that the whole house it on a CAT5 network, pretty sure it wouldnt be so doing over wifi.

Not sure about the setup, he plopped the box down, I came through later and handled the wires (nobody screws with my home theatre setup :)) which was HDMI into the last of the five HDMI ports on the receiver, network cable right to the four port switch (TV, PS4, Xbone, and now the Link) and the power wart to the power strip in back, and he set it up after I left. He's still learning the ropes on the controllers vs the keyboard, which games allow what, but sitting back in the recliners, 7 channel surround kicking is pretty cool. He booted up a survival horror game it was pretty immersive :)
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
So, son, whos got a Steam Account (think AmazonPrime video for PC videogames, sort of) bought a SteamLink ....



this also works PC to PC ... logged into the same steam account, you can run the game on your 'fast' computer streaming and controlling it on your slower one.
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
With the way video card prices have been spiked by virtual currency miners .... I don't see upgrading any time soon.



ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Mini 8GB GDDR5X - $ 489 on Amazon ... I paid 460 for a 1070 2 yrs ago, when the 180 was $ 600 ish


my 1070 runs Player Unknown's Battlegrounds on Ultra @ 70 - 140 fps
 
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glhs837

Power with Control
this also works PC to PC ... logged into the same steam account, you can run the game on your 'fast' computer streaming and controlling it on your slower one.

Still working the permutations. Last night, he was downstairs doing something, so I grabbed my laptop, which was his lower end gaming unit when he bought a MAcbook, and aded it to the Steam Link over Wifi. PLayed an hour or more of Humans: Fall Flat and had a blast :)
 

McCheese

New Member
Human: Fall Flat is a great choice for a party game indeed. I would also suggest something calm like Slime Rancher, if you're into sandbox and farming sims, check the screenshots on slimeranchergame.net for yourself. I could also recommend Half-Life and Painkiller, which never get old for me.
 
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