Details: | Steam Link for $5 or $11 Gamestop.com is selling the Steam Link for $5.
- Add $6 for shipping, or
- Call your local GameStop and reserve one for pickup.
Normally sells for $30 and sometimes on sale for $15.
We bought one in July, and find it a hot deal for PC gamers and enthusiasts who want to play and share video & games in their living room.
- Hook the Steam Link to your TV, and sync with your home PC.
- Add a controller.
Compatible with many Playstation, Bluetooth, and USB controllers.
Some sell for about $20.
- Plug the Steam Link and your Home PC into an Ethernet (wired) home network.
Wifi can work, but with some lag that could frustrate gamers.
Then your PC's powerful CPU and video card can be viewed and controlled in your living room.
- Steam Link is compatible with Steam Store purchased games.
- They say setup is easy, but some technical know-how may be required since it involves using a PC.
- Steam Link can be used for steaming media (replacing a Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick, etc.) but with some video degradation.
See more on this below.
So, if you just want streaming media on your TV, a dedicated device (like a Chromecast which goes for about $35) can provide better video quality and will be easier to use than the Steam Link.
Two of the biggest downsides of the Steam Link:
- The video quality.
Steam Link works by compressing the PC's video output and sends it to the Steam Link box for displaying on your TV.
Even though it will be HD quality, its video compression can cause some annoying video "artifacts" as mentioned by this Reddit reviewer.
Plus, someone made a how to improve the video video, but will take some effort to set up.
- No 5.1 surroundsound audio support.
If you are a PC gamer or want to use your PC for living room gaming or video watching, this can be a hot deal if you would rather figure out the Steam Link versus paying hundreds on an Xbox, Playstation, or other living room gaming system. |