The Steam Link app is now available for Android. It’s still in Beta but it’s there and it works well enough. The iOS app isn’t out just yet but it shouldn’t be too long and it will likely work the same way as the Android app does. Here’s how to use the Steam link app.
Requirements
You need;
- A PC with the Steam client installed and running
- A compatible Android device with the Steam Link app installed
If you’re not sure whether or not your phone is compatible, visit the app store page and it will tell you if you have a compatible device or not.
Use The Steam Link App
Make sure the Steam app is running on your PC and that both your PC and Android phone are on the same WiFi network.
Run the Steam Link app on your phone. It will automatically search for PCs on the network running a Steam app. There may be more than just your one PC running the Steam app so it will give you a code that you need to enter on your PC to make sure you connect the right PC to the right Android phone.
Once the connection has been established, the Steam Link app asks you to connect a Steam controller or a third-party controller, and it will check if your connection is fast enough to actually play a game from your Android phone. It might also require that you install a special audio driver on your PC. The Steam client will take care of that but you will need to manually restart your PC afterwards.
Once the tests and set up is out of the way, you can start playing games.
This is where the real test of the app begins. You will see a screen showing you the touch controls that you can use though if you’ve configured a controller, you may not see it.
You can browse your Steam library and select the game you want to play. The Steam client on your PC will resize and it may not fit well on your phone (see screenshot below).
The game play will of course differ based on whether or not you use a controller, and it will also depend on the game you play. Some games might play well but others may not. This app is still in beta so you can’t expect that every game will play perfectly. Some games have complex controls and the app may not, yet, be up to it.
We don’t need to mention that this will take a toll on your phone’s battery.
