Steam Link hardware faces permadeath

The company announced that the hardware was almost gone and pointed people to its software substitute.

Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice

I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.

Expertise Photography, PCs and laptops, gaming and gaming accessories

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Lori Grunin

Nov. 20, 2018 9:40 a.m. PT

Valve Software's Steam Link gamestreaming hardware box, which allowed you to play Steam-based games on TVs, looks like it's getting ready to exit.

The company posted a short note in the forum:

The supply of physical Steam Link hardware devices is sold out in Europe and almost sold out in the US.

Moving forward, Valve intends to continue supporting the existing Steam Link hardware as well as distribution of the software versions of Steam Link, available for many leading smart phones, tablets and televisions. Click here to find out more about the Steam Link App.

Steam Link never gained much traction, though as the forum comments indicate, it had some very loyal fans. But the Steam Link app, which the company hopes to replace it with, isn't quite ready yet. The Android version is still in beta, and the iOS app, which had been rejected by the Apple App Store back in May, was subsequently tweaked -- then vanished.

One of the biggest problems with software solutions remains network latency and bandwidth, though more big companies are jumping in; Google is testing its Project Stream for in-Chrome gaming and Microsoft's working on Project xCloud for its Xbox subscribers.

We've reached out to Valve for comment, but did not immediately hear back.