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[Official] Steam Link & In-Home Streaming Information & Discussion

20K views 226 replies 52 participants last post by  Unnatural 
#1 ·
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Steam in-home streaming allows you to play a game on one computer when the game process is actually running on another computer elsewhere in your home. Through Steam, game audio and video is captured on the remote computer and sent to the player's computer. The game input (keyboard, mouse or gamepad) is sent from the player's computer to the game process on the remote computer.
Any two computers in a home can be used to stream a gameplay session and this can enable playing games on systems that would not traditionally be able to run those games. For example, a Windows only game could be streamed from a Windows PC to a Steam Machine running Linux in the living room. A graphically intensive game could be streamed from a beefy gaming rig in the office to your low powered laptop that you are using in bed. You could even start a game on one computer and move to a more comfortable location and continue playing it there.

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1. - Login to the Steam client on two computers on the same network with the same account.
2. - Go to the computer where you want to play open steam, and select the game you want to play from your host pc

Share Your Steam In-Home Streaming Setup by completing the form below (Click here to view responses):


Valve is now taking pre-orders for the Steam Link & Steam Controller!!
http://store.steampowered.com/universe/link
Quote:
Setup is easy. Just connect your Steam Link to your TV and home network. It will automatically discover any computer running Steam on the same network.

All that's left to do is grab your Steam Controller, kick back and enjoy your gaming rig from the comfort of your couch.
Steam Link hardware specs have been updated on the official site (notice the support for the 360 controller, among other devices
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):

*Xbox One controller is supported but not the dongle. - Thanks, @iARDAs, for the info!

General:
- There is currently no indication of whether Steam is able to bind the discovery port 27036, but if that fails no other computers will show up in the remote computer list in the In-Home Streaming settings.

- If a game takes a long time to launch, it will time out on the client but will start anyway. Retrying the launch will connect to the running game. If this happens consistently for any particular game, please report it on the bug discussion group.

- If your game loses focus, Steam will start streaming the desktop so that you can get back to it. This is a feature of Steam In-Home Streaming.

- Streaming non-Steam games in the Steam library may work but is not officially supported.

- Surround sound is not currently supported and is converted to stereo.

- Voice recording over streaming is not currently supported.

- Streaming may not perform well when streaming to older systems with a single or dual core CPU and no hardware accelerated H264 decoding.

- DirectInput controllers other than gamepad style controllers (wheels, flight controllers, etc.) are not currently supported. Other controllers using XInput are fully supported.

- Certain games like "Rome: Total War" use older DirectX technology which is not currently supported.

Windows:
- Streaming from a Windows XP host is not supported.

- UAC dialogs prevent streaming. If you're a game developer, please avoid requiring elevated permissions to run your game.

Mac OS X:
- Streaming from a Mac OS X host is not yet supported.

SteamOS / Linux:
- Streaming from a Linux host is not yet supported.

- In order to support streaming game controllers on a Linux host computer, /dev/uinput or /dev/input/uinput needs to be readable and writable by Steam.

Recommended Specs/Setup
*Host Computer:
-OS: Windows Vista/7/8/8.1 (32 or 64bit)
-Processor: Quad-Core or better
-Network: Wired 100mbits or faster preferred, Possibly Wireless N or AC with very good signal (although there will be more delay)

*Client Computer:
-OS: Windows Vista or Greater/Mac OSX/Linux/SteamOS
-GPU: Hardware accelerated H.264 decoding
-Network: Wired 100mbits or faster preferred, Possibly Wireless N or AC with very good signal
 
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#2 ·
I still have yet to try this but I'm thinking about it anyway. In fact assuming it's possible to put steam on crunch-bang Linux I may have the perfect PC for this (only thing I'm not sure of is that default window manager/DE).

Obvious first question: Would this work over some kind of VPN solution like FreeLAN? I assume you would need low latency fiber on both sides. Or perhaps such a discussion would violate OCN's policies so I shouldn't ask?

Since I assume more people than more will possibly be interested in using a gamepad with their PCs would some links to making a PS3 controller work with a PC be of any interest? Sure, the 360 pads-for-pc work great but the wireless adapters are extra were the PS3 ones are already Bluetooth so it shouldn't be any thing extra besides time. I'm pretty sure it's possible to pair a PS3 controller with a PC. I would try and find/post links but I'm at work where all the more helpful sites are blocked.
 
#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by subassy View Post

I still have yet to try this but I'm thinking about it anyway. In fact assuming it's possible to put steam on crunch-bang Linux I may have the perfect PC for this (only thing I'm not sure of is that default window manager/DE).

Obvious first question: Would this work over some kind of VPN solution like FreeLAN? I assume you would need low latency fiber on both sides. Or perhaps such a discussion would violate OCN's policies so I shouldn't ask?

Since I assume more people than more will possibly be interested in using a gamepad with their PCs would some links to making a PS3 controller work with a PC be of any interest? Sure, the 360 pads-for-pc work great but the wireless adapters are extra were the PS3 ones are already Bluetooth so it shouldn't be any thing extra besides time. I'm pretty sure it's possible to pair a PS3 controller with a PC. I would try and find/post links but I'm at work where all the more helpful sites are blocked.
It is possible to use this service over VPN, and doing so or talking about it wouldn't violate OCN's TOS or Steam's TOS. I have been looking for guides, but it seem to be pretty straightforward if you know how to set up a VPN. As you said though it does require a decent connect on both ends, I have seen that for optimal VPN use 15mbps up and down on both sides or faster does the trick (of course there would be more latency, but for games like CIV etc thats not so important).

Steam In-Home Streaming currently only supports gamepads, but it doesn't seem to be only locked to Xbox 360 controllers, I have read that PS3 controllers work fine as well with minimal problems (the same you would expect having it plugged into the host PC), as do most other gamepads for Windows. I have seen a few that have problems but it seems that controller mapping programs fix any obscure gamepads, the problem with joystick and wheels seems to be because of the variable control you have with those. Although I have read that Valve is working on that currently and will likely be fixed soon.
 
#4 ·
This looked really cool, didnt know you could do this, only problem, when i tried it just now, it loads the game on the host and it is shown on the screen, if the host is in use by somebody then you cant both use the computer :/ i was hoping i could use this feature to play games on my laptop whilst someone else uses the computer for less intensive things like browsing the internet. I'm sure this would be a great feature if nobody was using the computer but for me its kind of pointless
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unless they manage to hide the steam window from the host an only show it on the client :/
 
#5 ·
I'm going to mess around with this tonight. Bummer about stereo sound. One of the selling points to me is to be able to game in my home theater with full surround. The video stream is large to begin with, so what's the harm in adding a little more bandwidth for 5.1? Should be an option IMO.

I haven't tested many games, but can confirm World of Warcraft was not working.
 
#6 ·
Not much discussion in here yet
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I'm wondering what other peoples latencies are? My input fluctuates between 0.2-0.5ms, display15-20ms and ping around 0.3ms. The games I've played run smooth on the client machine although there is a slight but noticeable input lag, I'm trying to figure out if this is normal. I imagine most games would play fine but its noticeable in racing games for example, going flat out on a long straight and then breaking into a tight corner and the car brakes slightly later than you anticipate. This is streaming between my two rig sigs over gigabit LAN.

Please share your latencies
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#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daffron View Post

Not much discussion in here yet
smile.gif


I'm wondering what other peoples latencies are? My input fluctuates between 0.2-0.5ms, display15-20ms and ping around 0.3ms. The games I've played run smooth on the client machine although there is a slight but noticeable input lag, I'm trying to figure out if this is normal. I imagine most games would play fine but its noticeable in racing games for example, going flat out on a long straight and then breaking into a tight corner and the car brakes slightly later than you anticipate. This is streaming between my two rig sigs over gigabit LAN.

Please share your latencies
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Since this post the client machine has been upgraded from a Celeron G550 to an i3-4150 and the input lag has greatly improved. It's now only noticeable in certain circumstances when I'm actively looking for it
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The latencies displayed by Steam are still the same however.
 
#9 ·
So how is this running for everyone? I'm thinking of yanking the 560ti from my HTPC since I rarely use it and I could put it in another PC which would use it. I would want the streaming to work ok first though. I don't play graphic intensive games on my HTPC, a few fighters and racing games is all.

My HTPC is:

Intel Core i3-3220
ASRock H77M
Zotac 560ti 1GB
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600

Gaming PC that will provide the grunt for the streaming is:

I5 2500K @ 4.5
Gigabyte Z68X-UD4-B3
SLI: Gigabyte 670 Windforce 2GB
Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600

Router is a: Asus RT-N66U

HTPC has an ethernet connection, gaming pc is wireless.
 
#10 ·
I just got around to trying this last night. I tested out streaming Far Cry 3. I didn't get technical with it, I was just testing out playability. As far as I could tell, the streaming worked very well. I started off streaming 720p and got a really smooth 60FPS. Since that was working so well, I went ahead and decided to bump it up to 1080p, and still had a very playable 60FPS, however, there was stuttering at points (not enough to make me want to go back to 720p). As far as any latency issues, there didn't seem to be a problem. I was able to make long range shots on moving targets without compensation. I plan on doing more testing with this, with an eventual goal of putting together the cheapest possible streaming rig I can. I don't know the ins and outs of the streaming process, but I know my Host system can play FC3 native max'd no problem, so I'm not sure how much harder it is to encode(?) then stream the game.

Also, what is the most important component in the client system? Is it the CPU? Does the speed and amount of RAM play a large role?

Host:
Sig Rig
(Plays FC3 flawlessly)

Client:
Lenovo Yoga Pro 2
Intel i7-4500U
Integrated 4000 Graphics (I don't think this matters too much?)
8 GB of 1600Mhz
SSD

Network:
Modem/Router all in one, ISP Provided
Host - 10/100 Ethernet
Client - 802.11 N @ 2.4GHz
 
#11 ·
I think this is very interessting. The idea of getting a really cheap, low powered htpc in a small form factor - that is able to recieve the stream from the main gaming rig is awesome! I would love to know if HD4000 or the AMD equivalent can do this.
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by paulkemp View Post

I think this is very interessting. The idea of getting a really cheap, low powered htpc in a small form factor - that is able to recieve the stream from the main gaming rig is awesome! I would love to know if HD4000 or the AMD equivalent can do this.
I'm streaming on a i3-4150 with HD4400 and it works fine.
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daffron View Post

I'm streaming on a i3-4150 with HD4400 and it works fine.
Nice! I would love to know specs of host and network between host and client. And do you get flawless 1080p @ 60? What about artefacts?

Quote:
Originally Posted by boostdq View Post

Perfect timing. I logged on to ask if there was a way to stream a game from my gaming rig onto a TV over wireless. Time to build a HTPC
Perfect timing indeed. Keep us (me at least) posted on your thoughts for the client. What CPU, GPU and case. Exciting!
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by paulkemp View Post

Nice! I would love to know specs of host and network between host and client. And do you get flawless 1080p @ 60? What about artefacts?
Perfect timing indeed. Keep us (me at least) posted on your thoughts for the client. What CPU, GPU and case. Exciting!
Host and client pc's are in my signature, both connected to an Asus RT-AC68U router with gigabit lan.

Here are the stats from Steam's overlay (which noticeably degrades performance when turned on):


The frame rate holds steady at 1080p 60fps. I can't describe it as flawless, there is some degradation of image quality in fast-paced scenes such at backgrounds in racing games, but nothing horrendous. I've read that some games fare better than others during streaming but every game I've tried has worked well.

There's very a small amount of input lag (milliseconds) which I think is unavoidable. I was initially using a Celeron G550 in the client machine which definitely had more input lag than my i3 with HD4400 graphics though. With the Celeron it was noticeable, with the i3 I know it's there but I have to look for it.

My client machine is passively cooled, no fans whatsoever and the CPU core temp doesn't rise past 50c during streaming.
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daffron View Post

The frame rate holds steady at 1080p 60fps. I can't describe it as flawless, there is some degradation of image quality in fast-paced scenes such at backgrounds in racing games, but nothing horrendous. I've read that some games fare better than others during streaming but every game I've tried has worked well.
This is awesome news. And you actually have a good router and gigabit between the machines, exactly the way it should be done! What you are describing is the "best case" scenario. Great to know that it works well. Is the quality good enough that you will never need to move the main gaming rig to the living room? Do you feel like you are missing out, and not utilising your main machine? I'm guessing I will primary be gaming on the TV, ie while streaming the game video to the client machine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daffron View Post

There's very a small amount of input lag (milliseconds) which I think is unavoidable. I was initially using a Celeron G550 in the client machine which definitely had more input lag than my i3 with HD4400 graphics though. With the Celeron it was noticeable, with the i3 I know it's there but I have to look for it.

My client machine is passively cooled, no fans whatsoever and the CPU core temp doesn't rise past 50c during streaming.
*drool!* I have been looking into that case for this exact purpose. Thanks!
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Since you used a weaker CPU and you decreased the lag with upgrading, how would an i5 with HD4600 perform? Does the more powerful cpu handle the stream better? I'm guessing that at one point, the input lag reaches the level bandwidth on the network. I'm thinking out loud here folks.
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by paulkemp View Post

This is awesome news. And you actually have a good router and gigabit between the machines, exactly the way it should be done! What you are describing is the "best case" scenario. Great to know that it works well. Is the quality good enough that you will never need to move the main gaming rig to the living room? Do you feel like you are missing out, and not utilising your main machine? I'm guessing I will primary be gaming on the TV, ie while streaming the game video to the client machine.
*drool!* I have been looking into that case for this exact purpose. Thanks!
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It's not quite perfect, the quality is not what it is on the host monitor but for me it's definitely 'good enough'. I primarily use it for casual games with a controller such as arcade racers etc. I'll never be pulled away from the mouse and keyboard for good
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulkemp View Post

Since you used a weaker CPU and you decreased the lag with upgrading, how would an i5 with HD4600 perform? Does the more powerful cpu handle the stream better? I'm guessing that at one point, the input lag reaches the level bandwidth on the network. I'm thinking out loud here folks.
I think an i5 with HD4600 would stream similar to an i3 with HD4400. I'f i'm not mistaken the only difference between HD4400 and HD4600 is a slight clockspeed increase.

The case is really nice but choose mobo carefully for compatibility, not all will fit!
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#20 ·
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Originally Posted by Jayjr1105 View Post

Does anyone know if the host machine can run the games silently without display or does it 'need' to display what is streaming?
From my limited experimenting I think the game has to be full-screen have focus on the host PC for the "client" to pick it up correctly. Outside of that it's how the OS of the host PC deals with a lack of a monitor. Seems like it doesn't make a difference, if I remember correctly, with VGA but the more recent connectors like display port or HDMI might have an issue with it. For instance my PC seems to forget one of my monitors even existed just my turning it off (with the physical button on the front). I want to say that's the HDMI one. In that case I assume if the game were on that one it react the same way and the game window would lose focus and/or crash and/or just move to the next available monitor if there is one.

Sorry if this didn't help. It would be easy to experiment to find out though: start game, let it get to the title screen or whatever and disconnect the monitor. See if the sound stops or if anything apparently changes that reconnect it to see if it recovers/is still running.
 
#21 ·
Woah. I just bought a house and set up in-home streaming thinking it'd be a gimmick.

Hosting from
4930k @4.9ghz
16gb Samsung wonder ram @ 1800
Raid 0 M4 256gb x2
Gtx 780Ti
2tb wd green spinner
1440p display

I have this running into a switch then into a 4th generation Airport extreme, then to my macbook pro which is hooked up to the TV and xbox 360 controller. The house is wired for gigabit and everything is super healthy on the connection. This is amazing! Especially since my computer is in my closet, so I really only need to go there to play my competitive games that I really need to be focused in (CS:GO, League). For everything else, I'm gonna be kicking back on the couch with the 47 inch. I played the witcher 2 for about 2 hours yesterday and got completely lost in it. I know there's probably artifacting if I get up super close and look for it, but from the couch it looks perfect, and there's no detectable lag. I'm going to be using this heavily, I think.
 
#23 ·
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Originally Posted by Daffron View Post

I can turn the host monitor off and it keeps on streaming. If you alt-tab out of the game the stream will show your desktop/whatever else is in focus.
Yeah I've turned off the monitor to game on a spare PC in the basement but it would have been nice for the server PC to silently stream the game in the background somehow so that someone else could check email, etc. Can't have it all I guess.
 
#24 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jayjr1105 View Post

Yeah I've turned off the monitor to game on a spare PC in the basement but it would have been nice for the server PC to silently stream the game in the background somehow so that someone else could check email, etc. Can't have it all I guess.
I was wondering, can you access the steam library and pick which games you want to play from the client computer? What none-steam games are working so far? Can you change settings in-game from the client computer as well? Is it more like remote control access plus gaming? How much can you access from the client, desktop, web browser on the host computer, pictures, and movies?
 
#25 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugi View Post

I was wondering, can you access the steam library and pick which games you want to play from the client computer? What none-steam games are working so far? Can you change settings in-game from the client computer as well? Is it more like remote control access plus gaming? How much can you access from the client, desktop, web browser on the host computer, pictures, and movies?
You can a non-steam game or any application actually to your games list. Then on the client side select what you want to run from steam and it will push it to the client. Like steam doesn't know the difference if it's a game or not a game. Never tried a movie, not sure how that would work as I think you can only select .EXE or whatever, not LNK...maybe if you inserted a CMD file that did nothing but run an LNK that pointed to media player+movie file...man, now you have me thinking. Seems like a lot of trouble to stream a movie though. May as well use UPnP etc. for that.

Or if I mis-read your post...steam just streams the and only application and nothing else. So if you point at word it will run word. You can access any other part of the PC other than word. As far as I know you can stream any game/application in your "games list". Has to be installed obviously. If it run on the host PC it will work on the client one.
 
#26 ·
Thanks for the information, subassy. The only use for this would be pushing out games for guests in the living room, but this need hasn't come up for me before. It would be fun to test it out though.
 
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