Steam Link vs. Screen Mirroring / Miracast

[Suppenkoch]

Isn't it just basically the same ? Only that Steam Link is limited to Steam and with any Miracast Dongle I can Mirror everything including all Steam activity plus Big Picture ?

I don't see the benefit of Steam Link over any other Mirror Dongle, which is smaller, same performance and gives more features.
The "Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter" costs me 10 bucks less and is capable of much more. Don't understand me wrong, I don't want to advertise anything. But I don't see any benefit of Steam Link over other products on this price class.
So convince me, why I should buy it ?

[Tucu]

In my experience (HP laptop mirroring to Samsung TV) Miracast is limited to 30hz and the display is very laggy (enough to make it only usable for powerpoint presentations)

That aside, my gaming PC is too far from the TV wireless mirroring, but it is connected by gigabit ethernet. So the Link fits nice in my setup. I don't have to plug a laptop to my TV to stream games from my PC.

[Suppenkoch]

For 40 bucks I bought the Roku streaming Stick 3500 already some time ago. It has greater network performance and I can mirror there through Miracast without problem 60Hz FHD signals. I do watch Youtube videos, online streams or local video streams, but also games from phone and computer without any kind of lag and delay. Furthermore Roku is one of the strongest Streaming Sticks on the market and its main purpose - to stream - is awesome and extremly well expanded. Those high quality mirroring is only a "side feature" of the stick. But still it costs me less than the Steam Link, and I mirror everything, like I said.

So still why I should buy the Steam Link, which in my eyes is in all points worse - yet - and even more expensive ? So why ? ^^

[Tucu]

Originally posted by Suppenkoch:

For 40 bucks I bought the Roku streaming Stick 3500 already some time ago. It has greater network performance and I can mirror there through Miracast without problem 60Hz FHD signals. I do watch Youtube videos, online streams or local video streams, but also games from phone and computer without any kind of lag and delay. Furthermore Roku is one of the strongest Streaming Sticks on the market and its main purpose - to stream - is awesome and extremly well expanded. Those high quality mirroring is only a "side feature" of the stick. But still it costs me less than the Steam Link, and I mirror everything, like I said.

So still why I should buy the Steam Link, which in my eyes is in all points worse - yet - and even more expensive ? So why ? ^^

If you are happy with your setup, then you don't need a Steam Link. Are you aware that you don't have to buy every product that gets to market?

[Badhabit]

I have both and it's impossible to play game with the MS wireless display adapter (Miracast) because of the delay. I have the SL + SC since 3 weeks or so and it's just great. You really have to take the time to understand the controller and the binding features. Once you get use to it, it takes a couple of days, even a week, but itt's totally worth it. I had left PC gaming for the comfort of my living room with my consoles. But now, I can play with my 200 and more games on STEAM with the SL + SC in living room. The biggest complaint I can give to VALVE, is the lack of publicity and communication about it. For the community complains, it goes to IGN with their SC review, they are MORONS! It's clear to me that they did not try to configure the SC properly, and they are "suppose" to be professionals,,, It's not aimed at the console owners, to me, it's for PC gamers that want to bring their STEAM collection in the living room, and it's working great!

[Suppenkoch]

@Tucu
It's not about that. I just hoped Valve came up with something "new" with this Link. So thats why I ask. They sell their product for such an expensive price, compared to the concurrency, but offer so much less on features.

@Badhabit
Like I said, I use the Roku Stick, and I have no problems. It's working fully fine like intended.
No lag, no delay, Full HD.
I can play on every device, wherever I put my stick. And I can play from every device. Zero problems. Sitting on the couch, zapping through big picture, no problem.


UHD Streaming would be for example a real reason for me. Thats something what my Roku does not make (yet), but it is capable of and will be updated in the future with Firmware updates to run in UHD, too.

What about the Steam Link ? Will it ever be able to run UHD. But even than. I already have a device, where the promised update will come sooner or later.

[Tucu]

Originally posted by Suppenkoch:

@Tucu
It's not about that. I just hoped Valve came up with something "new" with this Link. So thats why I ask. They sell their product for such an expensive price, compared to the concurrency, but offer so much less on features.

@Badhabit
Like I said, I use the Roku Stick, and I have no problems. It's working fully fine like intended.
No lag, no delay, Full HD.
I can play on every device, wherever I put my stick. And I can play from every device. Zero problems. Sitting on the couch, zapping through big picture, no problem.


UHD Streaming would be for example a real reason for me. Thats something what my Roku does not make (yet), but it is capable of and will be updated in the future with Firmware updates to run in UHD, too.

What about the Steam Link ? Will it ever be able to run UHD. But even than. I already have a device, where the promised update will come sooner or later.

It offers something new. You just don't have a setup that can benefit from it . My gaming PC is in another room; For the past year I have been streaming games from that gaming PC to a laptop that I plugged to my TV using Steam In-Home Streaming. With the Link I don't need to to plug the laptop anymore. I now just grab my Steam controller, switch it on and the Link will wake up my gaming PC and start streaming.
Also, here the Link is cheaper than the Roku and the MS Wireless Display adapter (£40 vs £49 vs £42)

[werner]

This version of Steam link will never run 4k 60fps, it does not use HDMI 2.0 and probably the internal processor is not powerful enough. If you want to stream in 4k you have to buy an NVidia shield, but then you wont be able to play with the Steam controller which means you will be locked out of non controller games. (the main reason why my Shield is gathering dust atm)

[Suppenkoch]

@Tucu
What is new in this ? You can do this already since long time with a bunch of other devices, sa like I said I am already doing with my Roku Stick.
Only that I used all the time my wireless Xbox Controller.
By the way I think the Steam Controller is pretty cool. This device convinces me with real new features. But the the Link is .. nahh .. Pretty bad and overprized. Simple no-name Mirroring Sticks which work great I get for the half price, which mirrors everything and not only Steam.

I can only compare my prices:
I paid exactly 38,99€ for my Roku Stick including delivery costs (new+unpacked, Amazon US).
On the Steam page the Steam Link is sold for 54,99€ (even more than 10 bucks, but maybe the price will be lower on some reseller/discounter). Is the delivery included ?
If I google for a price of MS Wireless Display Adapter I find at once three german deliverers close to me, who sell in a price between 47,99 to 49,99, delivery costs included.

And the last one supports more than the Steam Link (like I said several times, mirroring everything, and also from a Windows Phone if you posess one).

The Steam Link does not offer any feature, which other devices do already since long time. To activate my Computer with a Steam Controller isn't a feature of the Controller, but of the Computer, which worked already well with other Controllers too. I mirror already my computer anytime I want, or any of my phones or friend phones to my Roku Stick, and this for far less money in FHD.
I can sit on my couch, turn on my television, Roku Stick starts automatically with it, and else take my phone or take my wireless Controller and play or watch anything I want not moving a single step.

So where is the invention of the Steam Link, that its justify the high prize to the concourrency ?

[Tucu]

Your are missing the point of being able to do this across rooms. In your setup your are just mirroring in the same room. With your setup you can't benefit from the Steam Link features.

What "New features" would you want? There are no GPUs that can play games and encode 4Kp60 reliable yet. In a few years when 4K TV and GPUs that can really handle 4K game streaming are available, Valve can release the Link 2.0.

[Suppenkoch]

What you mean with "across" the rooms ? I connect the Steam Link to the television like any other dongle, only that the Steam Link is much bigger ..
So across the rooms I do exactly already with my device and be able with any other device, too.

To play 4k games, I just need a powerful computer, a fine network connection and a Dongle for my television with 4k streaming support and the television, which supports 4k of course.
Already there are a lot of 4k Streaming Sticks on the market for the same price as the Steam Link, just offering higher Quality, all device support and are not limited to steam. Check Amazon or Google for this.
And by the way, the top-tier GPUs manage very well 4kp60, of course not on every game as some games overexeggerate with their performance hunger.

4kp60 gaming:
http://www.tomshardware.de/nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-gtx-980-roundup-vergleichstest,testberichte-241658-19.html
You can see that they manage already well. Also the rest hardware is already outdated (5th instead of 6th generation intel cpu and non-NVMe SSDs.

Here an universal Streaming Stick at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/MK809-4K-Streaming-Supports-Bluetooth/dp/B010DO8GC6
Just one example of an UHD Stick, same price, and support of all ongoing standards. Fully ready to play across rooms, like you said.

[Tucu]

Originally posted by Suppenkoch:

What you mean with "across" the rooms ? I connect the Steam Link to the television like any other dongle, only that the Steam Link is much bigger ..
So across the rooms I do exactly already with my device and be able with any other device, too.

To play 4k games, I just need a powerful computer, a fine network connection and a Dongle for my television with 4k streaming support and the television, which supports 4k of course.
Already there are a lot of 4k Streaming Sticks on the market for the same price as the Steam Link, just offering higher Quality, all device support and are not limited to steam. Check Amazon or Google for this.
And by the way, the top-tier GPUs manage very well 4kp60, of course not on every game as some games overexeggerate with their performance hunger.

4kp60 gaming:
http://www.tomshardware.de/nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-gtx-980-roundup-vergleichstest,testberichte-241658-19.html
You can see that they manage already well. Also the rest hardware is already outdated (5th instead of 6th generation intel cpu and non-NVMe SSDs.

Here an universal Streaming Stick at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/MK809-4K-Streaming-Supports-Bluetooth/dp/B010DO8GC6
Just one example of an UHD Stick, same price, and support of all ongoing standards. Fully ready to play across rooms, like you said.

Go buy all that and try to play streamed games at 4Kp60; then wait 3 or 4 years for hardware and software components to catch up.

[ksVPN]

I'm gonna list my assumptions then explain what I think is going on, please correct any that are wrong.

You are playing with your computer in the same room or close by your TV.
Any controller you are playing with (gamepad or mouse and keyboard) are hooked up to said computer.

If this is the case then your setup works fine no need for a Steam Link. My computer is up a floor and much to far away for that. The Steam Link allows me to plug a mouse and keyboard into it or a gamepad. Just ordered the Xbox 360 wireless adapter since the Xbox One adapter doesn't work (which sucks) and I have like six 360 controllers. My computer is too far away to hook up these controllers to it for streaming and this more than justifies the $10 more its costs.

[Suppenkoch]

@Tucu
But it works, whats your problem with it ? You can't believe, because you don't own it ? Steam Link just came late and is overprized, that's all. I just ask, if I missed something, but it seems not.

@ksVPN
Up to date Dongles do already exactly this. Look the posted link again, which I posted there to Amazon. I quote from there: "You can connect it to air mouse, Bluetooth mouse / keyboard, game controller, even USB webcam via USB OTG host port."
However weakness of my Roku Stick is, he can't directly connect mouse/gamepad/keyboard, while other Sticks like Amazon's FireTV can (the new version of Roku added this feature, too, by the way, for me is just no need there, cause Ive no problem there). But anyway I don't know why you have a problem with the xbox360 Controller. Its working on a wireless signal and Im playing through 2 rooms without problems. I don't know the distance between your computer and your television, but if its just one level, than Im suprised and there must be a lot of disturbing interferences.

[Tucu]

Originally posted by Suppenkoch:

@Tucu
But it works, whats your problem with it ? You can't believe, because you don't own it ? Steam Link just came late and is overprized, that's all. I just ask, if I missed something, but it seems not.

@ksVPN
Up to date Dongles do already exactly this. Look the posted link again, which I posted there to Amazon. I quote from there: "You can connect it to air mouse, Bluetooth mouse / keyboard, game controller, even USB webcam via USB OTG host port."
However weakness of my Roku Stick is, he can't directly connect mouse/gamepad/keyboard, while other Sticks like Amazon's FireTV can (the new version of Roku added this feature, too, by the way, for me is just no need there, cause Ive no problem there). But anyway I don't know why you have a problem with the xbox360 Controller. Its working on a wireless signal and Im playing through 2 rooms without problems. I don't know the distance between your computer and your television, but if its just one level, than Im suprised and there must be a lot of disturbing interferences.

No, it doesn't work. Nvidia is currently beta testing 4K Gamestream to the £149 Shield Android TV. Users with a 980Ti can't make it run.

[BenchedGamer]

Originally posted by Badhabit:

I have both and it's impossible to play game with the MS wireless display adapter (Miracast) because of the delay. I have the SL + SC since 3 weeks or so and it's just great. You really have to take the time to understand the controller and the binding features. Once you get use to it, it takes a couple of days, even a week, but itt's totally worth it. I had left PC gaming for the comfort of my living room with my consoles. But now, I can play with my 200 and more games on STEAM with the SL + SC in living room. The biggest complaint I can give to VALVE, is the lack of publicity and communication about it. For the community complains, it goes to IGN with their SC review, they are MORONS! It's clear to me that they did not try to configure the SC properly, and they are "suppose" to be professionals,,, It's not aimed at the console owners, to me, it's for PC gamers that want to bring their STEAM collection in the living room, and it's working great!

Where is the +1 feature!