Steam Link beta build 902

[slouken]

Changes in build 902:

• Improved reliability sleeping and waking using the Steam Controller

Changes in build 900:

• Improved reliability reconnecting to WiFi at startup

Changes in build 899:

• Fixed using Steam Controllers with Moonlight
  
• Updated Steam Controller control scheme to match Steam Big Picture controls

[Broseph Joseph]

With the recent flurry of link updates, and seeing that apparently the steam deck can now act as a streaming host (it couldnt before) i decided to fire up my link again and test it, got a few things to report.

The most noticeable thing is that there are pretty frequent hiccups in the stream where the stream blanks out for a couple of frames, and when this happens the overlays provided by the steam link itself are permanently lost, EG the performance overlay i use to see the video latency, and holding back button to bring up the links own menu stops working. from here on there is no way to control the steam link until the stream is restarted. This happens in game and just in the deck game mode menus.

I also tested out the low latency networking thing
and from the limited testing i can do [because i keep losing the stream performance overlay], it doesnt seem like it makes that much of a difference? Ive always gotten around >=30ms of latency @ 30mbit, dropping off to 20ms @ 25mbits and below, and ive found the sweet spot to be 20mbits for 15-20ms latency and acceptable image quality. 'Low latency networking' doesnt seem to change this for me.

My setup is a steam deck LCD os ver: 3.6.20 on official steam dock, v. 899 for the link and its all hardwired into a gigabit ethernet end to end, so networking issues shouldnt be a factor for me.

[slouken]

Originally posted by Broseph Joseph:

The most noticeable thing is that there are pretty frequent hiccups in the stream where the stream blanks out for a couple of frames, and when this happens the overlays provided by the steam link itself are permanently lost, EG the performance overlay i use to see the video latency, and holding back button to bring up the links own menu stops working. from here on there is no way to control the steam link until the stream is restarted. This happens in game and just in the deck game mode menus.

It looks like the Steam Deck video encoder frequently exceeds the bitrate limit, and goes higher than the Steam Link can handle.

[TrenchcoatCraig]

Build 899 appears to have changed the input scheme for the Steam Controller within the main Steam Link interface. From my observation, in the current public build (897), the left trackpad acts as a DPAD when lightly tapped, and the right trackpad acts as a mouse. In builds 899 and 900, the left trackpad needs to be fully pushed in to navigate the menu like a DPAD, and the right trackpad now behaves as the left trackpad did prior.

Either build 899 or 900 introduced a nasty audio spike sound while powering on the unit in my setup that was not present in build 897. Switching back and forth between the beta and retail branch introduces and prevents the issue respectively.

Build 900 fails to shut off the Steam Controller prior to shutting off the Steam Link. The Steam Controller only finally powers off once the controller's connection times out.

I've also had issues with consistency in powering on the Steam Link with the Steam Controller in builds 899 and 900 that are not present in build 897.
(My Steam Controller is connected to the Steam Link via the official wireless receiver.)

[slouken]

Originally posted by TrenchcoatCraig:

Build 899 appears to have changed the input scheme for the Steam Controller within the main Steam Link interface. From my observation, in the current public build (897), the left trackpad acts as a DPAD when lightly tapped, and the right trackpad acts as a mouse. In builds 899 and 900, the left trackpad needs to be fully pushed in to navigate the menu like a DPAD, and the right trackpad now behaves as the left trackpad did prior.

That's correct, the controls have been updated to match how Steam interprets the Steam Controller in Big Picture mode.

Originally posted by TrenchcoatCraig:

Either build 899 or 900 introduced a nasty audio spike sound while powering on the unit in my setup that was not present in build 897.

Interesting, nothing changed in the audio code in those builds. I'll see if I can reproduce it here.

Originally posted by TrenchcoatCraig:

Build 900 fails to shut off the Steam Controller prior to shutting off the Steam Link. The Steam Controller only finally powers off once the controller's connection times out.

I've also had issues with consistency in powering on the Steam Link with the Steam Controller in builds 899 and 900 that are not present in build 897.
(My Steam Controller is connected to the Steam Link via the official wireless receiver.)

I have the Steam Controller directly paired with the Steam Link and I'm not seeing those issues. If you unplug the wireless receiver and then hold down the X button while powering on the controller to pair directly with the Steam Link, do you still see these issues?

[Broseph Joseph]

Originally posted by slouken:

Originally posted by Broseph Joseph:

The most noticeable thing is that there are pretty frequent hiccups in the stream where the stream blanks out for a couple of frames, and when this happens the overlays provided by the steam link itself are permanently lost, EG the performance overlay i use to see the video latency, and holding back button to bring up the links own menu stops working. from here on there is no way to control the steam link until the stream is restarted. This happens in game and just in the deck game mode menus.

It looks like the Steam Deck video encoder frequently exceeds the bitrate limit, and goes higher than the Steam Link can handle.

I took a video of my TV when it happens, you can see the stream drop for a split second and then the perf overlay is gone and holding back doesnt work anymore etc. https://litter.catbox.moe/cm147i.mp4

(catbox is a simple file hoster, this link will expire in about 3 days though)

[TrenchcoatCraig]

Originally posted by slouken:

I have the Steam Controller directly paired with the Steam Link and I'm not seeing those issues. If you unplug the wireless receiver and then hold down the X button while powering on the controller to pair directly with the Steam Link, do you still see these issues?

Additional related issue to report: in build 900, if a Steam Link has no paired or connected input devices, attempting to pair a Steam Controller as you described will succeed, but the Steam Link will remain on the input device waiting screen (I'm unsure of the official name for that screen). Discovered this while trying to test what you asked.

Powering off the Steam Controller at this point soft-resets or crashes the Steam Link and I need to re-pair the controller to try again. The Steam Link also either soft-resets or crashes when the Steam Controller wireless receiver is unplugged (I can't tell the difference and I don't know how to access the logs). None of the above behavior is true in build 897 and is true in build 900.

I went back to build 897 to pair the controller as you described, and then forward to build 900 to test. Zero issues wit the controller remaining on when powering off the Steam Link, inconsistency in powering on the Steam Link remains.

[TrenchcoatCraig]

Originally posted by slouken:

Interesting, nothing changed in the audio code in those builds. I'll see if I can reproduce it here.

This audio issue I've found only occurs from a cold boot. Unplugging and plugging back in the Steam Link triggers the audio spike after the picture of the Steam link disappears on boot, and just before the interface loads in.

[jsnowden]

Would like to point out that on the 900 build I am having issues with severe lagging of movements using the joysticks on a ps4 controller via moonlight. Game I was playing was Control.
Tried out the 900 beta build because after receiving the automatic update to the public 897 build today, the moonlight app would freeze on the log in screen with the big computer icon, nothing on my ps4 controller seems to register. After updating to beta 900, was able to log into moonlight, but the severe joystick lag makes game unplayable.

Thanks for the continued support of the steam link hardware.

[slouken]

Originally posted by TrenchcoatCraig:

Originally posted by slouken:

I have the Steam Controller directly paired with the Steam Link and I'm not seeing those issues. If you unplug the wireless receiver and then hold down the X button while powering on the controller to pair directly with the Steam Link, do you still see these issues?

Additional related issue to report: in build 900, if a Steam Link has no paired or connected input devices, attempting to pair a Steam Controller as you described will succeed, but the Steam Link will remain on the input device waiting screen (I'm unsure of the official name for that screen). Discovered this while trying to test what you asked.

Powering off the Steam Controller at this point soft-resets or crashes the Steam Link and I need to re-pair the controller to try again. The Steam Link also either soft-resets or crashes when the Steam Controller wireless receiver is unplugged (I can't tell the difference and I don't know how to access the logs). None of the above behavior is true in build 897 and is true in build 900.

I went back to build 897 to pair the controller as you described, and then forward to build 900 to test. Zero issues wit the controller remaining on when powering off the Steam Link, inconsistency in powering on the Steam Link remains.

Steam Controller should be working much better in build 902. Please let me know if you're still having issues with that!

[slouken]

Originally posted by TrenchcoatCraig:

This audio issue I've found only occurs from a cold boot. Unplugging and plugging back in the Steam Link triggers the audio spike after the picture of the Steam link disappears on boot, and just before the interface loads in.

I can reproduce this. I'm investigating.

[TrenchcoatCraig]

Originally posted by Slouken:

Steam Controller should be working much better in build 902. Please let me know if you're still having issues with that!

Issue in beta 902: If a Steam Link is powered on before a paired Steam Controller is powered on, and there are no other input devices, the Steam controller will successfully connect, but the Steam Link will not move past the awaiting input device screen. If the Steam Controller is what powers on the Steam Link, or the Steam Controller is powered on prior to the Steam Link powering on for some other reason, the Steam Link will move past the screen as intended. I have tested this both with a direct wireless connection and with the wireless receiver.

This time, I have recorded video of the outcome:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g2Zs11Tos4

To recreate this issue:
1. Ensure the Steam Controller is the only connected input device.
2. Perform an action that will power-cycle the Steam Link without clearing the paired Steam Controller (ex. Clearing paired Bluetooth devices). The Steam Controller will power off during the power-cycle, and will need to be manually powered back on.
3. Wait for the Steam Link to finish its boot cycle and reach the awaiting input screen, and then power on the Steam Controller.

Other issues:
If the Steam Link is powered on, and the user presses the on-screen power button (located top-right of the interface), sometimes the user confirmation prompt isn't provided and the Steam Link immediately begins the shutdown process. The presence of the prompt is guaranteed if the Steam Link connects to a stream source during a given session, and inconsistent (leaning on absent) if it doesn't.

Originally posted by slouken:

Steam Controller should be working much better in build 902. Please let me know if you're still having issues with that!

Aside from the issue mentioned above, it is working much better now. Thank you!

[G3na5ide]

Thank you!

Whatever you did, betwen 897 and 902 it looks like this beta version has also fixed input not working on native RetroArch app too.

[Corrupt Outcast]

Running into some issues with my Steam Controller and Link (physical) on build 902, powering on the Controller turns on the Link but then it sits on the startup screen waiting for an input meanwhile I can move my cursor around freely, only way to move past is plugging in a keyboard which allows the Controller to work properly, unplugging said keyboard results in the same issue.

[Dexter102900]

Question. I'm trying to switch to using the steam link app on my quest 3 instead of airlink since it works much better. But when I try to use the steam link (physical) to connect in VR mode to share my headset's view on our TV, it says the steam link cannot connect to my computer. It has no trouble connecting to the desktop when the PC is not running steam VR. I'm running the beta branch.

Is that not supported since the PC is already streaming VR or a bug? The usual Steam remote play can do multiple player streams so I was hoping it could do Quest steam VR streaming and steam link (physical) VR mode screen sharing at the same time. Plus it would work with airlink so I know the PC is capable.

[[ITA]ZephirPFS47]

Originally posted by Corrupt Outcast:

Running into some issues with my Steam Controller and Link (physical) on build 902, powering on the Controller turns on the Link but then it sits on the startup screen waiting for an input meanwhile I can move my cursor around freely, only way to move past is plugging in a keyboard which allows the Controller to work properly, unplugging said keyboard results in the same issue.

I have the exact same problem