How to Config audio route on windows stream host

[austen]

Is there a comprehensive document for conguring game audio streaming via remote play together? If so, please share. If not, I have questions about the host signal chain.

Windows app-audio mixer settings: where does this fit into the device-game-chat-stream signal chain?

A/D Input audio device (mic): where is it going first? Where is the source/destination connection configured?

D/A Output audio device (headphones/speakers): which source needs to connect to this device directly to relay both game audio, steam overlay audio, and steam voice chat audio?

Game output audio: where should it go first? How does it reach the upstream transmission? How does it reach the host D/A audio output device?

Steam voice chat input: is this coming directly from the A/D mic device, or is there an intermediary?

Steam voice chat downstream: how does the remote player's mic reach our D/A output device?

Steam application: what is its role in the audio stream?

Steam client helpers (spawns spontaneously): what is their role in the audio stream?

What else needs to be included in this chain and where is it configured?

[_I_]

on host, install steam streaming speakers and mic
github has them since steam no longer installs them by default
https://github.com/AshVance/SteamLinkAudioDrivers/tree/main

disable all unused audio devices, so windows will switch between your default and streaming when you begin streaming

on the link or client, steam will mix sound and voip output, but use controller or bt set for mic input

in windows mixer on host, make sure steam client/bootstrapper volume is maxed, thats what steam uses to grab game sounds

[austen]

Originally posted by _I_:

on host, install steam streaming speakers and mic
disable all unused audio devices, so windows will switch between your default and streaming when you begin streaming

Many thanks for the in-depth response.

Are unused audio devices being disabled from the Win10 Device Manager, deselected manually from the app mixer, or by some other method? I wish Device Manager had some kind of devices-config profile management. It's a lot of devices to toggle manually when hopping on for a quick remote play. Do you have a recommended util for this?

Steam streaming speakers and mic source/destination are already present in Device Manager. Maybe I installed before Valve removed it? Or is the github one you listed the only version that works? Does Steam VoIP not have a way to connect via non-BT/controller audio output/input?

[_I_]

no
open windows audio control panel (run mmsys.cpl)
show all devices, then right click on each you do not use and disable them

both are the same, it was a year or so ago when steam stopped distributing them

what client type are you using?
steam link hardware, android and many others only support one output at a time, and mic
steam windows client, or windows/linux/mac steam link apps might do 2, for game sound and voip separately
i have never really tested those