Valve’s game streaming service Steam Link beta launches on Android

MANILA, Philippines – Valve released its beta for the Steam Link application, its streaming platform, on Android devices last Thursday, May 17.

While gamers may be enticed to use it, users may need some additional tech beforehand to get it running properly.

According to the Steam Link page on Google Play, the device needs a Steam Link controller or another bluetooth-enabled controller to operate, as well as a connection to the 5GHz band on a user’s WiFi network. As such, the Steam Link app will not work over LTE. 

Valve, meanwhile, told Variety users will be able to stream games to their phones in 4K resolution at 60 frames-per-second (fps), but only if they’re connected to their home network. Users with less powerful hardware should be getting 1080p at 60fps with good quality for the games they decide to play.

“If you have a powerful rig, wired network, and very good client device, it’s possible to stream at 4K 60 fps,” Sam Lantinga of Valve said. “You can go into the advanced streaming settings, and tune streaming resolution and bitrate for the best experience in your setup.”

The Steam Link application currently serves users running Android 5.0 and higher.  – Rappler.com