Steam

The Steam Link is fairly straightforward. It's a wireless box-shaped dongle that plugs into your TV's HDMI port, allowing you to stream games directly from your ...

Nvidia [now points users towards](https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5436) its cloud gaming platform [GeForce Now](https://www.theverge.com/22750246/nvidia-geforce-now-rtx-3080-google-stadia-cloud-gaming) (with which I’ve personally experienced middling performance, despite paying for the Priority tier) or, frustratingly, the Steam Link app. The other (more drastic) solution would be to fork out a stack of cash for a small, dedicated PC for my TV, such as an Intel NUC. Valve’s reasoning for discontinuing the dongle is sound — its 1080p ceiling would have eventually rendered it obsolete, and the software version can be used on non-HDMI devices. Streaming games from the cloud is brilliant when it works, but for folks like myself, it simply isn’t a viable alternative to LAN-based game streaming yet. For example, on the days when it does work, the stream randomly freezes or crashes (despite having a solid internet connection) and the input lag is so unbearable that I usually abandon efforts and begrudgingly play on my PC directly. Some days the app randomly disconnects from my PC or refuses to load, forcing me to delete and then re-install it on my TV. I was actually buying a [Steam Controller](https://www.theverge.com/good-deals/2019/11/26/20984123/valve-steam-controller-discontinued-sale-price) for my then-partner and spotted the bargain while browsing through the Steam website, so I purchased the gadget on a whim. I’ve checked every relevant parameter and connection, and by all accounts, the Steam Link app should work. [Steam Link app](https://www.theverge.com/22962051/steam-games-remote-play-windows-ios-android-macos-streaming) was released on Android as its replacement in 2018 (later followed by a version for iOS in 2019,) and can be downloaded directly onto most smart TVs. It worked perfectly on my then-slower Wi-Fi connection over a much greater distance, and I didn’t have to drag cables around my living room. [Steam Link](https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/11/19/18103672/valve-discontinues-steam-link-streaming-set-top-box) when Valve was flogging them for £2.50 here in the UK ($2.50 in USD). I’ve had access to both a computer and various gaming consoles over the years, so I’ve never considered having an allegiance to either side of the PC vs console debate.