Comments on: Valve Launches ‘Steam Link’ on Quest for a Direct Connection to SteamVR

By: stormtrooper282

stormtrooper282 — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 21:52:00 +0000

working with a VR streamer (xorosegold), she determined that if you sideloaded the android version of the steam link app to the quest (via sidequest and sourced the apk from apkmirror website) you could connect to the steam deck and control the desktop. SteamVR in desktop mode on the steam deck didnt recognize the quest with this method, so testing VR games didn’t go well in that case, but there was no issues with streaming the display and basic controls.

By: steve18624

steve18624 — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:38:00 +0000

PSA- as of right now, SteamLink does not support gamepads. If you want to play 2D games with gamepads you’ll need to stick with Virtual Desktop- which is a great app and worth buying.

By: Clownworld14

Clownworld14 — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:56:00 +0000

Very good, always happy to see ease of functionality, and convergence of tech.

By: ymo1965

ymo1965 — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 21:30:00 +0000

I tried steam link and was left underwhelmed. Ive used VD long enough to know its far better in ever way. Has way more options to tweak and visuals look better and cleaner. SL might be ok for someone just starting out, but VD is where it’s at.

By: ViRGiN

ViRGiN — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 11:38:00 +0000

I presented facts and reality. I’m not tied to Meta, but understand nobody else cares about this hobby.

By: kakek

kakek — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 06:47:00 +0000

You would be more credible if you didn’t try to defend Meta and attack Valve on every single front. Even those that are obviously not to Meta’s credit.
You still can’t play any Oculus game without a Meta headset.
While there is not a single game that is locked behind another vendor’s hardware requirement.
I never said Meta was under any obligation to support other hardware. Just that Valve did, and they didn’t. Saying that Microsoft and Sony do the same as meta is not the defense you seem to think it is. Quite the contrary.
Valve might not have made everything 100% open, but they did much more than Meta.

It’s funny because on the same post you manage to defend Meta for not allowing any other headset on it’s store, while simultaneously criticising Valve, which had already done much more to make it easy for other headset to get on steam, for not providing steam link earlier. Make up your mind, are the store not in any obligation to accept other hardware, or should they have published their own link app 3 years ago ?

By: ViRGiN

ViRGiN — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 21:21:00 +0000

That’s just bullshit.
Only very early on Meta PC store games were DRM-locked to Rift headsets, but that was reversed VERY quickly, like less than 2 weeks, way before Rift S was even a thing.
Meta is under no obligation to support third party vendors. You can’t use Playstation, or Xbox ecosystem without their hardware. Steam added support themselves, because for them it’s a low hanging fruit in comparison to developing their own headset, building a supply line, customer service etc. We see fruition of this – everything mixed with everything, and that’s not a good thing. Vive controllers support varies from game to game, and with WMR things are even worse. Yeah, it technically connects and displays an image, but Meta wanted to avoid poisoning the well with “shitty but open” approach.

Steam still have not released documentation on how to fabricate lighthouse trackers – they have essentially monopoly on it, despite claiming to be open and allowing any vendors to use them. Basically nobody ever did.

Valve doesn’t care about VR at all, unless you count the effort of adding a VR section to a store. A streaming app has been done for free years ago, so it’s hard calling the recent Steam Link an effort as well. They still don’t invest in hardware, or software. They just changed GUI to match more with the Deck and that’s it. PCVR experience is very nostalgic, essentially no different than in 2016.

By: kakek

kakek — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 19:40:00 +0000

Meta never allowed any other headset to use their store. The only reason they made their own headset compatible with steamVR is because, at the time, before PCVR didn’t work as expected and mobile VR surprised everyone by being the biggest seller, they did not feel they could compete with Valve if they didn’t allow their user to go on their store.
So if you bought a Rift, you could have both steam and rift game ( because steam didn’t prevent any constructor from making their hardware steam compatible, and provided all the element needed ). But if you bought anything else you only had steamVR ( cause they did not reciprocate. )
Same for WMR though.

By: Pab

Pab — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 11:03:00 +0000

It´s very simple, really. The social duty of any company is to maximize its profit. Not to please consumers.

By: ViRGiN

ViRGiN — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 20:48:00 +0000

That is so true. Too bad internet memes brainwashed huge chunk of people who comment online to believe that valve is their friend and isn’t a monopoly. Like, valve literally does nothing for gamers, they don’t really develop anything or pay others to have stuff developed. It’s really fascinating.

By: Pab

Pab — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 20:30:00 +0000

All companies want to be monopolies. They are not our friends.

By: MarcDwonn

MarcDwonn — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 01:32:00 +0000

I’m using it on a daily basis since Quest 3 hit sales. :shrug:

By: Ishi Carter

Ishi Carter — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 20:48:00 +0000

No, it doesn’t work on the Steam Deck according to what I’ve read. Right now it only works on devices with nVidia GPUs. Hopefully, they will add AMD and Intel compatibility in the near future.

By: Christian Schildwaechter

Christian Schildwaechter — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 17:43:00 +0000

People tested Windows plus VD for VR on Steam Deck. Results depend on the definition of “render VR reasonably“. Simpler titles like Job Simulator or Beat Saber ran just fine. Highly optimized HL:A ran early parts with VD SSW in potato mode without horiffic framedrops, but far from fine.

The Deck’s graphics performance is ~65% of an PCVR entry level GTX 1060, Quest 2 ~17%, so Quest 3 should now be ~44%. In theory the same VR app could run better on Steam Deck than Quest 3, but Quest developers optimize for limited hardware, while PCVR games expect way more power. Valve could release a HMD using the Deck APU, technically more powerful than Quest 3, but it would barely run existing PCVR games. Only ports from Quest would be usable, making it pointless.

Valve will wait for AMD’s APUs to double in speed, so most PCVR games run out of the box. Deckard should also connect frictionless to a PC via Steam Link, to allow switching to a streaming experience with much improved resolution/graphics/performance. And for Quest owners already using Steam Link, their new Valve HMD would join their streaming setup automatically, making Steam Link for Quest a sneaky Trojan horse.

By: g-man

g-man — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 16:26:00 +0000

Good plan, I’m doing that now. Their cheerleading is tiresome.