A love letter for the original Steam Link: I regret taking you for granted
by Jess Weatherbed from The Verge - All Posts on (#676MV)
Poor experiences with the Steam Link app and Cloud gaming services have left me yearning for the now-outdated Steam Link dongle. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
Back in 2018 I managed to nab a physical Steam Link when Valve was flogging them for 2.50 here in the UK ($2.50 in USD). I was actually buying a Steam Controller for my then-partner and spotted the bargain while browsing through the Steam website, so I purchased the gadget on a whim. That little black puck has since left such a good impression on me that every alternative service has paled in comparison.
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 PC over your home internet connection. I had great success using it over Wi-fi, seeing barely any detectable lag, but you could also connect the device directly to your network...