Steam Link Setup Guide
This guide will help you configure your SHIELD and GeForce gaming PC for the lowest latency experience and up to 4K resolutions.
Steam Link Features
Steam Link |
|
4K Streaming |
Yes |
NVIDIA HW Encoder Support |
Yes* |
Controller Support |
Yes |
Keyboard/Mouse |
Yes |
In-game voice chat |
Yes |
Multi-OS support |
Android/iOS/PC/Mac/Android TV/Fire TV |
*List of NVIDIA GPUs with HW Encoder
PC Configuration: Steam
Enable NVIDIA Hardware Optimizations:
- Under Steam -> settings, select “Remote Play” from the options on the left
- Click the “ADVANCED HOST OPTIONS” button in the settings menu
-
Make sure the following are selected
- Use NVFBC capture on NVIDIA GPU
- Enable hardware encoding on NVIDIA GPU
Once optimized, Steam Link latency comes to within one frame of GameStream
RTX 4080, i9-12900k, Acer Predator XB273K Display
SHIELD Configuration: Steam Link app
“Fast decode” streaming settings
- In Steam Link app navigate to Settings -> streaming
-
In the “Streaming Settings 1/3” screen under “video”
- Set to “Fast”
Enable 4K
- In Steam Link app navigate to Settings -> streaming and select the ”More…” button
-
In the “Streaming Settings 2/3” screen
- Set resolution to 4K
Enable HW decoding
- In Steam Link app navigate to Settings -> streaming and select the ”More…” button twice
-
In the “Streaming Settings 3/3” screen
- Enable “HEVC VIdeo”
TV Configuration: Game Mode
Most modern TVs have a video or display mode called “Game Mode” which can reduce latency up to 500ms. For the low latency and more responsive game play, make sure your TV is set to this mode.
Automatic Game Mode on SHIELD (ALLM)
SHIELD TV supports automatic game mode switching if your TV supports this feature. In some cases, you may need to enable this feature on your TV.
To turn this feature on your SHIELD, navigate to Settings -> Device preferences ->Display & Sound -> Advanced display settings
- Make sure “Automatic game Mode” is enabled. (Note: This feature will not be available if your display does not support ALLM)
Adding Non-Steam Games:
At the bottom left of your Steam app
- Select the “+ ADD A GAME” button
- Select “Add a Non-Steam Game…”
Add a game from the suggest list or select browse to locate the game executable in your PC folders.