Steam Link review (2026): is it any good?
Stream Steam games from your PC to phones, TVs and other PCs
Steam Link report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for streaming PC games to a phone, TV or laptop
Steam Link is a free app that streams games from a computer running Steam to another screen. It needs that Steam computer switched on as the host, it streams games and not a full desktop, and small screens make games play worse.
Who Steam Link is for
- Fits if you own games on Steam and want to play them on a TV, phone or laptop
- Works for couch co-op with Remote Play Together
Who Steam Link is not for
- Skip it if you want to administer a PC for support or unattended work, as it is not a general remote-access tool
- Watch out: it needs a computer running Steam as the host
- Tight if you play on a small screen, as the App Store reviews note games play worse there
- Watch out: quality depends on your network and device
Why Steam Link gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyThe app is free, with no plan or subscription to buy.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright: the Steam Link app costs nothing and has no cap listed, though the host computer must run Steam and own the games.
- CFeaturesIt does one job: streaming games, with PC-to-PC streaming, Remote Play Together and game controls. That is a smaller job than a full remote desktop.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record. You install it and pair it with a Steam computer, which is a short setup.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android are listed, tied to Steam. No API is listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Valve's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/steam-link#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/steam-link.svg" alt="Steam Link: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Steam Link stands among remote desktop apps
Steam Link's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 79 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 71 of 85) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Steam Link has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 86 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Steam Link’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 63 of 85, level with 22
- AFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 85, level with 14
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 85, level with 53
- BEase of useAbove 59 of 85, level with 25
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 85, level with 50
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Steam Link, or make your own?
Keep it
Steam Link is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 79 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade.
What you could not
- A fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
What this rests on. Steam Link’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Steam Link?
Steam Link is Valve's app for streaming games from a computer running Steam to another device on your network or over the internet. The same Remote Play feature streams between two PCs, and Remote Play Together lets friends join local multiplayer games online. The app is listed as free on its US App Store page.
Worth knowing
- It needs a computer running Steam as the host, and it streams games rather than a full remote desktop session.
- It is not a general remote-access tool for managing a computer for support or unattended work.
- Quality depends on the network and the device; the App Store reviews note that games play worse on small screens.
- The listed platforms include Apple TV and Meta Quest, which this directory does not list as separate platforms.
Key features
- Stream to many devices
- Valve lists iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Android phones, tablets and TV, Amazon Fire TV, Raspberry Pi, Meta Quest, Windows, Linux and macOS.
- PC to PC streaming
- Log in to Steam on two computers and stream games from one Steam library to the other.
- Remote Play Together
- Share a local multiplayer game with Steam friends online, with each player on their own controller or sharing the keyboard and mouse.
- Controls tuned for games
- The page says control schemes are optimized for hundreds of top titles when playing on a phone or tablet.
- Play on lower-end hardware
- Demanding games run on the host PC, so a weaker device or an operating system without native support can still show them.
Steam Link pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Steam Link is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The Steam Link app is free; it connects to a computer running Steam, which hosts the games you own.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Link | $0 | Free app listed on the App Store. Remote Play Together is described as free on Valve's page. |
Read from apps.apple.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Steam Link before you buy.
How people rate the Steam Link app
3.3
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
3,057 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Nov 13, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
Steam Link alternatives
- Steam Link vs Parsec
Free plan · from $8.33/mo
- Steam Link vs Shadow PC
From $29.99/mo
Common questions
Is Steam Link open source?
Steam Link is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.