Steam is one of the best and most popular sites for gamers to purchase, access, and play PC games online. The platform offers tens of thousands of games with numerous features to enhance the user’s gaming experience. Among the various features, Steam has added to its list is Steam Link. With the launch of Steam Link, users can now connect to and stream their Steam Library on other devices like TVs, Androids, and iOS phones. If your device is linked to the same network as your Steam host machine and paired with it, you will be able to use this feature, allowing you to mirror virtually any games running on your PC to your devices.
Given their performance specifications, iOS devices are quite excellent for gaming, and in this article, we’ll discuss how to install Steam Link on iOS. Although installing Steam Link on these devices is simple, some gamers may need help. In light of this, if you want to use Steam Link to extend the range of your gaming experience to your iOS smartphone, this article is for you.
What is Steam Link?
Stream Link was built as an interface to allow gamers to stream their Stream Library from a host system, mostly their PCs or Steam Machine, to a stream destination, which could be a TV, another monitor, or a mobile device. This is actually a game changer for most gamers, as they can now have access to playing games on Steam through many of their devices.
Stream Link was previously a hardware device, but the software option of it is now available, which functions just as well as the hardware. The Steam Link app runs on various hardware, including Android, iOS, and even the Raspberry Pi. To use this program, you simply have to connect your device to the same network-either Wi-Fi or Ethernet- as the host system. This is pretty straightforward to do, and with the help of this guide, you should be able to do it effortlessly.
What are the requirements to install Steam on iOS?
As mentioned earlier, installing and setting up Steam Link on iOS is pretty straightforward. However, there are a few requirements that need to be met before it’s possible to use the Steam Link app on your iOS devices which include a Host system running Windows, Linux, or Mac, an iOS device with at least iOS 10 installed, a Steam Library, the good network connection to the host system and Steam Link and a game controller which could either be a Steam or MFI controller (Gamevice would be a good option). A few of our favorite controllers include the 8bitdo SF30 Pro and Flydigi Apex 2. Let’s outline the requirements in bullets points:
- Host system running Windows, macOS, or Linux
- iOS device running at least iOS 10
- Strong internet connection connected with the host system and the iOS device
- Game controller
As long as these requirements are available, you can install Steam Link on your iOS device and start streaming games right on the device.
How to install and set up Steam Link on iOS
Here is how to set up and install Steam Link on iOS:
- Connect your PC and iOS device
Connect both your iOS device and PC to the same network, and then launch the Steam app on your PC.
- Install Steam Link
Install the Steam Link app from App Store to the iOS device.
- Start Steam Big Picture Mode
On your PC, click on the View option at the top of the Steam homepage and select Big Picture Mode from the resulting drop-down menu.
- Open Steam Link on iOS
Launch Steam Link on your iOS device, allow the app to use Bluetooth, and tap on Get Started.
- Pair your Bluetooth controller
You’ll then receive a menu to Pair Controller. Pair your iOS device with a controller; it’s recommended to use PS4 or Xbox One controller for easy connection. You can read more details on how to use Bluetooth to connect your controller with iOS in the controller’s manual. Meanwhile, you can opt for the Touch control option to play Steam games without a controller.
- Choose your gaming rig
Afterward, select the computer you want to Stream from and type the code that appears on your iPad or iPhone in the Steam launcher on your PC to pair it with your iOS device.
- Wait to connect, then enjoy Steam Link!
Wait for the connection to be established and tap on Start Playing on Steam Link to start Streaming your Library.
How to Run Steam Link on iPhone: Frequently Asked Questions
When Steam Link first came out, only Android was supported because Apple hadn’t yet approved it. The software has been running flawlessly on iOS devices since Apple decided to support it in May 2019. However, some prerequisites must be met in order to use Steam Link on iOS, and they have been thoroughly discussed in this article.
With the use of Steam Link Remote Play, you can access and play games from your Steam Library over the internet while being anywhere close to the host system. However, you need to have been already paired with the host system and have a very strong internet connection for this to be possible.
Instead of using Steam Link, another option you can use is Moonlight. This program also allows streaming your games from a PC to a mobile device and another monitor, just like Steam Link. Moonlight software works efficiently but only on host PCs with NVIDIA-based graphics cards.
Final Thoughts
It’s worth it to give Stream Link a shot on your iOS device, as most users have a great gaming experience using the app to stream their Steam Library. If you plan to install Stream Link on iOS, the guide above should be very helpful for you in setting the whole thing up effortlessly. Looking for more ways to make your Steam library portable? Check out the best Steam Deck docks!
Do you also enjoy streaming Stream games with Steam Link? Let us know your opinion about it in the comments section below.
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