Streaming your favorite games from Steam to your TV has become easier than ever, letting you enjoy PC gaming from the comfort of your couch. Let me walk you through the best ways to make this happen, based on my experience setting up various streaming solutions.
Steam Link: The Simplest Solution
While Valve’s physical Steam Link device is discontinued, the Steam Link app is still the most straightforward way to stream your games. You can download it on many smart TVs, especially newer Samsung and LG models. If your TV doesn’t support the app directly, streaming devices like the Apple TV, Android TV boxes, or even a Raspberry Pi can run Steam Link perfectly.
Alternative Methods That Work Great
NVIDIA Shield TV
If you’ve got an NVIDIA graphics card, the Shield TV offers an exceptional streaming experience. I’ve found it provides the lowest latency of any solution I’ve tested, and the AI upscaling on the Shield Pro makes games look incredibly crisp on 4K TVs.
Moonlight Streaming
Here’s a lesser-known tip: Moonlight is an open-source implementation of NVIDIA’s GameStream protocol. Even though NVIDIA discontinued GameStream in 2025, Moonlight continues to work brilliantly and often provides better performance than Steam Link.
Setting Up For Success
Let me share some crucial tips I’ve learned from helping countless gamers set up their streaming systems:
1. Use a wired ethernet connection whenever possible – trust me, it makes a huge difference
2. If you must use Wi-Fi, ensure your gaming PC and TV are on the same 5GHz network
3. Enable game mode on your TV to reduce input lag
4. Start with 1080p streaming before attempting 4K – it’s more stable and often looks just as good
Troubleshooting Common Issues
The most frequent problem I see people encounter is input lag. If you’re experiencing this, try reducing the streaming quality settings first. Sometimes, what looks better on paper actually plays worse in practice. I’ve found that setting the bandwidth limit to about 15Mbps often provides the best balance between quality and responsiveness.
Network Optimization Tips
Here’s an insider tip that many guides miss: If you’re using Wi-Fi, try setting your router’s channel width to 40MHz instead of 80MHz or 160MHz. While this technically reduces maximum throughput, it often provides more stable performance for game streaming. I’ve seen this simple change transform a stuttery mess into a smooth gaming experience.
Remember, game streaming technology keeps evolving, and what works best today might change tomorrow. Keep an eye on your Steam client updates, as Valve frequently improves their streaming capabilities with new features and optimizations.
