How To Pair Ps4 Controller To Steam Link

Steelseries Stratus Bluetooth Mobile Gaming Controller

The SteelSeries Stratus is a controller explicitly designed for PC and android. Because of this, the Steelseries Stratus comes with solid driver support. Most importantly, the Stratus is compatible with SteelSeries Engine 3. SteelSeriess gaming software lets users customize the sensitivity of their thumbsticks, manipulate dead zones, and remap buttons. Customizing a controllers performance using dedicated gaming software is essential in giving competitive gamers a precisely tuned controller.

Another standout feature of the SteelSeries Stratus is its battery life. It has over 40 hours of battery life powered by 2 AA batteries. Unlike the DualShock controller, you wont be able to connect to your device via USB to experience a wired connection or charge the device. Another thing to keep in mind is the SteelSeries Stratus wont work on Macbooks. However, it will work on iPhones and iPads.

How To Connect A Ps4 Controller To Windows 10

PC gamers know that the greatest gaming joys are found on our rigs. The complaint that its awkward to set up gamepads with a PC is a myth, made all the more mythical by Steams recent integration of PS4 controller support into its platform, where it seamlessly lets your DualShock 4 work with any game that supports a gamepad.

There are a number of ways to connect your PS4 controller to your PC, and we have them all covered here.

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How To Stream Games From Your Pc To Steam Link

From this point, youre home free. Just load up your Library and look at the list of games. You can remotely install games to your PC from your purchased games library here. If youre using a gamepad, you can press a designated button to apply a filter . This is helpful for identifying which games support the gamepad and thus are easily playable on your TV.

Samuel Axon/IDG

There are a few settings you should know about, too. In In-Home Streaming on your Steam Link, you can pick from three quality presetsFast, Balanced, and Beautifulor you can more finely tweak the settings that affect quality and consistency of the image. If youre on an ethernet connection, the maximum settings will probably work. If youre on Wi-Fi, you may spend some time adjusting these options.

The process should be pretty straightforward, but be sure to check out Valves guides to Steam Link network settings and network troubleshooting if you run into any trouble.

Samuel Axon/IDG

Remember that the Steam Link only streams actual gameplay from your PC, so you may need to upgrade your graphics card if you want to crank up graphics quality without sacrificing frame rate. If your gaming PC cant play a game at Ultra settings, your Steam Link wont either. Steam Link wont magically make your games any smoother.

Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read ouraffiliate link policyfor more details.

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How To Set Up The Steam Link: Step 3

Once you have all the various cables connected, you’re ready to begin the full setup process.

Switch your TV to the appropriate HDMI input, and you should see the first Steam Link setup screen. Follow the on-screen instructions to set your language, connect to your network, and if necessary update the device firmware.

Youll also have to select your preferred streaming settings. The basic options are Fast, Balanced, and Beautiful – wed recommend starting on Balanced and changing it up or down depending on how you find the performance. You can also delve into the advanced options to alter the bandwidth allocation and resolution if you want to make more fine-tuned adjustments.

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You should then reach a screen that asks you to locate computers running Steam on your home network, so that you can connect the Steam Link to your PC. If you’re like us, this might be when you first run into problems, because despite being connected to the same network and having streaming enabled, our PC simply didn’t show up on the list. The only fix we found was a simple one: wait. After a few minutes the Steam Link seemed to find the right computer, and let us connect with no more problems.

Once youre connected, thats pretty much it. You should now see your Steam library, displayed on your TV in Big Picture Mode, and can play your games or browse the store to buy more.

Raspberry Pi Steamlink Alternatives

If youre running SteamPi, chances are that you are trying to figure out which controller is going to be the best one for you to use. After all, just about every review or forum for Steamlink compatible controllers are talking about the physical box that is now discontinued.

If youre finding yourself running into the same issue, I have a solution for you: Use an old computer. Format it with Windows 10 . Remember: SteamLink uses the processing power and resources of your gaming computer, not this secondary computer. So really just about any old computer will work really well for this.

Dont have an old computer?

Ask your companys IT department, Im sure theyd be glad to get get rid of an old one. I work in IT and old computers always take up way too much space.

Alternative Options: Use cheap Windows 10 computer running Steam instead of SteamLink. Then you can use ANY wireless controller. The full list of supported SteamLink controllers can be found here:

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Pair Dualshock4 Wireless Controller With Pc Mac Android And Ios Devices

If you would like to use your DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller with compatible games and applications away from your PS4 console, you can connect via Bluetooth® in a few steps.

DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller Bluetooth compatible devices

Devices using the operating systems listed below or later support DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller Bluetooth connections. Once connected, you can use your wireless controller to control compatible games and applications via Bluetooth.

• Android 10

You can connect a DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller to a Windows PC using a DUALSHOCK®4 USB wireless adaptor or a compatible micro USB cable.

Step 1: turn on DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller pairing mode

To use a controller on a device for the first time, turn on pairing mode:

Step 2: connect DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller via Bluetooth

A controller can be paired with only one device at a time. Each time you change devices you must pair the controller with the new device.

Connect Compatible Controllers To Apple Tv

Well start with Apple TV. You might want to enable this option if you have a huge 4K TV connected to your Apple TV device. Or, perhaps you work on a computer all day and dont want to sit in front of one to play games. This setup provides you with a console-like experience.

First, select the gear icon on your Apple TV to open the Settings app.

Next, use the Siri Remote trackpad to highlight Remotes and Devices press down on the trackpad to select it.

On the following screen, highlight Bluetooth, and then press down on the trackpad to select it.

Heres how to pair your controller:

• MFi Controller: Press and hold the dedicated Bluetooth button.
• Xbox Wireless Controller: Press and hold the Connect button on the back.
• PlayStation 4 DualShock Controller: Press and hold the PS and Share buttons until the light bar flashes.

When your controller appears on the Other Devices list, select it, and then press down on the remotes trackpad. After a moment, Apple TV moves the controller under My Devices.

Of course, not every controller works the same. Here are some shortcuts you can press for inputs that arent physically available on your model:

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Good Thing This Isnt Perfect

So in the last year I have found myself hopelessly addicted to a little pc game called Kenshi, it quickly surpassed all other titles in total play hours. I came across the steam link app and thought why not let this game run my life completely, even when I cant be around my laptop? I surely have nothing better to do. So I set out to get this working. For those who dont know Kenshi is a game you can essentially play on pause so perfectly suited to this very high latency format. It was about two days of being impressed by how nicely their editor lets you set up a control scheme, triple checking that I had saved it in every way I could think, and finding my setup gone on returning to the app before Some glorious serendipity of overlapping bugs allowed me to recall my settings! I was off! Also thrilled to find that it is workable even streaming across town over cell. In fact performance seems inconsistent no mater what network setup I’ve tried, even with a cable in the computer sitting next to the router. However, it has always worked well enough to get my fix in various levels of blurriness. Unfortunately the app also crashes when taken out of focus and sometimes randomly. But still, pretty wild the ways we can waste our time these days, this must be meta. .? Keep trying valve, you are somewhat appreciated. Ken heads check my layout, I think its the only one

How To Sync Ps4 Controller To Pc Via Bluetooth

Here is how to sync PS4 controller to PC wirelessly:

• Step 1: Turn on your PS4 Dual Shock controller.
• Step 2: Press and hold the PS + Share buttons till you see the light flash on your controller.
• Step 3: Now open the Bluetooth Settings on your PC.
• Step 4: In the Bluetooth and Other Devices menu, youll now see your PS4 controller appearing in available devices.
• Step 5: Select your PS4 controller from the list and select Pair.

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Powera Enhanced Wired Controller For Xbox Series X/s

The PowerA Enhanced Wired Xbox Series X controller is an inexpensive Steam Link-compatible controller. Although PowerA is technically a third-party Xbox controller, it has been licensed and thoroughly tested by Xbox. What gives this controller its low price is its lack of wireless features. Instead, the controller connects to a PC using a Mini-USB cable. The Mini-USB cable gamers choose to use doesnt matter, but the cable the controller comes with is a solid 10 feet long. Also, anyone looking to give their controller a unique aesthetic will be pleased with this controller since it comes in over 13 different colors and designs.

Additionally, this controller brings the standard features users have come to expect from a PC controller, such as dual rumble. Dual rumble vibrates the controller in relation to what is going on in-game, and its all completely compatible with Steam Link. A feature unique to this controller is the headset dial. The headset dial, located on the front side of the controller, can be used to adjust game audio and mute the users microphone. It also features two mappable buttons on the backside of the controller to map extra commands.

How To Mirror Your Desktop With The Steam Link

One of the Steam Links best features is actually something that Valve doesnt advertise. While its primary purpose is to stream your games from your PC to your TV, it does that by sending your computers video output to the Link – all of the video output, not just games.

That means you can actually use the Link to mirror whatevers on your computer, allowing you to browse the web, watch videos, play music, and more, right on your TV.

To access the rest of your computers functionality through the Steam Link, you simply have to select the power symbol at the top-right of Steam menu, and select Minimize Big Picture Mode. You should then see your computer desktop, and can go ahead and use it as you wish.

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The Comprehensive Way: Ds4windows

DS4Windows is a freeware program that tricks your PC into thinking an Xbox 360 controller is connected, instead of a DualShock 4. Follow these steps to get it to work.

Which Controllers Can You Use With Steam Link

Steam Link Anywhere is an app developed by Valve that lets you stream your Steam library from your computer to another device. It is the evolution of the Steam Link machine, a box that lets you do pretty much the same thing.

This app lets you play with your whole steam library on smartphones, both iOS and Android, tablets that use the aforementioned operating systems, Samsung Smart TV´s, other PCs, and the Raspberry Pi computers.

So, you make sure your internet connection can handle the stream and install the app on your phone. You boot it up, play for five minutes, and immediately stop. The game is horrible to control, smartphones weren´t made to be gamepads, who knew?

This begs the question…

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Use Ps4 Controller On Steam

So with your PS4 controller now registered for Windows, for Steam to acknowledge it, open Steam, which will automatically convert your PS4 controller to work with your games, even if theyre designed to work with Xbox controllers.

You can even use your PS4 controller with games that dont officially support gamepads. To do this, open Big Picture mode , go to Settings -> Controller Settings and switch on PS4 Configuration Support.

In Big Picture mode, select a game in your library that doesnt support controllers, go to Manage Game in the pane on the left, then Controller Configuration. Here youll be able to set up bespoke PS4 controls for your keyboard-and-mouse game. Roll on the big-screen gamepad sessions of Civilization or Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind!

And thats it! Youre now using the best gamepad in the world on the best gaming platform in the world. And what better way to celebrate by using it to play PS1 games on your PC or, if your PC can handle it, play PS3 games on your PC.

How To Connect A Ps4 Controller To Your Mac

Before we start

Having spent some years coding applications for macOS weve created a tool that everybody can use. The all-round problem fixer for Mac.

So here’s a tip for you: to quickly solve some of the issues mentioned in this article. But to help you do it all by yourself, weve gathered our best ideas and solutions below.

Apple has been going big on gaming for a while, but the launch of Apple Arcade signaled that its focus on games is here to stay. Its perhaps surprising, then, that Apple doesnt make its own controller. Thankfully, it does support connecting great third-party controllers to your Mac, like the PlayStation 4 DualShock. Heres how to connect the PS4 controller to your Mac.

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Sync Steam Link With Tvos And Your Computer

Now that your DS4 is paired with Steam Link and the buttons are set up, its time to get connected to your computer. Using the DS4, select Connect to Computer and Steam Link locates all of the compatible computers on your home network.

Select the correct computer, and the app prompts you to enter a pin code from within the Steam app on your computer. Enter that pin code and then Steam Link runs through a series of tests to make sure that everything is connected.

We would be remiss if we didnt share that if this is your first time setting up Steam Link, there are some additional files that need to download. Let those download, restart your computer, and then start Steam Link application on your Apple TV again.

Provided that everything installed properly, your computer will connect to the Steam Link app quickly and easily. After the diagnostic tests are finished, the Steam application will load on your Apple TV and all of your games can be accessed!

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

The Switch Pro controller is designed for the Nintendo Switch but works great with any PC running Steam Link. The Switch Pro controller connects to devices using Bluetooth or the UBS-C to USB-A cable that comes with it. Unfortunately, this controller doesnt feature a headphone jack. Not having a headphone jack is specifically annoying with the Steam Link because gamers will have to connect their headset directly into either the TV or their PC.

Because its built for the Nintendo Switch, the Switch Pro controller features motion controls. Thankfully, the Switch Pro Controllers gyroscope, rumble, and motion controls work when connected to Steam Link. This is important as many of these features are needed to fully emulate some previous generation Nintendo Nintendo consoles like the WiiU.

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