Can You Play Steam Games on Your Phone
Steam is the definitive digital distribution service.
Before every console had a virtual system — and countless digital distribution stores appeared to challenge it — there was Steam. Before Left 4 Dead 2, GLaDOS, and even before Half-Life 2, there was Steam. It is arguably the best way to play Windows and Mac games, with regular sales and an impressive list of games.
Its excellence in its field begs the question: If you can play Steam games on your gaming PC, can you play them on your phone and other mobile devices?
We’ll stop the suspense: Yes, you can. Gamers everywhere can enjoy PC games on mobile devices thanks to new apps and compatibility services. WTFast is here to showcase how to play Steam games anywhere, thanks to one simple app.
How Do You Play Games on Steam?
Playing games on Steam starts out as a simple, two-step process. First, download Valve’s Steam Link app from your device's app store. Then, connect to the PC that you want to run Steam. Then, you’re ready to start downloading your favorite games and playing!
The steam link app is available for iOS, Android, and Linux. It works with tablets, phones, and Android, Samsung, and Apple Smart TVs. It’s also available for contemporary versions of Raspberry Pi.
When you play games on Steam Link, you aren’t technically playing them directly from your device. Rather, you are streaming the game to your device from whatever device you have that has the primary Steam client.
This is the case whether you’re playing on an iPhone, Android phone, iPad, Apple TV, or any other smart device. Your PC enters big picture mode to send data to whatever system you are playing the Steam app on.
This does come with a few downfalls, though. Unlike on desktop, you cannot play on the Steam mobile app offline. Roughly 3.1 Mb/s is the recommended internet speed, which many systems can reliably achieve. If you can’t, you may need to look into ways to improve your network connection.
What Games Can You Play on Steam?
Per Valve’s own comment, virtually any game that runs on your computer can run on Steam Link. Some of the most popular Steam Link games are CS:GO, PUBG: Battlegrounds, GTA V, and Dead by Daylight.
Clearly, players are primarily using Steam Link to play with friends and fight their foes.
The bigger question you should be asking is what games can and should you play on your phone. Whether or not your save data is present across devices depends on the game and if it uses cloud sharing. Still, if a game is on your Steam account, you can try to play it.
Each game has its own amount of RAM required. The average AAA game requires 8GB of RAM, and the most demanding at maximum settings may require 16GB.
For comparison, the majority of desktop PCs start out with 8GB of RAM. 16GB is fairly easy to achieve, and any number beyond that is considered luxurious.
16GB isn’t especially easy to achieve on other devices. For phones, tablets, and smart TVs, anything exceeding 8GB is a luxury. Anything reaching 16GB is at the absolute pinnacle of performance.
In short, most devices should be able to run casual, low-graphical intensity indie games with ease. Many may even be able to run a few AAA games on low settings.
Still, don’t expect to be able to run Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, or Elden Ring on maximum settings. Unless you have a phenomenal device or get a phenomenal upgrade, it won’t happen.
What Are Other Game Streaming Services?
We’d like to highlight the fact that Steam isn’t the only service offering video game streaming at home. For console gamers, console-specific services like Playstation Now allow easy streaming without worrying about download consumption.
Elsewhere in the world of gaming, Google Stadia and Amazon Luna, and Xbox Cloud Gaming all offer smart-device support. For the most part, these provide streaming capabilities to a combination of smartphones, tablets, and TVs.
Generally, broad support across several operating systems makes these services compete based on game libraries.
The exception is Google Stadia, available on the Google Play store but not iOS’s App Store. To counter this de-listing, Google has released browser-based applications to attempt to allow compatibility.
There is one major difference between these sorts of game services and that provided by Steam Link. The above all stream to smart devices, require subscription payments, and come with a list of games included. The Steam app streams games for free directly from your Steam library.
The debate between whether to buy games or to use games-as-a-service is an extremely complicated one. This is especially the case as an overwhelming number of games sold are digital. In case of internet outages or the cessation of services, the question of accessibility persists.
With Steam Link, you don’t have to worry about losing access to games just because you cancel a subscription. You can play the games you love when you want, provided you meet the base requirements.
What Tools Can Help Your Mobile Gaming?
A large part of gaming is creating the right setup. With streaming options, you’ve turned every place in your home into a potential place for streaming.
Unfortunately, not every space is automatically set up to be a gaming power station. That divide between possibility and execution is where mobile gaming accessories come into play.
Gaming controllers are an essential part of game history. Today, you can play games using a Macbook’s keyboard and touchpad or your cell phone’s phone screen.
However, you may want to use a controller. If you do, you’ll want one that’s compatible with as many of your devices as possible.
For Steam, it makes sense to invest in the Steam controller. This Bluetooth controller is designed to work with any PC that can run Steam games. Similarly, it can also be paired with the Steam Link app so you can enjoy playing these games on mobile.
If you’re an Apple fan, you may also be interested in MFi controllers. These controllers have been approved directly by Apple for use with all devices running their OS. In a time where full-scale compatibility can be an issue, this is a massive boon for gamers.
Latency and Lag in Mobile Gaming (and How To Overcome Them)
At this point, you’re ready for some high-powered gameplay. You’ve got games ready, and you know your RAM supports them. Unfortunately, you may still experience latency and lag.
These issues with stuttering and unresponsive controls can be annoying in single-player games — and game-ruining in multiplayer ones.
High latency can render even the best games unplayable. Fortunately, there are several solutions to them. The first is to ensure you have the best possible internet connection for the best possible gameplay.
Most likely, you’re going to be on wi-fi if you’re using your phone. When possible, you should try to get on a 5GHz connection. 5G is significantly faster than 4G connections, leading to lowered latency and more responsive controls. If you still have issues, then you might consider taking an extreme approach to connectivity.
Mobile adapters allow you to connect to your router through ethernet for a stable connection. This is the ultimate approach to connecting with your router for improved gameplay. Because of the length of ethernet cords, you can still easily game from anywhere near your router.
If you want just a little bit stronger push, you can consider using ping enhancers. Ping enhancers use a variety of methods in order to speed your data transfer rate and reduce latency. Given that you are already streaming to your phone, it can address any latency issues caused there.
Our Gamers Private Network (GPN) differs from other networks in a special way. With a normal internet connection, your data is transferred the same way as everyone else’s. The GPN essentially uses real-time analytics and route management to control the best route for your data.
With availability on both mobile and PC, it can help you no matter which way you game.
The Future of Gaming
Video games aren’t contained to heavy-duty consoles and dedicated handheld gaming devices anymore. With Steam Link, you can play on your Android phone or iOS device.
If you use Steam and love gaming, what are you waiting for? You can start playing easily thanks to the simplicity of the app and the ease of playing.
The future of gaming belongs to smart devices. Considering the power of our phones and more, it only makes sense that we use them for something more.
Online gaming offers a new level of connectivity no matter your medium. With mobile gaming on Steam, it’s literally always within your grasp.
WTFast is thrilled to provide guides on this and all other gaming topics. If you enjoyed this article, check out some of the best PC games to add to your Steam library.
Sources:
US Computer and Video Game Sales - Digital Vs. Physical 2018 | Statista
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