Steam Link

Optimizing the PC-gaming experience with high performance wireless streaming

The Valve Steam Link optimizes the PC gaming experience by linking the gamer’s PC from the bedroom or office to another gaming location, such as the Living Room TV. In parallel with their engineers’ conception of the product, Valve enlisted the services of Synapse, who partnered with the Valve team to develop the hardware and software for the most cost effective & timely design.

As one of the first streaming devices specifically designed for gaming, the Steam Link required connectivity to a large variety of user devices including WiFi routers, PCs, TVs, and USB and Bluetooth devices. To achieve smooth exchanges between a range of products, Synapse and Valve worked closely together to tackle challenges in the software to resolve numerous interoperability issues with products in the field. With a short timeline and a small team, Synapse and Valve designed a fully functional system with many high performance features. Synapse’s engagement with the Valve team continued into the production of the Steam Link, where Synapse provided support and maintenance during mass production.