VirtualHere For Steam Link

About

VirtualHere for Steam Link is a software that enhances compatibility of various USB devices, such as gaming controllers, steering wheels, and microphones, with Steam Link. It works by transmitting the actual USB signal between the Steam Link and the remote PC, allowing the PC to recognize the devices as if they were directly plugged in. Up to three devices can be shared at a time, making it a convenient solution for streaming and playing games on a Steam Link.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

48%

Audience ScoreBased on 510 reviews

optimization12 negative mentions

The software allows for the use of various USB devices, including controllers and headsets, with the Steam Link, providing functionality that should have been included by default.
Customer support is highly praised, with quick responses and effective solutions to issues encountered during setup.
When configured correctly, the software works well for specific use cases, such as using racing wheels and other niche controllers, enhancing the gaming experience.

The software often induces significant input lag, making it unplayable for fast-paced games, especially when using racing wheels or other peripherals.
Many users report that the software is difficult to set up and lacks clear instructions, leading to frustration and confusion.
The pricing is considered high for the functionality provided, especially since similar features are available for free or should be included with the Steam Link.

optimization
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
57%
29%
The optimization of the game is significantly lacking, with users reporting high latency and severe performance issues, particularly when using VirtualHere with Steam Link. Many experienced stuttering, audio artifacts, and frame drops, even on a wired network, leading to frustration and the need for extensive tweaking to achieve acceptable performance. Overall, the performance degradation is so pronounced that it detracts from the gaming experience, prompting some users to seek refunds.
- “I keep the Steam Link itself up to date, and have prioritized and meticulously tweaked its network connection both on the device itself and my PC to get the best performance I possibly can. I can run just about anything on the 'best' quality settings with no controller lag, and perfect 60fps and audio.”
- “I decided to turn down the stream quality from 'best' to 'balanced' to see if that fixed things, and turned on the performance overlay.”
- “It took me a good hour or so of running up and down stairs, changing settings/config files on both the streaming PC and the Steam Link to get a quality/performance balance that was acceptable.”
- “While VirtualHere is running, my Steam games, GameCube games, and even the Steam overlay itself suffer from crackling, choppy audio, and stuttering/full-on blacking out video.”
- “With a little finagling, VirtualHere did exactly what I bought it for, but at such a terrible price in performance it becomes difficult to play anything thanks to the incredible lag.”
- “Severe packet loss encountered when VirtualHere is enabled when playing via Steam Link resulting in stuttering streaming and audio artifacts - unlikely to be network as on a 1GB wired network and games are fine when the application is enabled, refund unfortunately requested.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The graphics in the program are praised for their impressive quality, delivering console-level visuals and solid frame rates, particularly in a well-equipped gaming setup. However, users have reported significant input lag during graphically intensive games when using a Steam Link, likely due to bandwidth limitations affecting data transmission. Overall, while the graphics are highly regarded, some technical issues may impact performance in certain scenarios.
- “Within 20 minutes I was gaming at solid frame rates and console-smashing graphics from my man-cave, using my G29 wheel with no physical connection to my PC besides the mains electricity.”
- “My PC is 8 cores running at 4.0GHz with an NVIDIA GTX 750 Ti graphics card.”
- “I will say I noticed significant input lag for graphically intense games when running my Steam Link in the 'beautiful' setting.”
- “It used to lag all the time when playing graphic intensive games!”
- “I assume that is because the bandwidth is saturated with the graphics data and there is not enough bandwidth to handle the USB data as well.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues with the software, describing it as "buggy" and expressing frustration with the lack of helpful troubleshooting resources from the developers. Many suggest that additional setup videos and guides would improve the user experience.
- “The FAQ and troubleshooting tips from the dev in the forum were not particularly helpful and sounded like 'well, it should just work...'.”
- “I think a couple of videos on how to set it up and a couple of troubleshooting guides would be a good thing to add to your media on this store page.”
- “I bought it (the software is free but if you want it with Steam Link it's 12 euro...), tried it and it was buggy as hell.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews emphasize the importance of context in understanding the story, suggesting that the narrative is deeply intertwined with the product's usage and experience. However, some users feel that the reviews lean more towards personal anecdotes rather than traditional critiques of the story itself.
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users express frustration with the music synchronization in the game, indicating difficulties in getting it to work properly.
- “Not sure what else to do to get it to work in sync with the music in the game.”