My PC has been my only serious gaming device for almost a decade. I don't own a gaming laptop, handheld, or console, and my phone hasn't seen a gaming app in years. The Apple TV 4K connected to our TV has some gaming chops, thanks to Apple Arcade, but I've never been interested in those titles. That said, I wanted to see if I could enjoy my favorite PC games on my TV without buying another device — Steam Link was the simplest solution.

I wanted the console experience without buying one

Turning my Apple TV into a proper console

I have a fairly powerful gaming PC, and thanks to my new 34" OLED monitor, it's been a blast tearing through my backlog of late. That said, I don't always feel like launching a game after writing for 6–8 hours on the same machine. I want to be able to play on my 55-inch TV while sitting on the couch. My 1440p ultrawide OLED monitor is great, but the immersion of a 55-inch 4K screen is unparalleled.

Buying a PlayStation 5 was an option, but spending over $500 (here in India) on a console with too few exclusives wasn't exactly a sweet deal. Besides, I found a simpler way. Enter Steam Link, a no-nonsense software solution to stream my PC games to my Apple TV without spending anything on new hardware.

I'm late to the party, but that's because I've never thought of mixing my gaming and streaming devices before. With Steam Link, however, I could pair my Apple TV with my PC, and play any game from my Steam Library on my large-screen TV. With a controller connected to the Apple TV, and using an intuitive console-like interface, thanks to Steam's Big Picture Mode, I basically had a Steam Machine of my own.

Setting up Steam Link was surprisingly simple

Especially on Apple TV

The great thing about Steam Link is that it's super simple to set up. Since it's a native Steam feature, I didn't need to download any software for the host device, i.e., my gaming PC. The only thing needed on the client end was the Steam Link app on the Apple TV. So, here's how you can set up Steam Link on your TV:

1. Ensure that Enable Remote Play is turned on in the Remote Play settings on Steam (on your PC).
2. Download the Steam Link app on your Apple TV, smart TV, or other supported device.
3. Connect a controller (wireless, preferably) to your TV using the Bluetooth settings.
4. Launch Steam Link, and your gaming PC should be visible in the Computer settings (make sure it's turned on and on the same network).
5. Select the PC and enter the code shown on the screen when the prompt appears on your PC's Steam window.
6. You can configure the streaming settings on Steam, such as choosing between Enhanced 1080p or Enhanced 4K, resolution limit, bandwidth limit, and framerate limit.
7. With your computer and controller showing up as connected on the Steam Link screen on the TV, click Play to launch the Big Picture Mode.
8. Launch the game you want to play. It'll launch on the PC, and you'll be able to control the action on your TV.

Steam Link is convenient, but not perfect

I'll try Moonlight next

Steam Link is perhaps the simplest way to stream your game library on your connected devices, but it isn't without some annoying issues. For instance, I was stuck on black screens when launching some games that worked fine on other occasions. Steam Link also doesn't play well with non-Steam titles, and experiences random connection slowdowns when the Wi-Fi is working perfectly.

For me, Steam Link is just fine right now — I've only started streaming games from my PC to the TV. Moonlight is a more comprehensive tool that works well with both Steam and non-Steam games, enjoys a generally smoother connection, and allows remote access for much more than gaming. However, Moonlight has a more involved setup since you need to configure the Sunshine server on the host device.

I'll try it out in a few months to see if my experience differs vastly from that on Steam Link, but for now, I'm loving the console-like experience I've created on my Apple TV.

I didn't expect game streaming to be this seamless

Before setting up Steam Link on my Apple TV, I expected it to be a somewhat messy experience. However, thanks to a fairly speedy connection, I was able to enjoy my PC games on my TV without experiencing any lag or frame drops. I mostly play single-player games anyway, so this PC-to-TV streaming setup works out great for my needs. I'll experiment with Moonlight next, and hopefully share my experience with that, too.