Steam Link for Android TV adds HDR, AV1 codec, Surround Sound support, and more

1 week ago 2

If you like to play games from your PC on your couch, the Steam Link app for Android TV is a great way to do so. The latest Steam Link v1.3.12 for Android TV has received some important quality-of-life upgrades to enhance that experience.

As originally spotted by AFTVnews, the latest update for the Steam Link app on Android TV has bene detailed by Valve and is already rolling out with several changes in tow.

These include support for over 500 new Android devices, improvements to how Wi-Fi is handled, but the big ticket changes to the Steam Link app are the inclusion of AV1 codec support with “high-end PCs,” support for streaming HDR video when at 1080p or 4K resolution, and Surround Sound audio on Android TV.

Other notables include a better connection to Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, a recommendation tool that provides feedback after a network test has occurred, plus the ability to disable low-latency audio when streaming. If you want a deeper breakdown, then you can check out the full changelog below:

Added support for over 500 Android devices
Added settings recommendations based on network test results
Added a WiFi lock while streaming to reduce periodic interruptions
Added support for HDR streaming from Windows, requires selecting an enhanced 1080p/4K streaming configuration
Added an option for AV1 video streaming from high end PCs
Fixed the Nintendo Switch Pro controller when connected to the latest Steam client
Fixed surround sound support on Android TV
Added an option to disable low latency audio
Added Indonesian language support
Fall back to English if non-latin font downloads fail

It’s worth noting that not all Android TV devices will even support streaming of AV1 video on an internal network when using the Steam Link app. This includes the Nvidia Shield TV and Shield TV Pro, which lack support for the enhanced streaming codec.

According to Valve, this update should be rolling out right now via the Google Play Store. If you do not have an update waiting, then you can grab Steam Link v1.3.12 directly from the official Valve repository – but note you will need to sideload manually.