Steam Link on Raspberry Pi 5: Simple Performance Guide

ByC Wilson
Steam Link Performance Tuning on Raspberry Pi

Introduction

Steam Link performance tuning on Raspberry Pi 5 brings a gaming PC library to a TV or monitor with less noise and clutter than a tower in the living room. Raspberry Pi 5 acts as a small client that decodes a video stream, sends controller input back, and displays the result in real time. With a quad core 2.4 GHz Arm Cortex A76 CPU and a VideoCore VII GPU, the board can handle 1080p and even 4K 60 fps streaming when the rest of the setup is strong. Raspberry Pi+1

For beginners, performance tuning here means a few clear tasks. The Raspberry Pi 5 should stay cool and powered, the network path between the Pi and the gaming PC should remain stable, and Steam Link settings on both devices should match the limits of the hardware and the line. When these parts line up, input latency feels low, frame times stay even, and dropped frames become rare.

Key takeaways

  • Raspberry Pi 5 has enough CPU and GPU power to serve as an effective Steam Link client for 1080p and 4K streaming.
  • A stable power supply and active cooling case reduce thermal throttling and keep decoding performance consistent.
  • Wired Gigabit Ethernet usually provides the best foundation, while strong dual band Wi Fi can also work with modest bitrates.
  • Matching stream resolution, frame rate, codec, and bitrate to network capacity and host PC performance prevents stutter.
  • Hardware encoders on the gaming PC and sensible graphics presets are as important as settings on Raspberry Pi 5.
  • Regular updates to Raspberry Pi OS, firmware, Steam Link, and the Steam client help maintain performance over time.

Raspberry Pi 5 hardware and OS preparation

Choose a suitable Raspberry Pi 5 configuration

For Steam Link, Raspberry Pi 5 with 4 GB or 8 GB of LPDDR4X SDRAM provides a comfortable margin for desktop, Steam Link, and background services. The Broadcom BCM2712 system on chip with its Arm Cortex A76 cores and shared 2 MB L3 cache offers much stronger CPU performance than earlier Raspberry Pi boards, which helps with decoding and general responsiveness. Raspberry Pi+1

Secure a stable power supply and cooling

A proper Raspberry Pi 5 power supply and cooling solution should be treated as part of performance tuning, not an accessory. The official case for Raspberry Pi 5 includes an integrated temperature controlled fan and a small heatsink that keep the CPU and GPU within a comfortable range even under heavy load. Raspberry Pi Datasheets Without this, thermal throttling can reduce clock speeds and create stutter in Steam Link sessions. Checking temperature during tests shows whether cooling is enough.

Install and update Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm

Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm is the recommended system for Raspberry Pi 5. After writing the image to a microSD card, the device should be booted, connected to the network, and updated with the standard package manager so it receives the latest kernel, firmware, and graphics stack. These updates include improvements to the KMS graphics driver, VideoCore VII support, and dual 4Kp60 HDMI output handling.

A typical first boot update sequence in a terminal looks like this:

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo reboot

Connect and configure the display

Steam Link on Raspberry Pi 5 works best with a direct HDMI connection to a TV or monitor. Since the board supports dual 4Kp60 HDMI with HDR, there is enough display bandwidth for high resolution streaming. In Raspberry Pi OS, the screen configuration should be checked for the correct resolution, refresh rate, and overscan settings so Steam Link sees the real display size and does not need extra scaling. Raspberry Pi+1

Installing Steam Link on Raspberry Pi 5

Install the Steam Link client

Valve provides a Steam Link client that runs on Raspberry Pi 5 as part of the official support for the board. Raspberry Pi On Raspberry Pi OS, this package can be installed from the distribution repository or a supported package source. After installation, the Steam Link icon appears in the menu. Launching the application starts a scan of the local network for Steam clients with Remote Play enabled.

On Raspberry Pi OS, installation with apt is direct:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install steamlink -y

Steam Link can then be started from the menu under Games, or from a terminal:

steamlink

Pair Raspberry Pi 5 with the gaming PC

During pairing, Steam Link shows a PIN on the Raspberry Pi 5 screen. The Steam client on the gaming PC requests this PIN to confirm the connection. Once entered, Steam Remote Play trusts the client, and the new device appears in the Remote Play list inside the Steam settings. This pairing allows the Pi to wake the PC, start sessions, and access the Steam library.

Configure controllers for basic input

Gamepads such as Xbox controllers, PlayStation controllers, or generic USB pads can be connected by USB cable or Bluetooth to Raspberry Pi 5. In Raspberry Pi OS, they appear as input devices and are passed through to Steam Link. In the Steam Link interface, the user walks through a simple mapping and test process to verify that buttons, sticks, and triggers respond correctly with no visible delay.

Set audio routing inside the system and Steam Link

Audio is part of the streaming chain and affects the sense of latency. Raspberry Pi OS allows selection of HDMI output, analog output, or sometimes Bluetooth speakers. Steam Link expects audio to be available on the default system device. By choosing the preferred HDMI output in the system settings and keeping Steam Link at its default audio device, audio and video stay in sync more reliably.

Network tuning for Steam Remote Play

Prefer Gigabit Ethernet where possible

Raspberry Pi 5 includes a Gigabit Ethernet port that offers a clean, low latency connection inside a home network. Adafruit+1 When both the Pi and the gaming PC use Ethernet to the same router or switch, the path typically has low ping times, low jitter, and high throughput. This combination supports higher bitrates and makes 1080p 60 fps or 4K 60 fps more realistic.

Use dual band Wi Fi carefully

The board also supports dual band 802.11ac Wi Fi, which can work well when the access point is nearby and the 5 GHz band is not crowded. Raspberry Pi+1 For Wi Fi only setups, router placement, channel choice, and line of sight matter. If several devices share the same access point, it helps to keep large file transfers and streaming on different bands or time windows.

Check router firmware, QoS, and LAN structure

Steam’s own guidance suggests enabling the option to prioritize network traffic on the host and keeping router firmware current. Steam Support Many routers offer simple QoS options that can give streaming traffic a higher priority than bulk downloads. It also helps to keep both devices on the same LAN segment behind a single router, rather than behind chains of consumer routers that add extra hops and sometimes double NAT.

Set realistic bitrate targets for 1080p and 4K

For 1080p 60 fps over wired Ethernet, a bitrate range around 15 to 25 Mbit per second is a reasonable starting point. For 4K 60 fps, the stream needs more bandwidth and a stronger host PC, so values often land higher. Steam Remote Play allows a manual bitrate cap in its advanced settings. Steam Support+1 A lower cap can prevent short bandwidth dips from causing sharp stutter.

Measure ping, packet loss, and jitter

Simple ping tests between Raspberry Pi 5 and the gaming PC provide a first look at latency and variance. A stable setup shows low average ping and small spread around that number. Packet loss, which appears as occasional timeouts, often aligns with visible glitches in Steam Link. Some users also test with tools that send bursts of packets to simulate a game stream and watch how the network handles them.

A quick one line ping check from the Pi to the PC looks like this:

ping -c 50 192.168.1.50

Replace 192.168.1.50 with the gaming PC address. For deeper testing, an iperf pair can measure throughput:

On the gaming PC (server):

iperf3 -s

On the Raspberry Pi 5 (client):

iperf3 -c 192.168.1.50

Video and audio settings inside Steam Link

Match resolution and frame rate to the display and hardware

Steam Link on Raspberry Pi 5 can render at both 1080p 60 fps and 4K 60 fps, given a suitable display, a strong host PC, and enough network bandwidth. Ars Technica notes that Raspberry Pi 5 can act as a smaller, faster Steam Link style client with up to 4K 60 fps streaming. Ars Technica+1 In practice, 1080p 60 fps is a good baseline profile for most rooms, as it balances clarity and latency.

Select H.264 or H.265 HEVC

The choice of codec is a major tuning tool. Raspberry Pi 5 supports a 4Kp60 HEVC hardware decoder, so H.265 is possible and more efficient at a given quality compared with H.264. Product Information Portal+1 However, H.265 can place a higher load on both the host encoder and the client decoder. H.264 may offer more headroom on weaker GPUs or marginal networks. Switching between the two and testing with the same scene is a clear way to compare.

Adjust video bitrate cap and quality sliders

Inside Steam Link, advanced options allow a manual bitrate cap and sometimes a quality or sharpness slider. Lowering the cap a little below the measured stable throughput of the network can smooth out occasional spikes in use. For example, a wired 1080p profile might use 20 Mbit per second, while a similar Wi Fi profile might settle closer to 12 to 15 Mbit per second for safety.

Tune audio mode and bitrate

While audio uses less bandwidth than video, it still affects stability on very limited connections. Stereo audio at a moderate bitrate is a safe default. Surround modes and very high bitrates are better reserved for strong wired links. If audio glitches appear while video seems stable, reducing audio bitrate or switching back to stereo helps confirm whether the link is at its limit.

Host PC configuration for smooth streaming

Enable hardware encoders for Steam Remote Play

On the gaming PC, hardware video encoders such as NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, and Intel Quick Sync Video free the CPU from heavy encoding work. Steam Remote Play can use these encoders automatically when the driver and GPU support are present. Hardware encoding is well suited to the continuous nature of game streaming and keeps both encoding latency and load under control.

Align game resolution and settings with the stream profile

For a 1080p 60 fps stream, the game should normally render at 1080p rather than a higher resolution that is then scaled down by the GPU. Matching the in game resolution with the Steam Link profile avoids redundant scaling and reduces GPU load. Graphical features such as heavy anti aliasing, ray tracing, or high resolution textures can be lowered if they cause sharp spikes in frame time.

Manage vsync, frame limiters, and overlays

Vsync and frame limiters should be set with the target stream frame rate in mind. If both the game and Steam Link try to control timing in conflicting ways, micro stutter can appear. In many cases, enabling vsync in game and letting Steam Link follow that rate, or using a simple in game frame limit that matches 60 fps, works well. The Steam overlay and similar tools also consume resources, so disabling them during troubleshooting can remove a variable.

Monitor CPU, GPU, and encoder load during sessions

Monitoring tools on Windows and Linux can show CPU usage, GPU usage, VRAM consumption, and encoder activity while Steam Remote Play is active. If the GPU or encoder stays at or near 100 percent, encoding or rendering may be the bottleneck rather than the Raspberry Pi 5 or the network. Reducing resolution, lowering visual effects, or dropping the frame rate can stabilize the stream.

Raspberry Pi 5 diagnostics and tuning

Watch CPU, GPU, and temperature

Raspberry Pi OS includes system monitors and command line tools that show CPU usage, GPU usage, and temperature. When Steam Link runs, these values should move but not max out for long periods. If the CPU stays at full use, or if temperature climbs toward the limit set in firmware, the board might start to throttle. This process lengthens frame decoding and leads to visible stutter.

A quick temperature check from a terminal can look like this:

vcgencmd measure_temp

For a running view every second:

watch -n 1 vcgencmd measure_temp

System monitors such as htop and the graphical task manager in Raspberry Pi OS also help show CPU and memory load.

Set the performance CPU governor

The CPU governor controls how often the cores boost to higher frequencies. On systems where inconsistent clocks cause jitter, switching from a powersave style governor to a performance oriented one can keep decoding work more consistent. This setting should be tested carefully, since it also increases power use and heat, which in turn reinforces the need for proper cooling.

Deal with frame drops and audio desync

Frame drops on Raspberry Pi 5 often appear when bitrate is too high for the link, when codec load is too heavy, or when the board is already warm. Dropping from 4K to 1080p, reducing bitrate, or switching from H.265 to H.264 can lighten the load. Audio desync can come from either the decoder or the encoder side. Lowering audio buffering where possible and watching for large spikes in frame time can help identify the source.

Common issues and direct fixes

Fullscreen problems and desktop interference

Some users report cases where Steam Link appears in a window or the desktop shows over the video on Raspberry Pi devices. Running Steam Link in a dedicated fullscreen session, disabling Raspberry Pi OS screen savers, and hiding panels or overlays often prevents the desktop from stealing focus during play. Keeping the display configuration simple, with a single active monitor, reduces surprises.

High input latency on a seemingly strong network

When ping looks low but controller input feels slow, frame timing on the host PC is often the real cause. If the game, the encoder, or the GPU pipeline struggle, new frames take longer to appear, and input feels delayed even though network latency is fine. Lowering graphics quality, closing heavy background tasks, and checking the frame time graph in Steam help address this problem.

Wi Fi only homes and modest bandwidth

In homes where Ethernet is not practical, realistic settings keep the experience pleasant. For Wi Fi only setups, a 1080p 60 fps or even 1080p 30 fps profile with H.264, a bitrate cap around 10 to 15 Mbit per second, and stereo audio often behaves better than an ambitious 4K profile. Placing the access point in the same room as the Raspberry Pi 5 and the TV reduces walls and interference.

4K TVs, scaling, and HDR quirks

On some 4K televisions, scaling and HDR processing can add processing delay. If input feels slow on a particular TV, trying the game mode or turning off extra image processing features can help. In Raspberry Pi OS, matching the output resolution and refresh rate to the TV’s native values reduces extra scaling steps that might introduce small timing problems.

Example Steam Link profiles for Raspberry Pi 5

Stable 1080p 60 fps profile over Ethernet

  • Client: Raspberry Pi 5 with 4 GB or 8 GB RAM
  • Connection: Gigabit Ethernet
  • Resolution: 1920 by 1080
  • Frame rate: 60 fps
  • Codec: H.264
  • Bitrate cap: 18 to 22 Mbit per second
  • Audio: stereo
  • CPU governor: performance

This profile suits most games and TVs while keeping latency low and requirements reasonable.

4K 60 fps profile on strong 5 GHz Wi-Fi

  • Client: Raspberry Pi 5 with 8 GB RAM
  • Connection: dual band 802.11ac on 5 GHz, near the access point
  • Resolution: 3840 by 2160
  • Frame rate: 60 fps
  • Codec: H.265 HEVC
  • Bitrate cap: 18 to 25 Mbit per second based on tests (starting point to keep Wi-Fi happy, users seeking better image quality can climb toward 30–40 Mbit/s, testing for stutter.)
  • Audio: stereo or surround depending on stability

This profile aims at sharp image quality on a good 4K TV with a strong network and a powerful gaming PC.

Low bandwidth apartment profile

  • Client: Raspberry Pi 5
  • Connection: mixed Wi Fi with several neighbors
  • Resolution: 1280 by 720 or 1920 by 1080
  • Frame rate: 30 or 60 fps depending on tests
  • Codec: H.264
  • Bitrate cap: 8 to 12 Mbit per second
  • Audio: stereo at moderate bitrate

This profile keeps demands low so streaming remains usable even when other devices use the network.

Maintenance and ongoing checks

Keep Raspberry Pi OS and firmware updated

Raspberry Pi 5 benefits from frequent firmware and kernel improvements that touch on VideoCore VII, HEVC decoding, HDMI timing, and general stability. Official datasheets and product briefs highlight the role of the GPU and display path, and updates often refine their behavior. Product Information Portal+1 Regular updates help maintain compatibility with new Steam Link features.

Update Steam Link and the Steam client

Valve updates Steam and Steam Link routinely, including changes to codecs, bitrate logic, and Remote Play options. Keeping both the client on Raspberry Pi 5 and the Steam client on the gaming PC current ensures that the encoder and decoder stay in sync with expected capabilities.

Retest after significant changes

After major system or driver changes, running a short test with a known game and scene helps verify that performance remains stable. If problems appear, adjusting bitrate, resolution, or codec choices based on earlier notes speeds up troubleshooting. Keeping a simple record of working profiles for each room and display is helpful when rebuilding or swapping hardware.

FAQ

Can Raspberry Pi 5 act as a full Steam Link replacement?
Yes. Valve officially supports Steam Link on Raspberry Pi 5, and Raspberry Pi highlights this usage as a way to stream games from a PC to a TV. With suitable network and PC hardware, it can stream at up to 4K 60 fps. Raspberry Pi+1

Is Ethernet required for good Steam Link performance on Raspberry Pi 5?
Ethernet is not required, but it greatly improves stability. Gigabit Ethernet removes Wi Fi interference and usually allows higher bitrate caps with fewer dropped frames. Dual band Wi Fi can still provide good results at moderate bitrates.

Which codec is better, H.264 or H.265, for Raspberry Pi 5 streaming?
H.264 generally keeps load light and is a safe choice for most networks. H.265 HEVC offers better compression and can improve image quality at lower bitrates, but it requires more work from encoder and decoder hardware. Raspberry Pi 5 includes a 4Kp60 HEVC decoder, so both are available options. Product Information Portal+1

How does thermal throttling influence Steam Link performance?
When Raspberry Pi 5 gets too warm, it lowers CPU and GPU clock speeds to protect the hardware. This throttling can delay video decoding and raise frame times, which appears as stutter or hitches. An active cooling case with a fan and heatsink reduces this risk. Raspberry Pi Datasheets

What is a good starting profile for beginners?
A common starting profile is 1080p 60 fps with H.264, a bitrate cap around 18 Mbit per second, stereo audio, Raspberry Pi 5 on Ethernet, and the gaming PC using hardware encoding. From there, users can test higher or lower bitrates, alternate codecs, or 4K resolutions if hardware and network conditions allow.

References

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