Great to see this old Hardware getting some love. I just saw it update for me.

Hello,
I use the steam link hardware device.
Tonight I connected my switch pro bluetooth controller to it for the first time. Cool.
However after turning off the device, I have no way to turn it back on using the bluetooth controller.
Can this be enabled by me someplace? Otherwise I'll just go back to using my wired xbox 360 controller.

I love this little thing, my only regret is not buying more!

I have 2 links and 2 steam controllers. One is connected to my projector and the other is to my TV.

Last night the projector link got updated to 918 and it works perfectly. The TV link is still having connection issues since the 900 builds were rolled out, it did start working again until build 916 hit. Now at 918 it's seemingly improved, but I just can't use the controller to navigate the streaming side of things. On the host machine the controller is working but it isn't showing up on the TV side, it's basically frozen and if it does work it's choppy and all I can really do is hold select to stop streaming.

I'll keep waiting for more builds I guess, because eventually it will work.

Originally posted by Rural Development:

Last night the projector link got updated to 918 and it works perfectly. The TV link is still having connection issues since the 900 builds were rolled out, it did start working again until build 916 hit. Now at 918 it's seemingly improved, but I just can't use the controller to navigate the streaming side of things.

So, to double-check -- controller is connected to the Link (in dongle mode, I assume?), the Link is connected to the Windows box, and the controller works fine for the Link before you start streaming. Yes?

What I'm not 100% clear on is the next part. When you say "on the host machine the controller is working, but it doesn't show up on the TV side" do you mean that the input from the controller connected to the Link is showing up properly on the Windows box (e.g. if you move the selection around in Big Picture, you see it change on the PC), but the change doesn't show up at all on the Link side? As opposed to "it doesn't work at all once I start streaming, but it works when I go and plug it into the PC directly."

If it's the first one -- that the input registers on the PC and you see the selection change, but it doesn't show up on the Link side -- that seems less a controller issue and more a "the stream has frozen" issue.

Could you try the streaming again, then after you end the session, go to your Steam install directory on the Windows box and go into the "logs" directory underneath it, then put streaming_log.txt somewhere (Pastebin or whatever) that you can link here? That'll hopefully give more of an idea what's going on.

Thanks!

Originally posted by Packetdancer:

Originally posted by Rural Development:

Last night the projector link got updated to 918 and it works perfectly. The TV link is still having connection issues since the 900 builds were rolled out, it did start working again until build 916 hit. Now at 918 it's seemingly improved, but I just can't use the controller to navigate the streaming side of things.

So, to double-check -- controller is connected to the Link (in dongle mode, I assume?), the Link is connected to the Windows box, and the controller works fine for the Link before you start streaming. Yes?

What I'm not 100% clear on is the next part. When you say "on the host machine the controller is working, but it doesn't show up on the TV side" do you mean that the input from the controller connected to the Link is showing up properly on the Windows box (e.g. if you move the selection around in Big Picture, you see it change on the PC), but the change doesn't show up at all on the Link side? As opposed to "it doesn't work at all once I start streaming, but it works when I go and plug it into the PC directly."

If it's the first one -- that the input registers on the PC and you see the selection change, but it doesn't show up on the Link side -- that seems less a controller issue and more a "the stream has frozen" issue.

Could you try the streaming again, then after you end the session, go to your Steam install directory on the Windows box and go into the "logs" directory underneath it, then put streaming_log.txt somewhere (Pastebin or whatever) that you can link here? That'll hopefully give more of an idea what's going on.

Thanks!

Cheers for trying to help btw :) (I wasn't fully in troubleshoot mode, just figured this info was enough feedback while I just wait for a fix).

I'm using the controller in receiver mode, the dongle I do not use since the link has that built in receiver. My setup is just a link hooked up the TV and my PC connects to the link via ethernet. The controller is all good navigating the link menu, it's only when I start to stream, it fails to display my PC on the TV. Like it almost works, the blue bar at the bottom pops up to show the connection and green tick but then freezes or is extremely laggy (only happened a few times). Mind you this is an improvement from before where the green tick wouldn't happen.

So, I go check the PC and can see that it's all working fine there. No dongle or BT is on the PC to interfere with the steam controller.

Need to find a way to send that streaming_log.txt file. It has a lot of these 2 lines popping up. Should be enough info? Unless there's other lines to look out for.

[2026-03-01 09:21:42][83.170425] CLIENT: Didn't get keyframe, resending lost data notification

[2026-03-01 09:21:42][83.216283] CLIENT: Marking frame 3332 complete with status k_EStreamFrameResultDroppedReset

This update broke my steam link, the WiFi will no longer connect. I tried a factory reset which allowed the WiFi to work, but couldn't connect to the PC running Steam. The steam link then updated back to 918 and could no longer connect to WiFi.

If you boot it with USB stick containing the file "steamlink/config/system/update_branch.txt" with just "915" in the file and then update, it should force it back to 915; does the wifi work there?

I cannot think of any change in 918 specifically that would break wifi, but we can shuffle build numbers around a bit and if it starts working in one place it'll at least be a data point.

to make it easier, also make a file on the usb stick
'usb:\steamlink\config\system\enable_ssh.txt'
with nothing in it

*make sure windows explorer is set to show file extensions

that will enable ftp/sftp/ssh on the link, so you can manage it remotely when its on *not in standby

now you can log into the link with filezilla or other ftp remote file manager
link ip 192.168.x.y
port = 22
username = root
password = steamlink123

browse to folder
//mnt/config/system

then copy the 2 files "enable_ssh.txt" and "update_branch.txt"
make sure update_branch.txt contains just the build number you want to update to
then unplug the usb stick and reboot the link, ftp will be enabled by default and it will update to the version in that file

to go back to latest public
link menu -> settings -> system -> switch to public

I'm glad to see that you furthermore support this Hardware. I love my small maschine

💕

Is there a terminology people are using to separate the new Steam Controller from the original? Kind of ridiculous it has the same name, especially when searching for solutions to problems. Anyway, to get to the point. The new steam controller does not turn off automatically when connected to the Steam Link using the Puck. The Steam Link goes off but the controller stays on. I tried forcing it by confirming to turn off the Steam Link and then immediately holding down the Steam button on the controller but when the controller eventually turns off the steam link turns back on.

Originally posted by GoodThanks15:

Is there a terminology people are using to separate the new Steam Controller from the original? Kind of ridiculous it has the same name, especially when searching for solutions to problems.

I think most people just call it "Steam Controller 2", "New Steam Controller", or "Steam Controller 2026"
But I totally agree with you that naming the new thing the same as the previous one is bound to cause confusion, especially since Valve hardware is significantly more popular today, after the success of the Steam Deck, than it was a decade ago

Originally posted by TDog:

This update broke my steam link, the WiFi will no longer connect. I tried a factory reset which allowed the WiFi to work, but couldn't connect to the PC running Steam. The steam link then updated back to 918 and could no longer connect to WiFi.

Same thing happened to multiple Steam Links I have. They don't hold a connection with the PC.

Originally posted by GoodThanks15:

The new steam controller does not turn off automatically when connected to the Steam Link using the Puck. The Steam Link goes off but the controller stays on. I tried forcing it by confirming to turn off the Steam Link and then immediately holding down the Steam button on the controller but when the controller eventually turns off the steam link turns back on.

This is fixed for the next update, thanks!