Screen on Steam Link tears during use.
Screen on Steam Link tears during use.
Yesterday I tried Steam Link for the first time to play demanding games while lounging on my couch. The laptop is quite old and based on Linux Mint Vera (built around Ubuntu 22.04). Overall, the setup worked smoothly. Installing and configuring the app was simple and I was surprised by the low latency with a wired connection. However, I encountered severe screen tearing. It happens consistently, usually only when part of the screen is static. The tear line stays in the same position on the TV—about one-fifth from the top—which suggests it’s trying to force V-Sync but failing to sync frames properly. I also tested running a 3D game locally on the laptop; while tearing can occur, it’s not uniform. When the tear line shifts, it doesn’t happen every time like with Steam Link. In my opinion, the issue likely lies not with the laptop or cables themselves, though I’m open to checking those as well if anyone has ideas. Here’s a brief overview of the hardware: TV – TCL Q6-Series 4K Smart Google TV Desktop – Laptop – Core i7 3610QM with Intel HD Graphics 4000 running Linux Mint Vera (HP Probook 6470b). Cables – Cat 6 Ethernet and DP to HDMI cable Router and Switch – TP-Link Archer AX55 with unmanaged TEG-S350 switch. Settings: Steam Link is set to Beautiful picture at 1080p 60fps with Hardware Acceleration turned on, but HEVC video is disabled (possibly due to Ive Bridge not supporting iGPU acceleration). Game settings like V-Sync, FPS limits, or resolution changes didn’t resolve the problem. No adjustments seem to stop the tearing. Anyone have troubleshooting tips or fixes?
These were supposed to be my recommendations, but it's often what others suggest for this issue. Sunshine or Moonlight works really well—streaming to a Linux client from a Windows host is impressive.
I mostly use Steam Link for gaming. VSync stopped functioning recently after they switched to an app-based system and removed original links. Linux Steam link worked temporarily before that. After an update, it stopped working completely on my machines. I’ve tried various drivers and settings but nothing fixed it. I’m giving up and now rely on Steam Link in Windows with VSync disabled. If you can help, please let me know—I’ve been struggling with this for a long time.