Steam beta adds screen controls to Link app for Android

Valve has added a feature to the beta version of its Steam client that allows users to control games in the Link app for Android by using their device’s screen as a controller.

Valve writes that two new modes have been added in addition to the existing mouse mode. It made it possible to make mouse movements by touching the screen. The new modes are ‘controller’ and ‘controller/mouse’. The first variant is, as the name suggests, just a controller with the corresponding layout on the screen. The second variant makes it possible to touch the screen outside the zones designated as controller buttons, in order to still make mouse movements.

Switching between the different modes should be easy, according to Valve. It is also possible to customize the layout of the buttons themselves by dragging them to different places on the screen. The vibration function of the phone is used to create a rumble effect. The new version of the Link app can now be downloaded from the Play Store.

Valve introduced the beta version of the app in May. This makes it possible to connect an Android device to a Steam Link via WiFi. Then users can play games on the paired device, for example a tablet or smartphone. The Steam Link is hardware that makes it possible to stream a game from a PC via the local network.