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Valve has announced that Steam Link hardware production stopped as the units have been discontinued. This comes just over three years since the streaming box was originally announced. It seems like what little remains of the Steam Links are also being snapped up quickly, leaving stock levels quite low.
A news post on the Steam website (via Polygon) explains that the physical Steam Link devices are sold out in Europe and are close to the same in the United States. It seems the company doesn’t have any plans to, at the moment, replace the discontinued units or release a newer Steam Link box. Instead, Valve is likely choosing to rely on other hardware options that users may already own to support the Steam Link functionality.
“Moving forward, Valve intends to continue supporting the existing Steam Link hardware as well as distribution of the software versions of Steam Link, available for many leading smart phones, tablets and televisions,” the post reads.
It’s likely that this move to cease Steam Link hardware production was due to poor sales. Steam Links hardware has regularly been subject to sales in order to try to move more units.
Although often beloved by users who own the device, the ability to use something you already own is a more cost-effective solution for many players. Whether it be a smartphone, tablet, smart TV, or even a spare PC, many users may already have a suitable replacement for the custom box. This appears to be something Valve is banking on moving forward.
While stock dwindles on the stand-alone units, if you’re quick and lucky you might still be able to get your hands on one of the units in one of the Steam controller bundles. These are on sale for $35.61, which 64 percent off. Even with this discount, this is more expensive than the standalone Steam Link that goes for $2.50, but that’s only if you can find one.
