Couchside — Remote

ETS3D

In-app purchases

About this app

Couchside turns your Android phone into a dashboard, remote, game launcher and controller for your living-room Linux gaming PC: SteamOS, Bazzite, a docked Steam Deck, or another supported systemd Linux box.

WHAT TO PLAY NEXT
Find your next game with suggestions from your box’s game history. See what is running, choose another suggestion, and launch after confirming. The Play tab keeps recent content ready as you move between tabs. Optional demo mode lets you explore sample games away from your box.

YOUR STEAM COMPANION
Connect Steam on your box for profile and library stats, playtime trends, achievement progress, wishlist discounts and price-drop alerts. Add an optional IsThereAnyDeal integration for historical-low price comparisons. These opt-in features contact Steam and IsThereAnyDeal. Background wishlist notifications are best-effort and need your phone to reach the box.

An Android home-screen widget shows tonight’s pick and a wishlist deal, with a tap back into Couchside.

LIVE CONSOLE
Check CPU temperature, load, memory, storage, uptime and service health. Supported handhelds also show battery and power information. See what is playing and manage multiple boxes from Setup. When the TV is black, inspect the box from your phone.

FIX IT FROM THE COUCH
Read recent service logs, restart the display session, switch between Desktop and Game Mode, or reboot and shut down with confirmation. Available actions depend on your box’s capabilities and permissions.

GAMES, STREAMING AND CONTROLS
Browse installed games with cover art, search and filters. Launch a game on the TV or start Steam Remote Play from another PC. Use a virtual gamepad, swipe navigation, trackpad with two-finger gestures, or keyboard input. Landscape controls give you more room when you need it.

TV AND LIGHTING
Control power, volume and input on supported TVs, including compatible LG and Google TV models. Compatible HDMI-CEC hardware lets the box control the TV. On supported lighting hardware, adjust strip effects, reactive meters and artwork-inspired Game Aura presets.

EASY PAIRING
Install the free Couchside service on your box, then scan its QR code or enter its pairing PIN. Your phone and box must be on the same local network.

PRIVATE LOCAL CONTROL
Remote-control traffic stays on your local network, with no cloud relay or Couchside account. Pairing supports an encrypted, pinned connection. Optional online features, store purchases and update checks contact their respective services. No analytics. The Linux service is open source and the app is source-available.

TRY FREE FOR 7 DAYS, PAY ONCE
Download free and try the full app for 7 days. A one-time purchase unlocks continued use; there is no subscription. Existing unlocks carry forward.

REQUIREMENTS
• A supported Linux gaming box on your home network
• The free Couchside service installed on that box
• Your Android phone and box on the same LAN
• Optional integrations and hardware for Steam account features, TV control and lighting

Ratings and reviews

Couchside Remote is incredibly convenient and easy to use. Being able to control my gaming PC, check system stats, launch games, and handle issues without having to grab a keyboard and mouse is a game changer. Setup is quick, the interface is clean, and I really like that everything stays on your local network. The one-time purchase instead of another subscription is a huge plus too. Definitely recommend it for anyone running a living-room gaming PC or Steam setup!

So convenient for my make shift Steam Machine setup. Easy to install and use. Though, I did get lost one time between Swipe and Mouse mode and got confused why the app suddenly refused to register my trackpad movements only to later figure out that I was in Swipe mode instead of Mouse mode.

handy app for streaming to the couch, I can also monitor temps as well

What’s new

• Faster Play tab with cached sections and optional demo mode.
• Fixed excessive background requests that could delay loading and controls.
• Expired queued commands are discarded before sending.
• With agent 2.9.128: shared background Steam refreshes, more reliable wishlist prices and better account switching.