A Living Room PC With Console Convenience... Is It Actually Possible?
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- čas přidán 20. 04. 2024
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Steam OS needs to release for desktops yesterday man
Steam OS is cool, but it's also not gonna solve the problem with updating drivers manually, at whiich point you may as well just use a windows machine booting into Big Picture, I think
Big picture mode now looks the same as steams game mode. The quick system setting for frame limiting etc are absent though
@@SvensPron Using Big Picture on a Windows machine is not as reliable due to inconsistent window focusing, especially if you play games from other launchers that are added as no-steam game shortcuts.
Bazzite. Try it.
@@SvensPronactually, SteamOS handles driver updates automatically. They can even make it so that it happens in the background, without user intervention. The code already support this because it's Linux.
Living room gaming is certainly my thing 😀
PC hooked with a 65 inch HDR LED Smart TV
Having the option to chill and play on a recliner really helps as it really tires me sitting in front of a monitor everyday at work
Wireless keyboard and mouse and a PS5 controller also removes wires which makes it more convenient
I also have a PS5 so switching between them adds to the convenience
Same here with surround sound
I just use a small tablet keyboard with trackpad to operate windows
Yeah the new oled tvs with high refresh rates were a game changer for the living room / bedroom.
I've had a living room PC ever since I started playing roomscale VR.
It's great, actually.
I have an ITX size PC in my living room right next to my consoles. It has a 13600K/4090 in a Cooler Master NR200P case, so not that big.
The real difference in the experience between my PS5 and my PC, excluding game performance, is that I can pick up where I left off on the PS5 and can't do that on the PC. I wish I could because that's so convenient. I need to instead log in on my computer, wait for the game to launch etc.
I do have a 60% size keyboard and a mouse connected because you do sometimes need to type in something. I wish we got a Steam Controller 2 already!
windows already has a suspend and resume feature built in but it crashes most games when you resume after short time. i found out that ubisoft games seems to do this better then other games. when playing ac odyssey/valhalla/orgins on pc i once had the games suspended in bg for days to weeks at a time before it started acting weird.
My dad's been a PC gamer for over a decade and the way he uses his is plugged into his LG CX TV in the living room using a cheap wireless keyboard and mouse alongside an Xbox controller connected via Bluetooth. I think this type of setup is more common than people think it's a lot easier with modern PC's and living room TV's than it was in the old days thanks to the proliferation of HDMI and widespread adoption of xInput and Steam Input. Really the most-challenging aspect is finding a wireless mouse and keyboard solution that works for you and getting the scaling settings right for your distance from the TV.
Yes you can even get a mini keyboard with touch pad it's not a big deal
Yeah, I think it's pretty common with a lot of people living who are basically living out of a one room bedroom or studio - particularly early in your adult life living on your own for the first time where you're tight on space and money - you can't really justify the cost or space of having 'both' a sofa + tv 'and' a desk setup - you want one display & one seating arrangement to meet all your needs.
TVs have basically functioned like monitors ever since HDMI became standard, and lap desks have come a long way over the past decade too and that makes it 'much' more comfortable to game from the couch.
A good UI absolutely should not rely on touch. A good UI/UX should work effortlessly with a gamepad.
I’ve been using a gaming PC in the living room since 2010. The touchpad on the DualShock 4 and DualSense works as decent enough cursor for edge cases and wireless keyboard and mouse can be used for anything more in depth. The NR200 case is small enough form factor to fit on my tv stand but is large enough to accommodate an RTX 4090. Steam’s big picture and the open source Playnite are great for launching games via gamepad controls from the couch. I’m excited to see what Microsoft comes up with for the future Xbox experience on PC.
I'd like to see Valve bring out a Steam Controller 2.0 basically an Xbox pad with one or two additional touchpads similar to the Steam Deck controls. Would solve the main issues with using a living room PC.
I'm surprised we haven't seen this yet tbh, the Steam Deck UI & the improvements to Big Picture mode are basically making PC gaming potentially what Steam Machines couldn't be 10 years ago.
Well, i have a wife, two boys...married over 10 years; from day on my PC and consoles are in a living room, even though we have two other bedrooms...and its ok, got i connected to TV and stereo speakers, i can play it like that when i have time, usually at the evenings and night with headphones etc...not much spare time but it's a good life, and my boys od 8 and 3 got to play with me :)
Now all we need is for every console game with split-screen support to not keep that feature off the PC version!
I did it many years ago when I moved in to my then girlfriend (now wife's) 1 bed apartment. I downsized to a mini ITX case to link up to the TV and I booted straight into Steam Big Picture. It's been a viable option for at least a decade now
How does your wife feel about this?
@djtomoy Well, I moved in with her 9 years ago with my mITX build and now I'm married and have dedicated gaming room in our house, so pretty good 👍🏻
I think the best case scenario is 3 platforms which is a console, a hybrid pc/console and a PC where the middle ground is the entertainment system setups at living rooms or gaming rooms where you have all controlled by the hybrid console since gamers wants convenience and multi function where it has better hardware processing power with new gen consoles but not with full setup PCs... In the long run, hybrid and PCs will be the common brands along with online game streaming when internet and servers or engines improved...
Logitech has had multiple keyboards with built-in trackpads that are *designed* for living-room use. My wife and I have 2 K400s. This discussion of doing Windows updates with a controller is pretty frustrating, lol.
Playnite Fullscreen mode on startup works wonders here.
Setup your libraries one time with KB+M, then just connect a gamepad and enjoy the closest you can get to a console experience.
There are various themes/skins to make Fullscreen mode look like one of the major consoles.
Keyboard+mousepad “lapboard” was a game-changer for me. I have the Corsair one, which unfortunately is discontinued, and it makes navigating a PC or playing M+KB games almost as good as playing on a desk.
My PC has been the center piece of my lounge for decades, unlimited entertainment across all media types ensures I never get bored. I can't remember the last time I tuned into terrestrial TV. I have all wireless peripherals including mouse,keyboard, headset and my cables are hidden from view. I kick back and play games on my couch, my tenkless keyboard rests on the arm wrest and mouse on a pillow beside me. I game on a 55 inch TV.
Mouse & keyboard on the couch? No thanks.
@@cun7us You don't play competitive fps games on a couch (I mean you can with an OLED TV who has amazing response times and very low input lag). You play single player games with a controller. Or single player first person games like CP 2077 with a m/kb.
Nerd ass
Yuckkkk
@@Unicornpirate I play competitive and single player games on the couch all the time on my LG C1 65" OLED. I just couldn't bear to use mouse and keyboard unless it's on a desk, and I'm not really fussed with having two separate gaming rooms.
I’ve got a PC in my living room with a 7800X3D and RTX 3060ti that’s smaller than a PS5. I emulate everything from Atari 2600 to PS3/Switch in 4K and can run any modern PC game. I use Launchbox as a front end. Consoles should be striving for a living room PC-like experience honestly
Been using my first PC in the living room for 2 years now. First on a LG CX and now on Samsung S90C
Im really excited at the prospect of the more PC-like Xbox. I mainly play on Xbox these days because im an old PC gamer who has tired of the upkeep and windows cruft, but the great indie games and early access games that are coming to PC these days has me considering a new build. An Xbox/console like experience that I can play Steam or GOG purchases on would be a dream come true.
If the next xbox is windows based. It will be the most convenient option.
When you get it tuned right, the Dual sense gyro works very well as a cursor or for aiming.
I've had my pc in my living room since 2015 in a node 804 case. It looks like a surround speaker it fits nicely in my entertainment center. I haven't had anyone even notice it. Just recently upgraded it from 980ti/4690k combo to 4090/7800 x3d combo hooked to a 77" lg c1. I have a small qwerty keyboard(smaller than a xbox controller) to control Windows if i need to. I only use this pc for gaming and use a xbox series controller to play games. Works great!
Ive had a proper gaming PC now for a few months after being a console gamer for decades and I do find that a lot of games just dont work properly out of the box. Having said that, I'm now well versed in the things to do on installation of a new game that solves 99% of problems. The usual disable vsync in game, but enable it in the drivers is always a must on pretty much every game. PCGameWIki is pure gold for every other issue that crops up, especially on older titles. PC gaming is a minefield for novices there is no getting around that, but it IS becoming more streamlined albeit slowly. Steam big picture mode gives you a very close console like experience even if sometimes you feel like a crash to desktop is just around the corner. And shader stutter or traversal stutter is still a massive issue with PC gaming that seemingly cant be solved easily or else it would have been done. But like I've said, I've moved from a PS5 to a PC and despite a sharp learning curve, nearly all problems can be solved if you know where to look.
Honestly it's incredible just how bad the default setup often is even when there's an abundance of easy simple guides on setting up for 1st time users out there! Community as usual papering over the massive gaps left by standard industry practice.
As for stuttering - even with shader precompilation resolved, traversal stutter on PC is here to stay until we get a hardware solution like the consoles have in their hardware decompression blocs.
Moving a massive amount of data so quickly from the SSD to system memory to VRAM all takes CPU time & performance is only as fast as the highest latency process - consoles have a unified memory pool, and dedicated hardware to take care of this overhead. It's a fundamental difference in hardware that you can't brute force your way through. It requires two different methods of data streaming & memory management by game developers to prevent this and that's a large investment in what's effectively the minority platform - if they prioritise PC, then they're leaving huge amounts of memory efficiency on the table for consoles. I keep seeing GPU Accelerated decompression like RTX IO being sold as the solution for this but A. that still takes GPU resources away exactly where it's already under heavy load & B. has it actually solved the problem in practice when we're still seeing traversal stutter over 3 years into this console cycle?
This is probably one major reason why GTA VI is releasing on consoles first & PC second (along with expected duplication of sales which can't hurt) as THAT game's memory management is going to be absolutely insane!
I've had a PC hooked up to my TV ever since moving out of my parents house in 2001. Was a 533 celeron and played the Simpsons and Futurama just fine.
Currently using a mini PC with a 7940HS and plays almost every couch co-op game i could throw at it.
Honestly that would be different yet amazing .. imagine just having every game at the tip of your fingers and being able to upscale the frame rate and boost the graphics to ultra high with no lag or screen tearing of issues. This would be a game changer in the gaming industry as a whole. It would be able to open a lot more doors to gaming. I would hope so I have my oled tv and pc next to each other but I usually would like and love to play a lot of more games all in one and being able to just play on the couch or bed just plug and play.
Most people who want a pc in the living room will already know how to use one.
My ITX PC (R7 7800X3D/RTX4090 in 2024) is the centre of my living room since almost a decade. Connected to a 65" LG OLED and a 5.1.2 Speaker System. I play every game with an Xbox Controller and have a little backlit wireless Logitech keyboard and a mice for all the other stuff. Works like a charm from the couch and really is a console like experience with all the benefits that a PC brings with it.
We've reached a weird space where it feels like every time I boot up one of my consoles, I have to update a controller, or a game, or the console itself, etc. It's not the end of the world, and because the interactions are meant to work with a controller easy enough to navigate, but the divide between PC & console updating is pretty slim.
Regarding GPU sizes:
They could always make a separate dedicated box for the GPU.
At least 2 laptop manufacturers had made said boxes for their laptops.
Or AMD should just release to the market APU with same specs as APU in PS5/PS5 pro.
It’s just standard Zen cpu cores with Rdna graphics and unified memory, it’s similar hardware that steam deck or amd laptop just more power hungry.
I don’t understand why they refuse to make it available, it’s definitely a market for it.
There are a few ways to do this, but Big Picture set to launch on Windows start is currently the easiest and most full featured. M&K not needed at all and can be removed.
It can happen, albeit it can be very inconvenient due to these issues that, surprisingly, no one talked about:
-the wife/girlfriend that wants to watch soap opera/tv series on the living room
-kids wanting to watch their TV stuff on the living room tv, or play their console games there
-relatives/friends that visit you, and you're not going to be playing PC games while they're there
-you, yourself, always used the living room TV to watch your TV stuff too
So unless you live alone and with not many people visiting you, the TV in the living room (and the living room itself) usually have a lot of demand that makes a living room PC, even with console convenience features, a gaming resource with very limited use imho
Change the shell in the Windows registry to use Steam Deck UI. By doing this modification, you will never see the Windows GUI because it will boot straight into Steam Deck UI.
Will use this in the future, thanks for the idea 💡
You still need boot desktop ui from time time
@@aimmlegate Nope, this Windows PC sits in the Living Room and is 100% a Steam Machine. Windows 10/11 can still run updates even though the shell is Steam Deck UI.
@@aldinenriquez5160 Unless you play only Steam games and only relatively modern ones, you'll need a desktop UI for installing games from other stores or fixing issues in incompatible or old games.
I have a PC setup on a LG CX and while I do think there is still a good bit of configuration involved, you have a ton of front end applications like steam's Big Picture mode that make it easier. I personally use a combination of Kodi and Bigbox for my setup but don't recommend it. You still definitely need some sort of mouse/keyboard equivalent. I use a mini keyboard and mouse pad, sometimes I really want to have the real thing but it works for me most of time and isn't that much of a bother.
Have you tried a controller with gyroscope for mouse input?
@@aboveaveragebayleaf9216 No I haven't. I have a dual sense controller and used to use the touchpad for mouse but it wasn't great and stopped working. Is there a recommended way to set it up?
@thec0r379 you can set up a desktop configuration through steam input. I highly recommend trying gyro out in games too. You can have it activate when you ADS and such. Some people use it for steering in driving games too. For shooters, it does work best as mouse input though. This can be problematic in games that don't support dual inputs. You might have to set up your other binds as keyboard, or have a mode shift when you ads where you get the analog inputs moving around, but m&kb when you aim. Halo infinite is an example of a game that allows dual inputs though. Fortnite, cod mw2/3 and the finals support gyro input natively though! Sorry for the novel btw, I just hope it catches on as the future of controller inputs, and it is relatively unheard of/ not well understood.
cursor input can be solved by gyroscope! Keyboard is a different issue, but every controller except the Xbox controller can effectively imitate a mouse. The steamdeck/steam controller do solve the keyboard issue pretty well using the track pads too.
an air mouse can do that job. Or a wireless keyboard with a trackpad on it. Or you can use a lap desk or a folding tray table & just use a keyboard & mouse on the couch anyway.
@InnuendoXP I'm not familiar with an air mouse. It looks like it just uses a gyroscope though from what I just read.
I really don't see the problem, I'm a strictly PC (and Anbernic) gamer, and my PC when gaming is literally just like a powerful console. Hooked up to a big 4k TV, use a wireless controller, zero issues whatsoever.
Personally I'd be very interested in a ~$900 higher spec "premium console". Pro will be a nice upgrade but not quite enough it seems.
Remember the games cost a fortune on PlayStation and online isn't free either
@@GamingRobioto
The PC required to be noticeably better than a console cost 4 to 5 times the amount of a console. 7 years (an entire console generation) of online adds 560.00 to the cost of a console...and gives you 7 years of free games. The value proposition of console is the best mid range hardware for the least price. The value proposition of a good PC is the best hardware but you will pay considerably more for it. There is no way a person can compete with a manufacturer of a console on price to performance. If you gonna claim the best hardware...accept that the hardware cost considerably more than a PS5.
@@corey_massey What you're saying was certainly true during the cryptoboom, but I'd say it's more like 3x now.
Looking at PC Part Picker, I'm currently able to get an equivalent in performance setup for around £775 (RTX 3060 & 5600X) - come up to £870 when you include windows from a key reseller, a USB mouse + keyboard & an Xbox controller - so pretty much exactly double the Series X. That gives you about another £400 of wriggle room in the GPU area - which means you could put an RX 7900XT in there which will pull anywhere from 1.5-2x what a 6700 would (they aren't even really on the market new anymore so I can't compare but they're the closest PS5 equivalent).
Yeah the build would be pretty top-heavy with the GPU & you'd find yourself CPU limited around 90-120FPS in a lot of modern games - but you're going to be doing much better visuals much closer to a native 4K most of the time. So I'd call that noticeably better than less than what you're saying, things are getting better at least.
Depending on whether you already have an older PC or not but I'd add to the value of the PC gaming proposition is also in the vast amount of free games on an open platform, of the potentially immense library of old games going back 30+ years, of easy emulation going back even further, in mods, in configurability of different control schemes, and many other ways it lets you play exactly what you want exactly how you want it.
But I'll take that it's only value if it's something you're interested in doing. If I needed to set my kid up with a gaming system tomorrow with a library of modern games they're interested in playing so they could game with their friends, an Xbox Series S with Game Pass is pretty hard to beat. If I only really played GTA & was mainly interested in getting the best experience out of GTA VI when it releases, I'd just get a PS5 Pro & leave it at that for sure.
As someone with hardwood flooring in his living room and all black IKEA furniture, the Fractal North makes my gaming PC fit in extremely well with the rest of my entertainment center.
The technical concerns definitely leave much to be desired, but I always treat my living room PC as a PC first. I just don't think we're at a point where you can have your cake and eat it too. Not yet anyway.
I have a 50ft HDMI and usb extender run to the living room oled. I do have a "gaming room" with a 27" 4k monitor. I just like to change it up every once and awhile.
I have 3 displays hooked to my pc. The main 32 4k panel. Then a 55 inch 4k tv next to it. Then a tv on the other side of the wall that goes to my living room with a direct hdmi connection so no streaming. This allows me to game with my retro game front end launchbox or steam big picture or kodi for movies.
That’s what I have:
My PC is built into a custom home entertainment enclosure
Fiber optic usb, display port and HDMI feeds an LG B6 OLED and a 360HZ Alienware OLED on the opposite side of the room.
Best of both worlds
😂 I get it. The older I get the less I want to deal with operating systems. Especially when you’re in the IT field.
I have a PC and tried gaming on it connecting to my OLED tv
PC gaming is irritating to use, VRR and HDR is ridiculous, i went for used Xbox series S its so much better
Yes I don't get 200+ fps , I don't care, 30 fps is enough and consistent gaming performance and UI is so much underrated
100% the last thing I want to see when I go to relax and game is windows…naturally wanting something.
@@harsharip Skill Issue
@@harsharip yeah I blame the PC monitor ecosystem being 'years' behind TVs for HDR support for this - nobody was using decent HDR, so nobody bothered developing for decent HDR - and we've had a bunch of middleware solutions trying to patch up the difference in the meantime, though RTX HDR from Nvidia is looking quite good now, and probably just a matter of time before AMD comes out with some FidelityFX version or something. But it's all pretty johnny-come-lately for everyone who has a decent HDR display 'now'.
@@cuma212 put that on your resume
"Fanastic ability to play games on monitors"
I have switched from monitors to 40' 1080P Samsung TV VA panel screen probably 15 years ago so for me it is an old concept. Now it is CX 55 Oled.
You could put the PC to start Steam big picture on boot-up, and theres no issue(other than the price I guess), to get alot of power into a small form factor PC
Docked Steam Deck with Steam Controller is my living room PC for now, but I wouldn't mind faster wireless gamepad input and higher resolution.
SFF PC with Chimera OS... you're basically most of the way there. Enough that I would say yes, it's absolutely possible.
Seeing as i have had a node 202 booting into big picture mode for 6 years I would say yes. Just upgraded to a terra thats smaller than a series x and far more powerful.
I have an ITX build with a 7800xt and R5 5600x, 32gb ram in my living room. Barely bigger than my Xbox Series X. Running games at 4K60fps Ultra, HDR. Steam Big picture mode and Xbox compact mode. Amazing experience.
Yeah i have similar setup but i dont buy my games from steam. Pc is not a console experience
Womp womp good pc hdr? Yeah right
As soon as I started using a Steam Deck I thought to myself “if they ever bring one of these out that’s a more powerful box that plugs into the TV I’ll replace my Xbox with it”. The UI work is done, steam should just bring out a beefier model and it would be a winner.
How different is it to just using Steam big picture mode on a TV?
They used to do that with the Steam Machines, but they got discontinued.
@@InnuendoXP honestly, as a console gamer I have no idea! Can a PC boot straight into big screen mode from startup?
@@tonykane3297 You can set it up that way yeah, though usually you can just set Steam to automatically launch & press the home button on an Xbox or PS controller to start big picture mode too.
@@InnuendoXP it’s looks the same but it’s use custom light weight game centered composer with built in FPS counter, limiter and performance overlay. Also no windows, I know it sounds hard to believe but it generally good thing, less bloatware, almost perfect sleep mode and most single player games works perfectly. But multiplayer ones with anti cheat usually not work.
I had my pc hooked up to my my plasma-->then oled (starting in 2016) in my LR. Xbox 360 pc controller and wireless kybd with track pad, since 2011. Relaxing on a my favorite recliner.
What will sell is the Steam Deck model in a console box. The average gamer wants nothing to do with windows.
Btw: Richard I have a 4090 in my LR connected to my 65" oled and 32" 4k oled monitor. So it's not so uncommon. Lol
yeah as hyped as we saw Phil Spencer get over the Steam Deck, Microsoft probably has zero interest in making Xbox a system remotely as open as Windows is, I really doubt we'd see any strides in improving the default Windows UI toward this end without trying to tie it to the *shudder* Microsoft Store. They'd ruin its potential by trying to compete with Apple by lashing it directly to a sinking ship of a closed ecosystem like they always have done.
Steam Link app running on Apple TV. Both hardwired. Pretty much a console experience thanks to Valve!
I have a living room PC, hooked up to a 50” TV. Running Ubuntu 24.04. Plays my Blu-Ray discs and rips beautifully, all of my retro games, and my Steam library, all through a 7.1 surround.
Gnome looks and works great on big screens. Ubuntu Unity looks and works great on big screens. Plenty of UI options.
The Logitech K400 is the best keyboard / touchpad I have used on my setup, and works OOTB with Linux.
Windows looks terrible on big screens. Full screen start menu makes it somewhat functional.
Windows 8.1 was the best Windows for TV setups.
Living room desktops are completely possible.
The biggest issue is when games won't launch or have crashing issues (which would never occur on console) besides that it's as close as it's ever been. The main culprit for me has been Xbox app (some games) suddenly stop booting/launching and UE5 games because of my Intel 13900K with the now infamous out of video memory error...
I don’t think I’ve ever NOT had a living room PC 😅
No latency, no issues with DS4 etc.
Also wireless peripherals for desktop navigation.
How do you deal with mouse & keyboard and everything else? I've seen people's PC setups in their living room and it doesn't look user friendly at all. Looks more like a makeshift setup just to get the PC hooked up to the TV.
@@cun7us I wish I could show my set up, to give an example of what I mean.
I use wireless peripherals for anything that requires desktop navigation & Xbox/PS5 controls for gaming.
I still have a desk with an ultra wide monitor, directly next to my main TV, but the set up just looks like a work space corner lol.
My hdmi neatly filters behind the tv, whilst my monitor is also connected, for quick and easy screen transitions, if I need to use the desk.
For me this is the most convenient set up I’ve ever had, my consoles collect dust because of it lol
Wouldn’t the ps controller touch pad take away the mouse problem ?
I have a small form factor PC that is about the size of the series X, with a 7900xtx.
Sits behind the tv
Holo OS is an open source version of SteamOS that can pretty easily be set up to give you the same benefit of SteamOS for PCs. When you boot it up it starts similar to SteamOS. Alternatively Steam also has an option in the settings in Windows to automatically boot in big picture if you don’t want to deal with setting up a new OS, but you still have to deal with Windows.
I thought it was worth mentioning that holo OS can also go into the linux desktop just like SteamOS and is also an arch based intro. It takes a little bit more customization than SteamOS, but not much more
Halo OS sucks. We need official steam os
@@MrWinnfield I haven’t personally tried it yet, but was just posting it as a suggestion. I do agree though and am surprised they haven’t already released a version of steamos. But even then I think I’ll stick to using endeavour os as I enjoy that flexibility, but would love to see an easier alternative for those who just wanna game. I’m curious though as to why you think holo os sucks?
I just did, 7800x3d + 4080 Super, for Flight Sim. mATX Silencio S4 case and xbox controller.
The only thing that really gets in my way is user account control. It completely removes my ability to navigate with my controller! And people on reddit basically made it sound stupid to turn it off, so i keep it on. Outside of that though, as long as i have steam on, its pretty easy to just use a controller to control the pc.
I run my RTX4090 14900 build exclusively on my LG C1 55” at 120fps with gamepad. Yeah, it needs some fettling but worth it.
I tried it, but I found it hard to see on my TV, even with Steam Big Picture mode. You can do it, it's just difficult. The PS5/ XBox resolution just seemed better.
There will be another resurgence of the steam machines, this time being able to switch between different launchers. Consoles are coming to an end.
I've been PC gaming in my living room for years. Most games support gamepads and I have a lap-pad for for the rest. Check out the Razer Turret for a nice combo. Honestly, if you're just gaming on the PC, there shouldn't be too much need for it or to fiddle with drivers and stuff. Modern TVs are amazing for gaming, with low-latency, high-refresh rates, and FreeSync. I guess the only con is that it's a big box. Doesn't bother me.
I use my ROG Ally as my primary gaming PC whether hooked up to my TV or as a handheld. It's still not as convenient as a console, but it's getting close.
Steam OS for Desktops and a "Steam Deck Controller" with touchpads would solve it perfectly
6:39 you can do what I did , run hdmi cable in conduit and fiber and get the pc experience while the pc is far far away from you
I use two fiber optics (MPO fiber optic and OM5) to get both hdmi and USB support
Inconvenient and cumbersome
@@iluvmusicqwe nah it’s actually really useful , I can play without the noise of the pc and it’s effective if I want couch play
These days you are more likely to see a tv with the power of a laptop built in and a custom os than a pc in your living room. And most people I know don’t want to game in their living rooms, watch movies yes, play games not so much.
Steam could absolutely nail this concept. Take the steam deck idea, make it a home console, steam os, different performance tiers ranging from 4060 to 4090, theyd give Sony and Microsoft a run for their money
My setup:
RTX 4090 + OLED TV + Auto Launch Playnite or Steam Big Picture.
I literally press a button to wake my PC, sitdown and use a wirtles keyboard to login and then its fully controller based and super console like.
This has been possible for over a decade as someone else above said.
Consoles are dumb. Get a PC and plug it in hdmi.
Well doesnt steamdeck already allow output?
Seems to me like the only thing steam needs to do is make an official dock for the steam deck to be used as a switch
Did you forget Alienware Alpha small compact pc booted up like a console before steam big picture mode was a thing,and it came with an xbox 360 controller no mouse no keyboard and played the same 3rd party games as ps4 and 360 with 60fps and better graphics in 2014
Yeah i have ALWAYS had a pc in my living room, you can do almost anything.
almost
I guess the spirit of the question 'may' have been "will there be a ready-made out-of-the-box PC solution that provides a good experience on par with consoles with zero input from the consumer?"
and I guess the answer to that question is whether Phil Spencer's comments about the Xbox ecosystem lacking something like the SteamDeck translates into a (configurable/optional) version of the UI layer frontend suited for the PC as a living room media device to be easily set up by OEM providers.
With how hard Microsoft tried pushing Desktop windows to suit a tablet-style interface in Windows 8 I certainly hope that this would be a more successful experiment. Platform norms chase the path of least resistance & plenty of devs/publishers persist in neglecting to provide a comparable experience across PC & console (eg. Sims 4 lacking controller support on PC despite having a console version).
It's been possible for decades - it just takes work from the user to set up - which I suppose runs contrary to the whole idea of having such an interface in the first place for some people.
I wouldn't even have a console in my living room. I live with my Mum, Dad and sister and I'd piss them all off playing games all day when they want to watch shows and stuff. Can you imagine that, using the TV for what it was intended for? I thought that concept went out before the 90's. Ok, if you live on your own, otherwise the bedroom it is.
if there's any company that can do it, it's Xbox. backwards compatibility, physical media & a hybrid windows/xbox software are the main hurdles
I feel like with the success of the Steam Deck, Valve would be primed to bring back Steam Machines in a big way, with in-house hardware design and all. Especially if they made it competitively priced with the PS5/XSX for the specs, I could see them easily muscling in on the living room console space. Steam OS is just unmatched in terms of bridging the streamlined, intuitive controller interfaces of a console with the full utility, functionality, and customization of a desktop PC.
Also there would more than likely be a Steam Controller 2 released with it that has all the Deck's controls built in, and that alone would be worth the purchase 🙏
I hope microsoft to integrating XboxOS in windows similar like steamOS on steamdeck. So we have options to boot into xboxOS but still can access the desktop mode. I mostly use my PC for games and entertainment so i definitely will use this mode. In xbox mode i would love to have all the features of current xbox console like remote play from sleep instant game resume.
its been the standard for a lot of people as soon as you could use a wireless controler on PC and the games supported it.
its what is at the heart off everything in my living room, music,films games all on a 75" smart TV connected to my PC.
its simple and effective and above all comfortable, i dont think its healthy to sit so close hunched over a keybourd.
Living room PCs are awesome. I've had one for 20+ years.
I'll add myself to the list of fellow livengroom-gamers here. I have a normal pc hooked up to the tv, auto-login and playnite at startup. I don't need enything else 95% of the time, for the remaining 5%, a small keyboard-trackpad combo and the DS4 I use to play do the job extremely well.
I would gladly second any standardization microsoft can come up with tho
I have a 3090 system. Fully stable cpu woth no overclocks. Lots of games i play on pc crash
Never happens on console tho...
Also i have to switch profiles like FREESYNC ON OR OFF. Because some games behave bad on vrr on pc.
Mini ITX case, set up to boot into straight to Steam Big Picture Mode, turn on with Xbox controller, use wireless keyboard. You can very easily use a PC on the couch. And the console gamer excuse of always updating drivers is whack. Like Alex said, barely anyone updates their drivers unless there is an issue. And if you do, its the same as updating your console. It takes like 2 min and if it requires a restart, you are set. Modern consoles are way more like PC's with game installs, game updates, system updates, storage management.
I'm of the opinion that Windows on the living room TV shouldn't require any cursor or keyboard input. Any cursor-based input is just clunky and better suited for a desk or office environment. If we're being real what Windows needs is the Xbox interface. Or probably not Windows (in current form) at all! Just make a version of the Xbox OS available for install on custom hardware. That in combination with Steam installed on it (won't happen because competing store fronts) will 110% kill x86 based consoles over night.
I just bought an old Alienware HTPC on Craigslist so... here's hoping.
I thing its battle GamingPC vs Gaming laptop. PC parts are expencive (motherboards espetially), build process is a bit complicated, there are issues like AM5 ram. Laptop are less "complicated" and "gameable" right after unboxing. Handhelds are cool too, but not for all games due to input limitations (bad aim, no keyboard) and fps.
Tell me who on this earth would upgrade their gpu but have a problem navigating windows with a mouse and keyboard, I get its annoying and tedious, but so is messing with hardware in that case😂... a simple alternative mode of operation for windows would suffice. If I ran into a problem as an average consumer, I'd be happy to resolve it with windows rather than some obscurity. Anyway thanks guys for another great vid.
Wireless mice and keyboards have existed for a long time... Big picture mode... Controllers? lol have used PC's on TV for years no issues
I am a console gamer, and I dont feel like I'm really losing out by not owning a P.C.
I think you either care too much about owning a P.C or you are not tech savvy enough to own a P.C.
Also since they keep making new consoles you could just wait for the next gen box If you really don't want another P.C.
At 32 years old, my series x is way better than previous consoles I've owned and blows my mind how good it is compared to old consoles. Load times are so low that it's changed gameplay machanics since we don't have to have super long load screens anymore.
If you bought a really powerful P.C, then I guess your standards might be a lot higher than mine. But then I assume that you were committed to owning a P.C. long term when you purchased your P.C.
You don't need a powerful PC to experience the benefits you describe, just a modern one. SSDs have provided fast loading times for PCs for over a decade.
There's a lot of things you can do with a PC even in gaming that are impossible on a console, you build a library over a lifetime - if you buy a game in 2002 you can still have a way to play it in 2022, there's basically no limit to how much you can mod, endless free indie games to try, effortless emulation of just about anything. It gives you back a lot for what you put into it.
If you're only interested in playing the latest AAA games & just playing them once though then consoles are just fine.
Just do a itx build and use steam big picture mode
Put PC in living room, grap wireless periferals, turn on, sit down. done
I'm really disappointed by you guys (and also the comments) that you didn't mention the MANY TIMES that Microsoft tried to turn a PC into a living room entertainment center, like the windows media center, it turned windows XP into a "big picture mode" like environment, but I see that people completely forgot about it, or when they try to make windows 8 work only with touch screens with the unpopular metro UI, or that Steam OS was actually created for the steam machines, prebuild gaming PCs, but it became popular with the Steam deck
Me... here staring at my HTPC sitting right here running at 4K/144hz 😂
A MacBook pro. ! Even with a M2 You have the intel Xess, but I could be mistaken. Play anything. !
If the pc comes with a remote sure!
My wife wouldn't let me keep PC in my living room especially with all those cables, so even though I have a powerful PC I still spend most of my gaming time on PS5 as graphic fidelity is less important than a comfort of a couch.
I'm currently writing this from a HTPC. It's fucking amazing.
Silly question - of course it's possible. Just connect PC to TV with HDMI, autoboot in Steam Big Picture and you're good to go
hard to find a case for them
Most PC gamers will have enough spare parts after a few years to build a second PC for the TV. Just use a wireless Mouse and Keyboard and Controller. It's ace, and a great way to play older games in your library that aren't on Xbox and also emulation.
pc & switch living room tv next yr pc and switch 2 pc steam and third party mcontrollers with forced gyro all make pc on tv a dream
I actually don't like living room gaming that much. I prefer the intimacy of sitting at my desk with some headphones on and a controller in hand. I'm close to the screen and I'm seeing all the details, and I can comfortably use K+M if I choose. Lapboards aren't for me.
I’ve been using my pc on my lounge room tv exclusively since I built it.
console only for me with a shelf full of games