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Old 06-15-2013, 03:59 PM   #1
1_Flames_Fan
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So rather than jumping on board the next gen console wars I am considering switching to big screen PC gaming. I have a decent library of games built up on Steam and with steam discounts and companies like Green Man Gaming prices on new games and especially older games are way better. Has anyone used Steams "big picture mode" and can comment on how well it works? I'd also like some recommendations for keyboards, mice, wheels and especially controllers that will work well for big screen gaming. Do you guys see this as a feasible alternative to entering the next gen console war? Thanks for any info, advice or thoughts.
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Old 06-15-2013, 04:11 PM   #2
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I think games fully made for "big picture" need to support controllers to run everything. that being said i use the xbox 360 wireless pc adapter and controller and its awesome.
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Old 06-15-2013, 04:42 PM   #3
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One thing you'll need to consider is audio. If your going to just use your TV for audio you should be OK depending on the hardware you purchase. If you're looking to have 5.1 audio then it'll get a little more complicated. I have my computer connected to my TV via HDMI and I have an USB sound card from Creative that has DDL(Dolby Digital Live) which I connect to my audio system via toslink to my audio system for 5.1 sound.

I prefer using a wired Xbox 360 controller. I couldn't get my wireless controller and wireless adapter to work on my PC. Apparently it's hit or miss.

I've also never used big picture mode on my TV. I just use Windows 7 desktop so I can't comment on big picture mode.

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Old 06-15-2013, 07:11 PM   #4
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2nding the Wireless 360 Controller/Dongle. The dongle controls up to 4 controllers, so it's damn handy for emulating multiplayer games.

Steam Big Picture is actually pretty damn snazzy. You'll notice the majority of the games that support 360 controllers only list "partial support", but this is 99% of the time because of menus or certain overlay-load screens that require a mouse. A Logitech K400 is the best damn thing you can buy for an HTPC for this purpose. (Or, period. Every HTPC should own one.)

If you have a receiver made within the last 8 years, any modern (read: 2xx-7xx Geforce or 3xxx-7xxx Radeon) video card outputs 5.1/7.1 surround through the HDMI, so hooking it up like you would any other device should give you proper surround. If you built the PC with a motherboard made within the last 5 years, it will also have a toslink optical out and a coaxial S/PDIF out, if those are more your bag. Typically no aftermarket soundcard is necessary.

Check out MemEx's Mini ITX Case page for a variety of cases typically used for HTPCs, though keep in mind mITX builds aren't built to be tinkered with often, as they're layered and tightly packed. Silent parts, low-profile heatsinks, flat/jointed cables, and a focus on cooling are key.

Building an HTPC is super fun, and can be done for a reasonable amount of money. Keep in mind most mITX cases only handle videocards that do not deviate from the 2 slot width (and up to a certain length, no DirectCUII TOPs, and no EVGA Classifieds for example), so if you are buying second hand, make sure the cooler will fit.
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Old 06-15-2013, 08:53 PM   #5
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Thanks guys, I have a Toshiba Qosmio X870 laptop which runs a Geforce GTX 670M graphics card and a Denon 2313CI receiver so it looks like I should be set on that end of things. Just gotta find an adapter to run the Xbox 360 wireless controller and possibly a nice wireless keyboard/mouse solution (still looking for suggestions but the K400 looks promising) then I should pretty much be set to bring my Steam games to the show
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Old 06-16-2013, 09:17 AM   #6
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Quote:
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Thanks guys, I have a Toshiba Qosmio X870 laptop which runs a Geforce GTX 670M graphics card and a Denon 2313CI receiver so it looks like I should be set on that end of things. Just gotta find an adapter to run the Xbox 360 wireless controller and possibly a nice wireless keyboard/mouse solution (still looking for suggestions but the K400 looks promising) then I should pretty much be set to bring my Steam games to the show
The 360 controller linked above (from MS's website), comes with a dongle like this:



You used to be able to buy the dongle by itself for ~$20 and use it with any 360 controller, but they're really hard to find.
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Old 06-16-2013, 09:27 AM   #7
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I bought a knockoff on ebay that's still working even after the official one died.
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Old 06-16-2013, 09:57 AM   #8
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I bought a knockoff on ebay that's still working even after the official one died.
I've heard bad things about the knockoff ones but to be fair, that might just be the standard internet review nonsense. Regardless, it is kinda funny how a 360 controller has become the de facto PC gamepad controller.
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Old 06-16-2013, 10:33 AM   #9
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A lot of games have fantastic controller support. For the most part, if the controller is based on the Xbox 360 controller, it will work well for PC gaming.

However, some games just simply don't have controller support. I was very disappointed that Mass Effect for the PC has no native controller support. This was originally a friggin' 360 game! In the PC port, they stripped out controller input. There are some 3rd party apps that claim to bridge the gap, but adds another level of configuration, and likely won't be perfect.

And in case someone else stumbles into this thread looking for tips on controllers, the reason why the wireless dongle is necessary is an Xbox 360 controller with the play and charge kit (cable with a USB end that plugs into the controller) only uses the USB for charging, not for the signal. But a regular wired 360 controller works fine for the PC.
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Old 06-16-2013, 11:02 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by chemgear View Post
I've heard bad things about the knockoff ones but to be fair, that might just be the standard internet review nonsense. Regardless, it is kinda funny how a 360 controller has become the de facto PC gamepad controller.
The biggest problem with the knockoffs is getting the drivers to work. I'd bet they have a higher failure rate too, but you can buy 3 or 4 for the price of the official one.
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Old 06-16-2013, 12:34 PM   #11
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You can't buy the official Microsoft dongle anymore. I don't believe they even make it. I bought a knock off one from deal extreme and it's been working fine. Getting the drivers to work is a bit round about, but takes less than 5 minutes.
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Old 06-16-2013, 12:34 PM   #12
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Quote:
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You can't buy the official Microsoft dongle anymore. I don't believe they even make it. I bought a knock off one from deal extreme and it's been working fine. Getting the drivers to work is a bit round about, but takes less than 5 minutes.
You can buy it, but only if you buy the controller too. It's a package deal now.

EDIT: Like this



Also, they're on for 51$ on Amazon.ca right now (with the dongle).
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Old 06-16-2013, 12:53 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PsYcNeT View Post
You can buy it, but only if you buy the controller too. It's a package deal now.

EDIT: Like this



Also, they're on for 51$ on Amazon.ca right now (with the dongle).
That's a sweet deal, I think I paid $75
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Old 06-16-2013, 02:11 PM   #14
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Dongle.
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Old 06-16-2013, 03:08 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PsYcNeT View Post
You can buy it, but only if you buy the controller too. It's a package deal now.

EDIT: Like this



Also, they're on for 51$ on Amazon.ca right now (with the dongle).
Will this work like a regular Xbox 360 controller with my Xbox as well?

I need a new controller for my Xbox anyways, so this might kill two birds with one stone.
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Old 06-16-2013, 06:57 PM   #16
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yes it does
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Old 06-16-2013, 09:00 PM   #17
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I found one of the knock-off dongles in my stuff I had ordered one from ebay quite a while back so I could try to use it with my laptop in hotels while on the road. I used the guide from here to install the drivers properly on windows 8.

http://krisrowland.wordpress.com/201...dows-7-64-bit/

Using Steams "The Big Picture" on the big screen is very impressive. Graphics looked better than the PS3 and never had any issues with lag on the screen or anything like that. Not sure why I never did this sooner. Looks like more than 2/3 of my Steam games will support the controller. Definitely a cheaper way to play games with all of the Steam and GMG sales. Might just have a wait a bit after launch to get the deals but I have a backlog of games I have to play anyways.
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Old 06-17-2013, 06:30 AM   #18
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I tend to use a wired 360 controller. Controller support tends to be pretty good for PC games. I think PC gaming is a feasible alternative provided you aren't too concerned with playing console exclusives and the majority of the games announced at E3 will be getting PC releases.
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Old 06-17-2013, 01:02 PM   #19
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I tend to use a wired 360 controller. Controller support tends to be pretty good for PC games. I think PC gaming is a feasible alternative provided you aren't too concerned with playing console exclusives and the majority of the games announced at E3 will be getting PC releases.
I was thinking about that today. I will probably still buy the next gen consoles anyways and just purchase the exclusive games I want to play and buy any of the multiplatform on PC only. That alone would save me a ton of money.
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Old 06-17-2013, 01:27 PM   #20
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I was thinking about that today. I will probably still buy the next gen consoles anyways and just purchase the exclusive games I want to play and buy any of the multiplatform on PC only. That alone would save me a ton of money.
As with last gen, the launch titles are looking pretty weak for both systems at the moment. I figure I'll hold off a year or so for each system to build up a few good games and maybe drop in price before I buy them.
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