I would like to have a gaming PC hooked to my living room TV and after booting immediately control it with n Xbox controller. Currently, I have a Windows PC that I need to turn on, grab a remote keyboard/mouse combo, click the game I want, load it click the menu and then I can finally use the controller.

With SteamOS can I immediately use the controller? I was thinking that a Steam Deck + a base might work but I’m concerned about the load to the 4k TV and I’m not sure if I can avoid a few clicks here and there.

Suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks.

  • Kgaines@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    My experience with the Bluetooth connection on both the steam deck and a miniPC I installed HaloISO on (Arch Linux/SteamOS, with hardware restrictions removed) wasn’t that great. My environment could be a factor.

    I sit about 3-3.5 meters from the TV and Steam Deck/MiniPC. I have used DualShock, Xbox One and Series X|S controllers. The TV is against a wall and the ‘consoles’ sit on top of a dresser beneath it… No shelves or enclosures, other than a thick sheet of glass on top.

    In the case of the Steam Deck, I keep a solid connection if I’m pointing the controller towards it. I do not notice one controller being any more reliable than the others. A slight restriction, but essentially how I played like 80 hrs of Midnight Suns. In the rare event I’m in windows on the deck, I’m generally not gaming, but it will use an Xbox wireless adapter plugged into its dock if I try.

    The MiniPC is hampered by its construction, with diminished wifi and Bluetooth signals. I get around the wifi by hardwiring it to my network. In Windows, it uses the Xbox wireless adapter without issue. In SteamOS, there are no straight-forward linux drivers for the adapter, so I have to plug the controller in with a long USB cable if I want to game there. For this reason, most games are played in windows, through Steam or PC Game Pass. Unfortunate, as the miniPC was intended to be primarily a steam machine.