Big screen/HTPC gaming viable vs console yet?

[BD2003]

Anyone have a dedicated gaming PC hooked up strictly to a home theater? There's no question the performance of a decent PC is better - that's not really what I'm asking about.

Im wondering how far theyve come with being able to play a game 100% with a controller, without having to fall back on a mouse/kb for anything. At all.

 

[linthat22]

Dude, my wife insisted that I upgrade my computer last year to hook it up to our home theater and I'll tell ya, it's very nice.

If your video card has HDMI outs, you'll be sitting pretty.

 

[mooncancook]

XBox USB wireless adapter is the way to go. The wireless controllers from my XBox 360 works perfectly. Most gamepad-compatible PC games have native support for the XBox controller. For games that requires KB/M like most FPS and RTS just get a $20 laptop stand from Ikea. There are a lot of games that you can play with a gamepad now, especially multi-platform games. I recently finished Witcher 2, Mass Effect 2, Mafia 2 with the X360 controller.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Or wireless keyboard/mouse works well. Not all games work well with controllers.

 

[BD2003]

XBox USB wireless adapter is the way to go. The wireless controllers from my XBox 360 works perfectly. Most gamepad-compatible PC games have native support for the XBox controller. For games that requires KB/M like most FPS and RTS just get a $20 laptop stand from Ikea. There are a lot of games that you can play with a gamepad now, especially multi-platform games. I recently finished Witcher 2, Mass Effect 2, Mafia 2 with the X360 controller.

Hmm...well I have a logitech rumblepad that basically mimics the config of a dual analog 360/ps3 controller, but it wasnt supported in ME2. So....strike 1.

I actually have full HTPC hooked up, it just has a crap video card. Which I'd def upgrade if the experience is decent, but it looks like some sort of KB or mouse needs to be involved just to launch the damn game.

Seems to me a golden opportunity for steam to make the PC into a "pro" console if they had a good interface, which I could swear they announced like a year ago, but nothing ever came of it.

Anyways, Trying skyrim next.

 

[JujuFish]

Hmm...well I have a logitech rumblepad that basically mimics the config of a dual analog 360/ps3 controller, but it wasnt supported in ME2. So....strike 1.

The Rumblepad does not mimic a 360 controller since it does not support Xinput. The newer Logitech gamepads (F310/510/710) do, however.

 

[BD2003]

Yeah, I mean just in physical buttons/sticks. Looks like a 360 controller is basically required.

 

[PhoenixEnigma]

For launching things, I've found one of those remote-sized keyboard and trackpad combos works well. I'd hate to enter anything longer than my Steam password with it, but it's much less intrusive than normal sized options. For games, I'll nth the wireless 360 controller suggestion.

I'm still waiting on the 10 foot interface Valve promised, though, or anything else I can use to launch both media and programs. I'd love a Steambox to go against an Xbox!

 

[wuliheron]

Microsoft makes windows and the Xbox so I don't think you can get much better then that.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

Yes.

I run my PC via HDMI to my projector and have a 122" screen in my living room, I use motionjoy drivers to get PS3 dual analogue controller working via a cheap USB bluetooth dongle.

For any game which works well with dual analogue it's really a superior way to play games from the comfort of your sofa, things like geometry wars and beat hazard are my faves on the large screen, I'm going to try fiddling with Psychonauts and see if I can get that working with the controller as well.

For anything FPS or RTS style it's a bad control method and wireless mouse and keyboard are OK on the sofa but not really ideal, anything competative online you certainly want on the monitor/chair/mouse/keyboard combo.

 

[Sidekicknichola]

Anyone have a dedicated gaming PC hooked up strictly to a home theater?

I am running similar to PrincessFrosty.... PC HDMI out is split, one split goes to receiver which feeds a projector on a 120" screen... the majority of my use (home theater/media/games/etc).... the other split runs to a 40" LCD in the back of the room that is at/on a desk.

For games, I generally just use a keyboard and mouse but sometimes will use an Xbox controller depending on the game.

... having the two options is nice, I can either just casually game on the couch or just scoot over to the desk and play a little more seriously.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I have a dedicated PC hooked up to my projector, it's not just for gaming, I use it for media too, but it's got my old 4870 and a phenom 2 so it's powerful enough for most games at 1080p with settings cranked up decently.

I don't like to use "controller" for anything other than flight sims (and for them I want a flight stick or I'll settle for a joystick.) So 99% of the time I use keyboard + mouse. All wireless keyboards suck that I have ever seen (I only use buckling spring keyboards, but might settle for something with cherry switches), so Instead I simply hooked up a ps2 extension cord to my keyboard. I don't like wireless mice since they have limited range, and they require batteries, so I bought a USB extension cord.

Anyhow, Gaming on the 106 inch screen is pretty cool, especially since I have nice sound as well, but I tend to do most of my gaming on my eyefinity setup in my home office, using cheap headphones for the sound...

 

[Edge1]

Anyone have a dedicated gaming PC hooked up strictly to a home theater? There's no question the performance of a decent PC is better - that's not really what I'm asking about.

Im wondering how far theyve come with being able to play a game 100% with a controller, without having to fall back on a mouse/kb for anything. At all.

Well I have my PC hooked up to my 55" Panasonic plasma, and it is gorgeous and a blast to play. Batman AA, Bioshock, DiRT 2, GRID, Rainbow 6 Vegas, Just Cause 2, Borderlands, GTA4, Assassin's Creed, HAWX, Nail'd, Saints Row The Third, and Chaos Theory all rock and play beautifully with a wireless controller. OK, I have to use a wired controller for R6 for whatever reason, but the long cord works in my setup. PC is about 10 feet from TV, and about 4 feet from the closest chair. I knock my friend's socks off every time they see it. Combined with a home theater speaker setup it is phenomenal. Turning off the lights and playing Batman, for example, is pretty awesome graphically.

I have dual wireless Xbox controllers one "for the PC" so i could get the adapter, as well as 1 wired Xbox controller.

I do have a wireless KB/M (cheap Logitech K260) for navigating some menus in-game. Also it opens up the rest of the games of the PC (picture Shogun TW on the big screen), as well as the obvious FPS games. Not a hardcore FPSer, but the KB/M I mentioned works really well.