Anyone PC game on their TV from couch?

[Gunbuster]

All the time, my 39" 4K "TV" is my monitor. I drop it down to 1080P 120Hz for games.

 

[cmdrdredd]

A word on 4k, you can use the new drivers to downscale to 1080p now if you wanted. So you could run 4k resolution in the game and the GPU will scale it to your TV. It's a lot sharper than turning on AA, but you still need the horsepower to actually use 4k.

 

[Rhezuss]

This is what you need:

 

[Aikouka]

My only complaint would be any non-gaming activities would not be as good. TVs tend to have large dot pitches (the distance between pixels), which are suitable for distanced viewing, but it can make things like smaller text rather unbearable. A friend of mine recently built a PC, and he was going to use a TV temporarily. I warned him about how it wouldn't be that great for normal Windows activity, and he found out the hard way.

I have got an Intel NUC as a HTPC connected to my main TV, I would love to be able to get SteamOS working as a live USB stick so I can plug it in and use SteamStreaming.

With a couple of USB xbox controllers in the NUC and the hard work being done by my main PC in the office it would be a great setup when I fancy some console style gaming.

Termie is correct. All you need to do is log into Steam on any OS (Windows, etc.), and your main system should show up. So, if you have a game installed on your main machine, it will show up on the NUC with an option to stream or install.

Also, since the NUC has a serious lack of USB ports (3-4 depending on the model), you may want to consider going with wireless 360 controllers and the wireless adapter. The only downside is that the controllers aren't integrated with Windows as well as I'd like. For example, you turn the controller off by removing the battery.

 

[Gunbuster]

My only complaint would be any non-gaming activities would not be as good. TVs tend to have large dot pitches

This is why you get a 4K TV

 

[Oyeve]

Nope. My TV is for TV and console gaming. What little PC gaming I do, I do on my laptop or on the rare occasion I will actually turn on my PC with 3 24" monitors but thats rare nowadays. When GTAV comes out for the PC soon I may attempt to hook up my PC to my TV but last time I did that the screen looked like ass.

 

[GrantMeThePower]

Yup. All of my gaming is done on couch, via PC, with wireless 360 controller.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Sometimes I do indeed. Some games just need to get the epic feel of the size.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Great to hear it's done quite a lot. I may look into this in the near future if I can't get my KVM setup to work. I'll basically build a TV tray type setup that I can just drag over in front of the couch/chair and play. I'll have to experiment to get the height and angle just right or see if I can build it to be adjustable but still solid.

Might also wait till later down the line if I decide to get a bigger TV that is also 4k. Since sitting at the couch it seems to me the TV is smaller than a monitor in front of me. Of course I can just sit closer to game.

 

[Aikouka]

Great to hear it's done quite a lot. I may look into this in the near future if I can't get my KVM setup to work. I'll basically build a TV tray type setup that I can just drag over in front of the couch/chair and play. I'll have to experiment to get the height and angle just right or see if I can build it to be adjustable but still solid.

It sounds like you could use something like this.

 

[Nograts]

Those are borked TV settings. Easy enough to fix.

It was an old TV I tried

 

[TeknoBug]

This is what you need:

Yes... that is what I need.

 

[cytoSiN]

This is what you need:

The fact that this exists is amazing! Want.

 

[tential]

Not sure if it's sturdy enough. They make trays like that though for putting things on like keyboards or food. It's like a C shaped Table that tucks under the couch so you have a "desk" in front of you.

 

[cytoSiN]

Not sure if it's sturdy enough. They make trays like that though for putting things on like keyboards or food. It's like a C shaped Table that tucks under the couch so you have a "desk" in front of you.

I don't want a desk. I want vinyl-wrapped foam pads with racing stripes. And pockets!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Guessing that sits on the arm rest? That does look pretty cool.

 

[NickelPlate]

I do it with Steam streaming a gigabit wired connection and it works fine.

 

[pauldun170]

A thread in peripherals gave me a realization, I've been trying to get a PC/Linux setup with a KVM switch working properly for a while, KVM switches are all junk and just can't get it to work properly. They lose USB, or video is flaky etc... DVI/USB ones seem to be rare and expensive too.

Then it made me realize, since the Windows machine is going to be mostly for gaming anyway, why not just set it up on my 55" TV! :awe:

Just wondering if anyone does this, and is it great, or is it awkward to play games like a FPS on a TV? It being further away, and such is what I'm thinking may make it awkward. Then again, this is how console games are played. I could maybe even try to adapt certain games to use a controller. UT3 on a TV? Hell yeah, this sounds awesome. Minecraft on a TV? Not so sure about that, but I can't see why not.

Just curious if anyone has done this switch and if they like it, or prefer to stick to sitting at a PC. In my case it's all, or nothing though, since I would not have another windows machine to play on. 4K TVs seem to be coming out before 4K monitors too, so if ever I decide to upgrade, I could jump right into 4k PC gaming. That could be fun. 3D even, maybe? Not sure if any games actually support that.

I'd probably build a solid TV tray type table to put the keyboard/mouse on if I played from the couch. What about wired/vs wireless for gaming? That's not a HUGE issue though, if wired is really better I'd just put a USB hub on the tray and run a cable to the PC. Otherwise I'd just go wireless for mouse/keyboard.

The Family HTPC\gaming PC is hooked to our Vizio. We have an xbox 360 controller in editoin to Keyboard and mouse. For the most part the xbox controller is used but there are time we just use the keyboard and mouse right on the couch.
Stick to wireless for everything.

 

[BSim500]

Anyone PC game on their TV from couch?

No for one simple reason - every time I want to game, someone else is watching TV on the TV... I prefer monitors up close anyway. Some darker games just feel more immersive to me up close where the screen is covering a larger % of your FOV (Thief games, etc). Others have smaller hud's that don't look that good from several feet away. Guess it depends on the games you play.

 

[Soundmanred]

Yup. Haven't owned a computer desk in years. 65" in the living room and 47" in the bedroom.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

I have my gaming PC in my living room and it's wired up to my home theater system through a projector onto a 125" screen via HDMI cable run around the outside of the room. I can then use wireless mouse/keyboard from the sofa or whatever wireless controllers you like, I have a couple of PS3 controllers which work super-well via a USB bluetooth dongle for the PC.

I'd argue that there's no better way to play games in terms of experience, big screen, 5.1 surround sound, comfy sofa which are all typically seen as "benefits" of console gaming, but then you get all the power of a decent PC rig running games in true 1080p with 60+FPS and all the graphics settings cranked to ultra.

It's more tricky in terms of control for certain games like FPS and RTS but for others it's absolutely fantastic.

 

[PC Master Race]

Do I game on my PC on my bed ? ... what the hell kind of question is that LOL ... Uh weird question and no I don't. I game at my desktop in a computer chair cause I am not disabled.

 

[skipsneeky2]

Trying to get this unique table from my cousin,big wooden living room piece that actually has the top that can be raised that doubles for storage which i think would be perfect for a wireless keyboard/mouse and then i may be joining you.

Just need a big screen and that setup would be awesome with new leather couch and love seat set incoming 26'' at close to 10 feet isn't idea.

 

[pauldun170]

No for one simple reason - every time I want to game, someone else is watching TV on the TV... I prefer monitors up close anyway. Some darker games just feel more immersive to me up close where the screen is covering a larger % of your FOV (Thief games, etc). Others have smaller hud's that don't look that good from several feet away. Guess it depends on the games you play.

Hey now....quote properly.
dat aint me words

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

What I use:

No longer in production, but surely something like that is out there.