Kind of disappointed by both consoles and PC (Setup related)

This is not about exclusives. I'm thinking about getting this horror game soon.

I don't wanna get it on my console because I won't get to use my mouse and keyboard or customize the settings and graphics. As is often the case, the mouse and keyboard are easier to play this with, for anyone who actually bothers to learn. I really wish the console manufacturers would finally come up with a better design, but it's the same thing generation after generation. I'll also have to play at 30 frames per second, 1080p.

I don't wanna get it on my PC because I won't get to use my home theater system. You CAN connect a PC to a big TV or AV receiver, but coffee tables are just not optimal for mouse and keyboard usage. It's uncomfortable. They are meant to be used on a higher surface, like a desk (or in my case a table). Windows and most programs scale poorly to 4K, so these newer TVs are crap for general computer use, and using a mouse in a game running at 4K means having to change the sensitivity. QHD (1440 vertical resolution) is ideal. I also can't play the PC version of this horror game with my surround sound system, because it would mean having to drag the PC out into the living room (for one game). Almost no one in the PC community plays their game on a home theater. Ask around and you'll find that most of them use headphones (or stereo speakers in my case) and sit at a desk with a monitor, because it's just easier and more sensible. But so much atmosphere is missing, in my opinion.

I'll still get it, but I'm not gonna be completely happy. For most games, I don't care. Sometimes, though, I want the benefits of both, even though they conflict with each other. I felt like making this thread because one side always acts like they have it all (again, not about exclusives). You can be satisfied, be a PC gamer who doesn't give a damn about home theater equipment or a console gamer who thinks the controller is flawless and 30 fps at medium settings is super, but I just don't agree anymore.

I can't stand keyboard and mouse, so PC in living room is fine

Alright Carlos.

I've seen home offices and man caves with home theater set ups. People need to think beyond A/V equipment being limited to the living room.

You also want to be direct. Instead of saying this horror game, just say the name of the game.

Keyboard and mouse sucks. What a ninny. Muh 30fps.

Actually I take that back, a PC case would look ugly in my living room

Nice time to try Resident Evil 7. It in vr on ps4. Have not try it myself but review on the game is very good. If vr goggle don’t bother you.

The only way I can see it working is putting a table in the MIDDLE of a room and mounting a big TV (65 or more inches) high on the wall several feet in front of it. The room could be used for little else. I live in an apartment. Not realistic for most people. It would be insane for me anyway, considering I watch old movies and TV shows more than play games these days.

I didn't want the topic to get sidetracked by this game. It's better as a nameless example, I think.

youre screwed man. if your PC was in the same room as your home theater it would solve your issue.

Come on dude this Keyboard/Mouse vs Controller thing is old. They are both standard now in gaming. Is this horror game your talking about RE 2 Remake? It seems Pro and X will run that at 60fps.

Lapboard setups are a thing... Google it!

You also don't even need your PC in your living room. I have my PC in my bedroom and a long HDMI cable and USB hub going to my living room.

See, no PC in the living room and I can play PC games on my 4K OLED and home theater system...

Take the time to build your setup to your needs before complaining. PC can do it all.

My tv is setup right next to my computer desk. I also use a Bluetooth controller. I get the best of all worlds with this setup.

That's probably the game he's talking about so this thread is pretty much done. No wonder he didn't mention the game by name, the argument was already a fail.

The funny thing is, for all his 30fps ranting, not even the base consoles are running at 30FPS on this game.

@BassMan: How long is the cable and do the wireless peripherals get good reception? My main PC is in the office that's behind the living room so I just ran the cables through the wall and as the walls already had cabling didnt have to drill new holes or anything

X1X MonsterBox is the only way to go for seamless, plug & play, no hassle living-room gaming. It's good to be MasterRace. :P

Looks to me like you build your problems yourself. I just use a couchmaster if I have to use keyboard and mouse and I do play Controllers if it's a genre I prefer a controller to play (like Plattformers or Fighters). I don't see why people act like having a PC in the living room is such a big issue.

A folding table works great in the living room for some serious K&M gaming.

Fold it up and grab a controller when you're looking for a more casual experience.

I use Windows scaling at 200% or something like that. I set the mouse cursor to be the largest darker option. Works great for web browsing.

When I lived alone in an apartment, my huge PC desk was in the living room too. I didn't game using the living room TV. But, I piped my VideoCD (pre-DVD) movies to it using a Sigma mpeg-decoder card in the PC.

------

I also call BS (not you, Ez) on the PC cluttering the living room bit. Every single guy I know are slobs, both young and old. Something like a PC standing out wouldn't bother them one bit because the place is a mess, anyway. We just clean it up when taking photos or if the GF is dropping by.

I do too. 60 to 70 feet of HDMI using two repeaters and a wireless mouse and keyboard whose USB dongle is connected to a 35 foot USB repeater that goes from the bedroom PC to the living room. But that's to watch movies and such. It's too laggy for games. I got a cheap Logitech mouse and keyboard for the coffee table because I knew there would be too much latency for games anyway. With how little I need to interact with the mouse and keyboard, the height doesn't bother me like if I were playing a game.

@boxrekt: That's nice. I just assumed it was thirty because most of them are and I was only allotted a half hour of gameplay before demoing the PC version a day later. The options in the PC version impressed me, though. Anyway, are you done? Or do you need to get in one more zing before you're satisfied? You're boring me.

My PC is my stereo. I've spent quite a bit of money on audio components from speakers to outboard DAC and even a tube amp I switch over to for classic rock. I never use headphones.

If you'd rather spend that money elsewhere that's you, but that's the greatest thing about the PC: it is whatever you make it.

Get a controller for PC and a cheap sound card.

You get 60fps and surround sound equivalent to that of consoles.

Or you can get a proper sound card for a little more for better sound.

I have the Soundblaster Z for 5.1/7.1 output on my PC connected to a 4K TV. No problems.

Safe to say, not in 4k HDR at those distances

Sound cards are kinda pointless now I tbought. More so for analog stereo aficionados than home theater

The point of an HDMI repeater is to rebuild the signal before it can continue the rest of the distance. It's in 4K. Not sure about HDR. Whenever I select HDR in the WIndows display settings, it instantly turns off again, even if I put the PC right next to the TV. I briefly played BF1 in 4K HDR at that distance, through the game's settings instead of Windows. If I had continued, the picture probably would have flicked off and on. It happens occasionally even if I'm transmitting in 1920x1080.

Use Steam Link a while ago you could get it for clearence price at $2.50? it supports 5.1/7.1 surround sound since early 2016.

I made 1 post dude, lol not sure what you going on about.

I didn't realize your panties would get stuck in your butt cheeks just because of one post, "zing" :P

Quality is shit tho. Nvidia Shield would be much better

if its a horror game, wouldn't you be better off with good headphones instead of a home theatre setup?

mouse + keyboard + headphones in a dark room is the way to play horror games imo

I have a 5.1 system on my PC. Actually it's the only 5.1 system in the house.

I'll be honest... I thought you and freedomfreak were the same person at first. Maybe it was the avatar.

Not really. I don't think so. If you're not getting the same accuracy from your speakers, they're probably not loud or good enough. I think it's scarier or at least more immersive to hear what may be behind you from behind you. I played with headphones for years and years until 2018.

Real men use headphones.

The dedicated steam link hardware only supports 1080p/60fps, the tv app goes to 4k, but yes nvidia streaming is better.

I went with a far more subdued white PC mid-tower case so I can easily tie my PC into the LR. Once I get my floor-to-ceiling wood wall up for behind my wall-mounted TV, it's gonna look great next to a more low-key TV stand. It's not everyone's taste, but I love having my PC in the LR, as it's also heavily used as a HTPC.

For your situation, you could look into something like the Steam Link, though wired if you can.

My HDMI cable is 35 feet. My USB hub is about 25 feet away from my PC. I have the wireless dongles connected to the living room hub. So, the signal is strong with no interruptions. I tried using the wireless mouse and keyboard straight from my bedroom and it works, but there are interruptions. I wanted the USB hub in the living room anyway so I can connect my racing rig, drives, and various peripherals. I pretty much have full PC setups in both my bedroom and living room running off the one PC. :)

Seems like a non-issue.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAGMF7CZ3095&Description=couchmaster&cm_re=couchmaster-_-9SIAGMF7CZ3095-_-Product

Or one of these.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA47J7XJ7923&Description=corsair%20lapboard&cm_re=corsair_lapboard-_-23-816-106-_-Product

With the right pair of headphones you won't miss out on that atmosphere. You'll need to set up your PC for it. External audio decoding hardware to isolate the audio from the PC (lots of noise and interference will be present with most gaming rigs thanks to how much juice is flowing through them). Next you'll want a high end pair of open-back stereo headphones. Neither of these things is particularly cheap. The headphones alone will run you probably $500.

The open-back headphones emulate the home theater experience. They don't have that closed off feeling that headphones usually do. It's hard to explain.

But there is no directional sound beyond left and right. The programmers can lower and raise the volume depending on distance from the source of the noise, but you won't truly feel like like it's coming from the rear-sides, front-sides, straight ahead or (with Atmos and DTS:X) from above. Not sure why I would wanna buy 500 dollar headphones when I can have a setup that won't even require putting anything on my head every time I sit. My headphones are comfortable, but not as comfortable as wearing nothing.

Kinda silly to compare Atmos Theater to Headphones. Atmos Home Theater is gonna set you back at least $1500

I agree. This is feeling very humble braggy territory.

We get it. You have a lot of money.

Also, directional audio is a thing with headphones. That's why headphones are utilized as the primary source of audio in competitive gaming. I feel like if you say there's no "directional audio" from headphones, you've never actually played a game with a pair of decent headphones.

You can use any speakers as the overhead ones. I only have a 5.0.2 (the 0 meaning there is no woofer) system, the Atmos bundle costing 150 dollars. Even without Atmos or DTS:X, you have better directional sound with five speakers. More expensive, yes, but I never said home theater equipment is cheap.

Didn't notice this post two weeks ago. My Sennheiser HD 558 are considered decent. It's still just stereo.

I just came back to this thread to look at the Steam Link suggestion again. Then I remembered it's only 1080p 60fps. Shit.

Make a list of pros and cons.

Or I will make one for you:

PC:

Pro: the best ever

Con: none

Console:

Pro: ?

Con: not the best ever

So the answer is to go with PC. headphones are better for gaming, anyway, so the whole not getting to use your home theatre system is not really a con. If you want to enjoy t hat, watch movies and listen to music.

That's life, I'm afraid. You can still be partially happy!

1440p Ultrawide 120 FPS, with Open Studio Headphones and Simulated Surround sound...

Nothing better, best FoV, best periperals and concentration.

My home theatre in the living room is nothing but a novelty.... even with HDR and proper speakers, you never have that same quality of audio.

That must be a really poor living room setup

Mostly it's just bias and/or lack of money. There's really no reason to not have a PC in the living room if you're a serious gamer, especially when aesthetically pleasing cases are cheap enough to be affordable.

This Phanteks case is only 18 inches tall and 6 inches wide. It would fit easily into a living room setup.

@DragonfireXZ95 said:

@ArchoNils2 said:

Looks to me like you build your problems yourself. I just use a couchmaster if I have to use keyboard and mouse and I do play Controllers if it's a genre I prefer a controller to play (like Plattformers or Fighters). I don't see why people act like having a PC in the living room is such a big issue.

Mostly it's just bias and/or lack of money. There's really no reason to not have a PC in the living room if you're a serious gamer, especially when aesthetically pleasing cases are cheap enough to be affordable.

This Phanteks case is only 18 inches tall and 6 inches wide. It would fit easily into a living room setup.

I don't know who this is even for. I never talked about PC case aesthetics.

@ezekiel43: There are more people in this thread than just you. Neutrino said a PC looks ugly in the living room.