Properties2
| Type | Project |
| Note created | May 14, 2026 |
Mostly propelled by the independence from a keyboard and mouse that the release (and first-minute purchase) of the Steam Controller in 2026, I started plotting a way of playing my desktop PC in my living room TV. This project involves several steps: achieving a comfortable software layer to use with the Steam Controller, and getting a way to display the computer in the living room TV.
Achieving a comfortable software setup
I also discovered on early 2026 Playnite, a kind of gaming platform aggregator that is able to display all games from different shops (or not) in a single, Big-Picture-like interface. It is also open source and has a wealth of plug ins that I am really enjoying, so I think this automatically solved most of the problem. Playnite is now configure to auto-start on log-in in full-screen mode.
Broadcasting to a TV
I made some experiments using my Apple TV and a Steam Link to broadcast the screen and, while the technology works great (and also lets you control the Apple TV using the controller, which is nice), ended up not being appropriate:
- Neither my Apple TV nor my PC are connected via Ethernet, so the delay is really noticeable. Roughly 1 sec input lag, which is too much for comfort in all games and straight up crippling in most.
- I ran some tests using wired connection to the PC and it did not solve it to a degree worth considering. Probably wiring both ends would work, but my Apple TV has no Ethernet connection, so that’s not being considered.
However, the idea of running an Ethernet wire from the PC to the TV gave me an idea: what if I just run a super long HDMI cable from the office to the living room? Which is the kind of low-tech solution that works in this case. I just got a high-quality, active, 15m long HDMI cable that supports 2.0 and tested it as a regular output for the PC. It just works, and there is no input lag that I can notice, at least playing Football Life 26, which is probably the most demanding game I play in that regard. There were some quirks I had to iron, like tuning Samsung TV Game Mode to provide correct info, but in general works great.
Future steps
I still have to receive the Steam Controller and properly configure it, so that’s probably a chore by itself.
I also game right now unspooling the HDMI wire and connecting it to the TV, just lying around. I would like to install it in a permanent way, but for that I need to nail down exactly the setup before committing to it.
I also need a way to multiplex HDMI on my PC, since it has a single HDMI output and I would like to just be able to switch from one to another without plugging and unplugging outputs.