55" 4K Couch Gaming

[Logun]

I've recently added a 55" 4K TV to my set up along with a nice leather recliner. The TV is powered by my PC and so I'm trying to figure out the best way to incorporate it into my gaming.

 

What are some suggestions for a good wireless keyboard and mouse? I'm *very* partial to RAT mice specifically due to the pinky flare attachment. I've recently tested a Cougar 700m as a possible new wired mouse but couldn't do it simply because of how much I like that pinky attachment for keeping it from dragging on the mat.

 

The RAT9 doesn't have the best reviews, so I'm a bit hesitant to go that route. (That said I'm still leaning that way). I have no idea for any kind of wireless keyboard which would lend itself to gaming. My current wired board is the Corsair K90.

 

If I attached a wireless KB/M would I still be able to use the wired ones without issue or would I be in a situation where I needed to Plug in/unplug the receiver each time to stop any kind of driver competition between the two sets (wired vs wireless)

 

Thoughts and suggestions?

 

[othertomperson]

I actually really like the R.A.T. 9. It comes with a massive caveat, though... a caverat, if you will...

 

>_>

<_<

 

*ahem*

 

The battery life is appalling. It lasts for the best part of a day's use. It's mitigated by the fact that it comes with two batteries that are easily swappable: you keep one in the mouse, one charging in the USB dock (that also holds any superfluous weights you aren't using) and swap when the one in the mouse dies. It's not *that* inconvenient, but it's the sort of thing that some people might find irritating.

 

The customisability is great, I find it extremely comfortable. You can virtually reshape the whole thing to fit your hand, make it longer, shorter, fatter, heavier, it comes with various plastic covers of different grippinesses. I've taken all of the weights out of it, though, I find just the right level of heft to it as it is. This may be because of the battery that obviously wired versions don't have. The programmable horizontal scroll is awesome. And yeah I really like it. It just has that one thing that some people don't mind and other people do.

[Totallycasual]

I have toyed with the idea of doing this too but to be honest im not sure there would be much of a difference when gaming from your sofa 10-15 feet away from the screen, im aware of the significant difference in pixel density going from 1920x1080 up to 4k but can you tell that far away? 

 

Sorry to be off topic but i just wondered how you were finding it so far would love to hear your thoughts on if it was worth it or not. I'm always one of those types to spend thousands on an idea only to be underwhelmed and regret my purchase lol 

[Logun]

 

The battery life is appalling. It lasts for the best part of a day's use. It's mitigated by the fact that it comes with two batteries that are easily swappable: you keep one in the mouse, one charging in the USB dock (that also holds any superfluous weights you aren't using) and swap when the one in the mouse dies. It's not *that* inconvenient, but it's the sort of thing that some people might find irritating.

 

 

This is exactly what I've heard, but I also tack on that the sensor currently being used is 2nd tier these days and could be in need of an upgrade. I feel much more comfortable with going that direction though after reading your post

 

 

Sorry to be off topic but i just wondered how you were finding it so far   would love to hear your thoughts on if it was worth it or not. I'm always one of those types to spend thousands on an idea only to be underwhelmed and regret my purchase lol 

 

 

As to my experience so far, I have one caveat before I proceed - I am not very sensitive to either mouse lag / input latency and low refresh rates don't bother me all that much.

My current GPU is only an R9 290 and so my current experience is at 30Hz refresh. 

 

It is awesome. 

 

Simply awesome.

 

It is like experiencing the jump from VHS to DVD all over again. The recliner is approximately 8' from the screen. Yes I can instantly tell a difference in games. I've played a bit of the first 2 Borderlands and the fist Bioshock. IMO Bioshock turns into a whole new game. Experiencing Bioshock at 4K is everything I would expect to get when someone releases a newly "Remastered" game.With Borderlands though the impact is not as great. This was a pretty interesting experience and one that opened my eyes to let me know that art style will play an impact on the overall experience.

 

I have also played StarCraft 2 and the difference was - Mehn. Part of the reason it wasn't as mind blowing as the other games though was because I was trying to use a KB/M not even 2' from the screen. With an RTS I was constantly losing the mouse on all the real-estate. Again art style plays a major role - with an RTS I wouldn't (and didn't) expect a massive impact just due to it being the genre that it is.

 

I am holding off on trying out the action games like the Batman series until I get a 60Hz capable card (with HDMI 2.0 output). I still have yet to try RPG's and space sims and MMO type games like SWTOR and D&DO.

 

If you wanted me to test out a specific game let me know - if I've got it I'll give it a go, and if I don't have it, I might get it just to test with

 

The other thing to consider is that I got a pretty fricken good deal on the TV. It's an LG 55UB9500 and I paid $1,125 all in (tax, eco fee, delivery). At that price it is more than what I would have hoped for,

[Logun]

Any wireless Keyboard suggestions? 

 

Also can anyone confirm that I would be able to switch seamlessly between my wired keyboard and Wireless one? (same for my mouse?)

[ltguy]

I have had good pc's driving my tv since 2006 but was never really a huge fan of couch gaming. Between trying to balance the mouse and keyboard and trying to read text from 8-12 feet away, it wasnt that enjoyable. Recently I find myself gaming  in front of the tv almost all the time vice my desktop because i found the secret.. ditch the couch. I now game at my coffee table a mere 4-5 from the tv and am really enjoying it (once your back muscles adjust). I can read the text and have something to support the keyboard and mouse. As for peripherals i only use bluetooth. Anything else seems to lack the responsiveness needed for gaming.