How to make a PC into a Console?

[Edgar R. Zakarian]

Please add comments, ideas, thoughts, all are welcome.

But please don't start a flame war or something similar.

 

Points to look at.

 

• Stylish case to fit in the living room
• Controller support
• Wireless Turn on/off (Just like a Playstation controller)
• SteamOS? 
• Off-the-shelf parts (widely available parts/mods)
• Low price (As low as possible without compromising other aspects)
• If you think of more comfortable, seamless possibilities, please do share :-)

 

The thought behind this is "basically" a stronger, and upgradable console, made out of a PC.

 

 

 

[vanished]

This thread could go downhill real fast so let's keep this to positive comments about how to get the look and/or convenience of a console

[manikyath]

honestly with the xbone and PS4 theres not much difference beyond the UI being couch friendly.

 

oh, and it looking good in the living room.

[vanished]

Personally, I'd go for a simple, sleek style case, something like an NZXT or Fractal Design, and something low form-factor.  Cooling would be an issue more likely so it would be liquid cooling for everything I think.  I'd run Windows, but I'd try to make it couch-friendly with something like that mod that lets you control a PC using a Wii remote or something like that.

[Cryptonite]

10 minutes ago, Edgar R. Zakarian said:

Please add comments, ideas, thoughts, all are welcome.

But please don't start a flame war or something similar.

 

Points to look at.

 

• Stylish case to fit in the living room
• Controller support
• Wireless Turn on/off (Just like a Playstation controller)
• SteamOS? 
• Off-the-shelf parts (widely available parts/mods)
• Low price (As low as possible without compromising other aspects)
• If you think of more comfortable, seamless possibilities, please do share :-)

 

The thought behind this is "basically" a stronger, and upgradable console, made out of a PC.

 

 

 

I'm actually quite interested in this as well, Getting very close to what I want already though since all I want to do is lay in bed and play games with my 360 controller. it's just that at times I wish I could control more from the bed coz like with Naruto I had to rename a copy of the NSUNS exe of each to launcher.exe or w/e to make it launch directly to the game and skip the launcher. I can't really edit enabled mods on skyrim with ease either

[manikyath]

4 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Personally, I'd go for a simple, sleek style case, something like an NZXT or Fractal Design, and something low form-factor.  Cooling would be an issue more likely so it would be liquid cooling for everything I think.  I'd run Windows, but I'd try to make it couch-friendly with something like that mod that lets you control a PC using a Wii remote or something like that.

or run steam big picture on top of windows, i guess that'd be the easiest way since the wiimote stuff is REALLY flaky. (from experience...)

[ShadowCaptain]

Connect PC to TV

Connect wireless controller

Get a little rii mini keyboard for PC operations

 

profit

 

 

[vanished]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

or run steam big picture on top of windows, i guess that'd be the easiest way since the wiimote stuff is REALLY flaky. (from experience...)

It'd be nice to use it as a full PC though too, not just for games.  Like web browsing, etc.  Maybe that thing Linus shows that lets you just use a mouse and keyboard from the couch would actually be best

[Cryptonite]

2 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

It'd be nice to use it as a full PC though too, not just for games.  Like web browsing, etc.  Maybe that thing Linus shows that lets you just use a mouse and keyboard from the couch would actually be best

you can browse the web from steam big picture with an on screen keyboard the only problem I have personally is having to sometimes get up and fix a messup after closing a game or opening one and it opened in the wrong resolution/ crashed

[vanished]

3 minutes ago, Cryptonite said:

you can browse the web from steam big picture with an on screen keyboard the only problem I have personally is having to sometimes get up and fix a messup after closing a game or opening one and it opened in the wrong resolution/ crashed

But that's using it's build in browser, right?  It's not like it's Chrome or something, is it?

[Cryptonite]

2 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

But that's using it's build in browser, right?  It's not like it's Chrome or something, is it?

yah unfortunately it's the chrome based built in browser.

[vanished]

1 minute ago, Cryptonite said:

yah unfortunately it's the chrome based built in browser.

Oh, well that's half good   Glad to hear their browser is based on chrome, but I'd like to just use my real chrome browser

[Aereldor]

22 minutes ago, Edgar R. Zakarian said:

1. Stylish case to fit in the living room
2. Controller support
3. Wireless Turn on/off (Just like a Playstation controller)
4. SteamOS? 
5. Off-the-shelf parts (widely available parts/mods)
6. Low price (As low as possible without compromising other aspects)

1. The Fractal Design Node 202, or something similar? Its appearance is quite similar to that of a console.
2. The Steam Controller should do the job.
3. Consider hooking up a wireless switch to the power switch contact points on the motherboard. You could attach this to your Steam controller with a little DIY initiative.
4. Yes.
5. A lot of what you need should be readily available- a substantial CPU with a low-profile cooler (Using a locked CPU would let you save money by going with the stock heatsink).
6. The aforementioned, along with a cheap mini-ITX motherboard and one of the new Pascal/Polaris GPUs, whenever those come out (GTX 1070/R9 490?)

[Edgar R. Zakarian]

3 hours ago, manikyath said:

honestly with the xbone and PS4 theres not much difference beyond the UI being couch friendly.

 

oh, and it looking good in the living room.

I'm having problems more in line of turning on/off the PC remotely, so you don't have to manually. Also maybe booting/logging into Steam big picture mode automatically?

 

It's a hassle to turn on the PC, then there's a virus scanner, windows update, etc. etc. instead of just being able to log into your games an play asap.

[Edgar R. Zakarian]

3 hours ago, Aereldor said:

1. Consider hooking up a wireless switch to the power switch contact points on the motherboard. You could attach this to your Steam controller with a little DIY initiative.

 

This is a pretty interesting idea. A wireless switch on the mobo.

[Edgar R. Zakarian]

3 hours ago, ShadowCaptain said:

Connect PC to TV

Connect wireless controller

Get a little rii mini keyboard for PC operations

 

profit

 

 

Very interesting, didn't know those existed. Basically a big controller sized keyboard.

 

http://www.miniinthebox.com/da/rii-mini-i8-traadloes-baggrundslys-tastatur-med-touchpad-assorteret-farve_p4353820.html?currency=DKK&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&sku=429_6917&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&adword_mt=&adword_ct=73333045602&adword_kw=&adword_pos=1o4&adword_pl=&adword_net=g&adword_tar=&adw_src_id=4196617767_313324242_22461422802_pla-163743348568&gclid=CPizhK6V-swCFeTPcgodicgMVQ

[Edgar R. Zakarian]

3 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

It'd be nice to use it as a full PC though too, not just for games.  Like web browsing, etc.  Maybe that thing Linus shows that lets you just use a mouse and keyboard from the couch would actually be best

what thing does he show?

[byalexandr]

Well that's basically what a living room PC is. Get your favorite (small, and I really hate having to mention that because there are so many stupid mITX cases that are big enough to hold an ATX board) and as powerful hardware as you want, and install SteamOS. Alternatively you can keep your main rig in another room, and if you have a decent local network you can stream from your main rig to either a low power PC or a Steam Link.

[steezemageeze]

Have you seen the Corsair Bulldog/Lapdog? http://www.corsair.com/en-us/landing/bulldog http://www.corsair.com/en-us/landing/lapdog (The Lapdog is available now, the Bulldog DIY kit is also available as well, but the pre-built won't be out until Q3)

 

I know you said controller support, but you could just use the Bulldog and a Steam Controller or Xbox controller instead of the Lapdog. 

[Aviyara]

4 hours ago, Aereldor said:

1. Consider hooking up a wireless switch to the power switch contact points on the motherboard. You could attach this to your Steam controller with a little DIY initiative.

A buddy of mine had one of those Staples buttons, the giant red Easy buttons? He dislodged his power button from the case facade, cut and spliced the connection onto longer wires, then Dremel cut a hole into the side of the Staples button. The power button got glued to the interior of the Easy button so, whenever you pressed the Easy button, some protrusion on the inside of it would press against and actuate the power button, completing the circuit and powering on the computer. 

 

Sure it would mean running a wire to a giant red button on your couch, but it might be easier than finding a wireless power button. 

[spellmanuk]

theres a few fractle, lian li and nzxt cased that are low profile and would be good for a case. 

as for a controller xbox one with a wireless dongle is your best bet i use that all the time and it works well remote power on not sure you can do this with the controller like you can on xbox or ps3 but there are pci devices you can put in that have a rf remote that sends a power on signal i used to have one on my pc when i was a lazy teenager so i could turn it on before i got out of bed so by the time i got out of bed it was on and ready to go 

 

i wouldnt use steam os personally it certainly limits your game choice and you make end up having to remote stream many games like gta, fallout 4 ect. windows 10 then use steam big picture instead since its almost the same thing just more game and driver compatibility and if you wanna go in and use somthing like netflix or youtube you can. so for this id recommend somthing like the razer turret to have a full keybaord a wirelss headset might come in handy aswell