Steam, Android Box TV, controllers

[Canada EH]

Steam,

I went to bestbuy.ca on my desktop to by some cheap games on disc and get them mailed to me. Noticed they were all downloads and saw Steam. Heard of it before, never paid no attention b/c I thought people still bought game discs. Went to YouTube and watched a quick explaination on it. Downloaded it, spent some money on five $0.50-$10 games, played a few and I dig it. Googled some more on it and will probably partition my HD to run Linux based SteamOS for a dual boot situation. About controllers, I read the stock one is clumsy design, cheap buttons, imprecise trackpad mouse and its $50. So compatible ones are XBOX One, XBOX 360 wires, XBOX 360 wireless for windows or Logitech Gamepad F170 from what I read up on.

 

Just wondering which controller all the gamers prefer for Steam?

How do you gamers like Steam?

The only other similar services I found on a quick search are; Direct2Drive, GamersGate, Amazon, GameStop Impulse. itch.io - GOG.com (Good Old Games)  - Green Man Gaming  - Desura - Humble - Indie Game Stand. Just wondering if any of those come close to Steam. I will be more into cheap Indie games, playing the occasional expensive game. Now I need to find a way to hardwire my basement's office to basement TV room for Steam.

 

Next up NVIDIA Android Box. Seems I actually have to buy their controller but was wondering if there are compatible controllers, or "hacked" ones I can buy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[saladcrack]

Steam is the best place to buy and organize PC games.  Sometimes it fails me with slow downloads or just no download speed at all but most of the time it is fantastic.  I like the Steam controller but I got it on sale for $30 and I think that is what it is worth so do not buy it at full price.  And I think a lot of people use Xbox 360 or One controllers but it really depends on what you like/have lying around like if you have a PS4 then you will probably use that controller etc etc.

[Totallycasual]

Good old x-Box 360 controller here, plug and play. 

[Dash Lambda]

That's what you heard about the Steam Controller?

... That really does bug me.

Here's a bit of a rant:

Spoiler

 

The Steam Controller is a fantastic device, the issue is that most people confuse preference for objective assessment.

It's very different when compared to M/KB as well as any major gamepad, so nobody can be used to it the first time they pick it up. They expect to be used to it anyway, though, so it feels awkward and clunky, and they say that's just how the controller is. Sure, there are obviously people who dislike it for perfectly legitimate reasons, but the vast majority of people just don't like it because it's different.

 

As for build quality, it's not cheaply made at all. It only feels cheap when you compare it to the ultra-premium $150 Xbone Elite controller, which people often do for some reason.

 

The Steam Controller has high and low points, but honestly, there are only a handful of reviews out there that spend enough time with it to tell you what those are.

 

Rant aside, here's my recommendation:

Spoiler

 

The Steam Controller is easily the most versatile and configurable gamepad available, and the trackpads come very close to the precision of a mouse, but you'll have to get used to it, you'll need to do a bit more fiddling with it than you would with an Xbox controller, and it doesn't support rechargeable batteries. (You can use rechargeable batteries, but you have to take them out to charge them.)

 

Control interfaces are ultimately an opinion-based matter, so there's no way to guarantee you'll like it, but if that sounds good to you then you should try it out.

 

Both of those are spoilered because I've talked about the Steam Controller a lot on this forum and I'm aware I'm starting to sound like a broken record.

 

Anyway...

 

Steam is pretty much the standard of PC game clients, everyone usually agrees it's the best and it's certainly the most well-established. Some people prefer GOG because of Steam's DRM, and some companies made their own game clients because they either want more money or don't like Valve (Origin and Uplay, for instance), but nothing is really as ubiquitous as Steam. There's a reason Gabe Newell is so legendary.

 

You said you usually play cheap Indie games, which is good, because Steam is famous for hosting Indie games.

They're also famous for their summer sales, which... Yeah.

 

Might I ask, why are you thinking about installing SteamOS?

[Canada EH]

So how do I swap everything over to my new computer that is coming tomorrow.

I redownload the Steam program, and do the games I bought stay on the Steam server. Then I have to redownload my paid games onto my computer to play.

 

What is Uplay?

Some reason I got that now on my desktop.

[Totallycasual]

19 minutes ago, Canada EH said:

What is Uplay?

Ubisoft being dicks.