I’m interested in the Steam Machine’s potential to be what the Xbox One wanted to be without the bullshit.
There are some Linux apps like Jellyfin (where I watch most stuff by far) but it seems like Waydroid can fill in a lot of the Android gaps that are missing. With a TV like remote.
This would need to have the family approval factor. No hoops to jump through for the wife, just launch apps and watch.
I’m sure there are some tradeoffs specifically in the DRM camp, but the only actual potential DRM app I use is Nebula so that might be fine. I currently watch YouTube via SmartTube to circumvent ads.
Ars there other tradeoffs I’m missing?
Its my dedicated TV so no family issues that I can advise on, but the Plax app I use is unavailable but available on the web so zero issues there.
Proton VPN works great with all my ahem totally legitimate sports ball watching need.
…honestly I have very little needs for a multi media box like I used to have on the Xbox, and the only major issue is that I (read: my son) can’t get the printer set up.
Not sure how steamOS is, but bazzite has a version that launches into what seems like steamOS, but you can switch to desktop mode and use it like a normal desktop if someone wanted to do something like print. Haven’t really tried either with a couch setup yet though, but hopefully that changes by this weekend.
I’ll pass that along to the local IT (I spent the last 40 years in the kitchen instead of in front of a keyboard :( )
How’s the web navigation with a TV controller?
I have the Xbox controller hooked up, it works OK, I need to play around more to get the buttons down to what they’re used for. the mouse has issues with connecting but thats the mouse fault.
If you have steam running you can change the desktop controller configuration and take advantage of steam input features like the keyboard. I set up a bazzite on a old intel PC I saved from the trash and just navigate with the Xbox controller and mapped all excess buttons to open apps/forward back pages, scroll wheel, radical menus, etc.
Waaay more useable than a TV remote tryonng to spend 10 minutes chicken pecking out a 7 letter word.
Hey now thats an idea! TYp