Ask HN: – Build Gaming Setup AIO: Steam – GoG – Epic Games – RetroArch – PPSSPP
I have customized (refactored packages of) Linux to directly boot into the games dashboard and start playing the games. Well, there are options to switch to emulators, the Steam app, etc.
It also has the ability to sideload games, which is intended solely for testing purposes.
This way, one will be free from the hassle of installing games and configuring everything by hand himself.
Finally, as a gamer, I get the best of many worlds. PC, retro, PlayStation, etc. I get to play both using controllers as well as a mouse and keyboard.
I want to sell desktops without charging for the operating system, and I will contact all the vendors who build customized PCs to install this operating system.
I have spoken to a few vendors who built custom PCs during my PoC, and they have asked for the OS to install before selling to gamers.
As a PC gamer, would you love to try out such stuff to get a rich gaming experience with minimal configuration and setup?
Which gamer is ready to try out this setup based on the price/configuration?
A. <$600
B. $600 - $1000
C. $1000 - $2500
D. >$2500
Do you have any feedback, opinions, suggestions, or likes/dislikes? Please share.
Thank you.
PS: I am going crazy with these setup ideas and justifying my decision to proceed only if there is some valuable feedback. I have spent hours and hours tweaking the OS and making it run on various devices. Those who liked this have displayed their interest in having this OS and shipping it with them in their hardware distribution. This can be considered as a cry for help not to do free work.
I currently use a Legion Go with Bazzite installed, paired with a cheap AliExpress dock and an eGPU dock (also from AliExpress) housing a Radeon 7600 XT. Overall, it's been a great experience. With some minor tweaking, I can play pretty much everything you're describing – PC games via Proton, retro games, and PlayStation titles through emulators.
Given that my entire setup cost around $1200 (Legion Go, dock, eGPU enclosure, and Radeon 7600 XT), I would absolutely go for a pre-built system like yours if I didn't already have my current setup. It truly offers the appeal of a Nintendo Switch but with significantly more horsepower and flexibility (and none of the console vendor lock-in).
Based on my experience and what I've spent, I'd fall squarely into category C. $1000 - $2500 for such a setup. The convenience of having everything pre-configured and optimized for gaming right out of the box is a huge selling point.
It sounds like you've put a tremendous amount of effort into this, and the idea of a "best of many worlds" gaming OS with minimal setup is highly appealing to gamers. Good luck with your project!