Steam device with low input lag

[shmupsrocks]

So many cool shmups on Steam. Is there a best non-DIY Steam device for image quality and low input lag via USB controller? Linux preferred, shmups only.

EDIT: Windows or Linux is fine.

[Guspaz]

The only Steam device in existence is the Steam Deck, not sure what else you'd be looking for other than "generic Linux machine onto which Steam has been installed"...

[shmupsrocks]

Yes something designed to be a games appliance like these:

https://www.slant.co/topics/3723/~best-steam-machines

I was wrong to say Linux preferred. Windows looks to have much better compatibility and this is for a plug and play experience.

[ldeveraux]

The only Steam device in existence is the Steam Deck, not sure what else you'd be looking for other than "generic Linux machine onto which Steam has been installed"...

Exactly, unless he'd want to try the Steam Link for some reason.

[shmupsrocks]

Is there any way to play Steam shmups with low input lag?

[Guspaz]

Steam machines were a failed concept that was abandoned more than half a decade ago. It has no common heritage to the only current Steam product on the market, the Steam Deck, whose operating system (SteamOS) is not even based on the same Linux distribution as the old Steam Machines were.

If you want a Steam-specific machine, you have one choice, the Valve Steam Deck. If you want any other computer to play Steam games, go buy a Windows computer and install Steam on it. There's nothing special about any computer in particular that would make it well or poorly suited for shmups that would differ from any other game. Latency is dependent on your inputs and outputs and software configuration.

[shmupsrocks]

That sucks. Too many computers in my life already and it sounds like the Steam Deck has major compatibility limitations, d-pad issues, and no tate mode. Not sure about input lag. Maybe the solution is to enter ignorance is bliss mode and unfollow all these Twitter shmup accounts.

[orange808]

The system requirements for new Monogame-based games should be modest. I wouldn't understand any 2d game needing anything more than GTX 970 performance (and that was the benchmark in 2014). Even new integrated graphics should be able to deliver that. Some other development environments could be more resource hungry, though. Although, those other development environment alternatives seem to produce a lot of shovelware games rubbish (low quality "mobile gaming" shit) that isn't worth my time.

You shouldn't need an expensive machine for that.

If you want to emulate old games, you're better off with Groovymame. I can't think of any emulated games on Steam that aren't using a fork of a publicly available emu. Many of them are brazenly violating the open source licenses, because they know that volunteer open source projects don't have a team of high powered volunteer lawyers to protect their legal interests; they know the licenses aren't getting enforced. Nobody can afford to sue.

Anyhow, if you're going to emulate, may as well use Groovymame. Just buy the Steam version to own a legal copy of the rom and never play it. Use Groovymame instead. You'll need to use Freesync/Gsync/VRR, because we live in a stupid dystopian hellscape where the OS and graphics card drivers lock developers out of refresh rate control. On Steam, many emulated games will run at the wrong speed or suffer from frame rate conversion; many also run on old versions of emulators. Worst of all, Groovymame is optimized for low latency and standard mainline Mame is not. Steam isn't the answer for emulation; it's just a place to buy the rights to some roms.

The controller is up to you. I have gotten used to the Sony Dualshock 4 dpad, because it connects to a Windows PC over bluetooth with 1ms polling time. The DS4 is fast, readily available, and the build quality is decent. Keep 2.4GHz wifi stuff and all other bluetooth devices away from your gaming area. Bluetooth and wifi share frequencies and they interfere with one another. Use 5GHz wifi on your gaming machine. Keep a clear line of sight between the computer and the controller. You want every single 1ms "ping" to register like clockwork.

Use nvidia's Ultra Low Latency in the control panel and use exclusive full screen in your game settings. Also enable the windowed game optimizations and manually set the power profile in the Windows 11 settings. I understand that Windows has dramatically lowered windowed gaming latency, but I'm not interested in trying it out, because it sucked for decades and I know exclusive fullscreen works. Obviously, you need to use a low latency display, too.

[shmupsrocks]

How about shmups on the Nvidia Shield?

EDIT: Oh the Shield is Android-based so even though it can play Steam games I don't think it will be compatible with many shmups.

[orange808]

We're still years away from good handheld consolized PCs for shmups fans. It won't get interesting until a handheld offers an OLED screen and real gsync/freesync support on the mobile "built in" screen. That's when groovymame becomes usable.

[bobrocks95]

How about shmups on the Nvidia Shield?

EDIT: Oh the Shield is Android-based so even though it can play Steam games I don't think it will be compatible with many shmups.

I'm really not sure what exactly you're looking for with this thread. A small form-factor plug and play device? There's surely an NUC or other mini PC that can handle most shmups available.

[ldeveraux]

How about shmups on the Nvidia Shield?

EDIT: Oh the Shield is Android-based so even though it can play Steam games I don't think it will be compatible with many shmups.

I'm really not sure what exactly you're looking for with this thread. A small form-factor plug and play device? There's surely an NUC or other mini PC that can handle most shmups available.

I assumed he was looking for a handheld linux device to play Steam games on. Now I'm not so sure about the handheld part and Windows it now acceptable.

[shmupsrocks]

I'm really not sure what exactly you're looking for with this thread. A small form-factor plug and play device? There's surely an NUC or other mini PC that can handle most shmups available.

I'm looking to play Steam shmups without administrating yet another computer. Looking for something plug and play.

[bobrocks95]

Steam Deck + dock, some sort of mini PC, or if both of those are too much work, a PS4. I looked and several popular shmups in my account haven't been tested for Steam Deck compatibility yet- Mushihimesama, ZeroRanger, Ikaruga, DariusBurst...... If you truly want to guarantee you'll *never* have to do anything to get a game running, a computer isn't what you're looking for.

[shmupsrocks]

Can I play Steam games on a PS4?

[bobrocks95]

Nope but sounds like you're adamant about not getting a PC for whatever reason, so that's really your only other option.

[orange808]

What are the system requirements for Steam shmups? Those original Steam machines should be enough for that. Get a used one.

[Guspaz]

Steam is a PC game store. You need a PC to play PC games. You can't play PC games on a PS4. The definition of PC here is mostly Windows. It can include PC-like Mac and Linux machines (including the Steam Deck, which is just a handheld Linux PC), but since there are very few native ports for those platforms, they rely on platform emulation like Valve Proton.

[SuicideShow]

I'm really not sure what exactly you're looking for with this thread. A small form-factor plug and play device? There's surely an NUC or other mini PC that can handle most shmups available.

I'm looking to play Steam shmups without administrating yet another computer. Looking for something plug and play.

You say "yet another computer", so why not use one of those computer you already have? Just install Steam and play. You don't need anything special, just any computer will do.

[ldeveraux]

Either you're not asking the right question or you don't like the answers you're getting.

[shmupsrocks]

I'm looking for the Roku of Steam shmups.

[jd213]

Most shmups shouldn't need anything too powerful, so maybe just get a small PC or used gaming laptop and install something like https://atlasos.net/ on it and then install Steam

[ldeveraux]

Get a BeeLink or NUC and call it a day

[Lord of Pirates]

Get a BeeLink or NUC and call it a day

I second this. Beelink's site appears to have pre-configured options which would further simplify things.

Edit: There's also Minisforum. Guru3D reviewed one here.

[orange808]

Rumor has it the Asus ROG Ally will use Freesync on it's 7" native display. Sounds "groovy". Let's hope the controller polling rate is fast or (at least) able to be configured. Need access to 1ms polling to get the most out of it.

[Guspaz]

That's what the leaks say, 120 Hz 1080p with VRR.

[shmupsrocks]

There's a lot of great hardware out there for this but in my case it's a software problem. There is no administrative burden with a Roku and that's what I'm looking for here.

The ROG Ally looks really interesting and will surely be plug and play. It looks like it launches in 8 days. Maybe it will fit the bill. I don't necessarily need portability but it doesn't hurt.

[orange808]

There's a lot of great hardware out there for this but in my case it's a software problem. There is no administrative burden with a Roku and that's what I'm looking for here.

The ROG Ally looks really interesting and will surely be plug and play. It looks like it launches in 8 days. Maybe it will fit the bill. I don't necessarily need portability but it doesn't hurt.

With freesync on board, you'll want to take on the administrative burden. Unlike the lousy Steam Deck thing, the ROG Ally may be a legitimate machine for playing most of the shmups genre library. Steam, Epic, and GOG are the main attraction, but you'll also have legitimate emu options.

There's a lot of hate for Retroarch and Final Burn Alpha, but you'll want to install Retroarch and put in the time to get it configured. It's viable and useful, no matter what some people tell you. You'll also want mainline Mame with the -lowlatency flag. It's old news, but Calamity finally got his optimisations merged into Mame. You'll get groovymame performance with standard Mame using the low latency option and freesync together. That statement is only true when you use freesync. (Never play Mame inside Retroarch.)

You might also be able to dock the Ally and use it as your desktop PC. That depends on your needs.

Portability will be handicapped by battery life and DRM. You'll want to shop GOG first for newer games.

[shmupsrocks]

Why would emulation be necessary on a Windows system? I thought all Steam games were Windows compatible but that must not be right.

[orange808]

Why would emulation be necessary on a Windows system? I thought all Steam games were Windows compatible but that must not be right.

It's Windows 11.

I wouldn't say it's absolutely necessary, but most of us have stored our PCBs away. Emulation is a significantly more accessible way to access the games without having to get out the PCBs and handle them. I still do sometimes and I prefer it, but it's easier to use an emu.

The convenience is even more appealing on a handheld. I don't think I've ever owned a handheld that emulated anything I cared about in an acceptable way. It should be nice.

Tate mode will be inconvenient, though. I'll be stuck on bluetooth with a DS4. If memory serves, that one registers ~85% "on time" input with Windows. Good enough.

I'll probably be playing Blazing Lasers in Retroarch, anyway. Won't need anything extra for that.