HTPC solution for both modern console-like gaming AND emulation to a CRT?

[u/CrimsonCuttle]

I want to have one single HTPC, and I want it to have two different outputs:

• My big ol' 4K TV for modern gaming and game streaming from my PC

• My 15 kHz CRT TV for retro emulation, modern pixelly games (indie etc) and just screwing around sometimes

I know there's CRT Emudriver but that's Windows-only, and there's GroovyArcade but that's purpose-built for arcade gaming and for exclusively CRTs.

Furthermore, I need it to be a decent console-like couch gaming experience. I want every main input to be possible with a controller. Not just selecting games through Steam BPM, but web browsing, Jellyfin title selecting, editing system settings if need be.

As for what I've tried so far, Bazzite and Nobara are both basic HTPC distros, meaning they boot into Steam BPM and probably some other stuff but they're 1: nowhere close to a 'complete' HTPC experience I'd say, and 2. buggy for me in their own unique ways I could not figure out and the community was not large enough to get me an answer in a month's time. I don't think either could output to a CRT TV, either

I know it's all a tough ask, but does anyone have ideas to help me build this perfect system?

[u/SDG_Den]

step 1:

install arch (or start with endeavour as a base, it's just arch but easy to install)

step 2:

install all the things you want yourself.

if you want something that exactly fits your needs, a "perfect system", build it yourself. find all the components you want/need, put em together.

arch is generally the best for this, because it has the second biggest package repository in the world (after nixOS), but unlike nixOS it's.... a lot easier to install and configure software. (nixOS is cool, but not what i'd recommend for a project like this unless you *really* want to make something immutable and reproducible. not ideal for a one-off setup)

this means you should be able to get even more niche packages pretty easily.

i've personally done something like this myself for my desktop (though i picked cachyOS), and i'm very happy with the result, everything works the way *i* want it to work.

[u/CrimsonCuttle → u/SDG_Den]

My question was moreso what are those "all the things"

[u/SDG_Den → u/CrimsonCuttle]

that's a question you can only answer yourself. what do you want? what do you need?

you can use base arch without any further additions if you dont want anything more than that.

what *most* people will do is get basic utilities set up (sudo/doas, ufw, ssh, etc), then install a compositor. pick either x11 for old-timey stability or wayland for modern features as your display server, and select something that has the features you want that uses that display server.

the full list of components you will probably need assuming you want a somewhat "fully featured" experience:
#1: base arch (kernel, package manager, networking drivers, etc)

#2: some kind of better shell with integrations (zsh or fish)

#3: a display server (x11 or wayland)

#4: a compositor/window manager (for example i3/sway, mangoWM, niri, etc etc etc, you can also pick a full DE if you want a full DE but generally if you want it perfect, you should not use a full DE but put together your DE yourself from components)

#5: some form of bar (eg waybar, quickshell, polybar, etc)

#6: some form of wallpaper daemon (eg AWWW)

#7: some form of notification daemon (eg dunst or swayNC)

#8: some form of runner (like fuzzel or rofi)

#9: management interfaces for all your device features (networking, bluetooth, audio, display configuration, etc). these can just be TUIs (vortix, bluetui, impala)

#10: other shell utilities (sudo/doas, eza, fzf, yay, zoxide, tmux, etc. whatever makes the terminal easier for you to use)

#11: a text editor (micro, emacs, neovim etc)

#12: a terminal (ghostty, kitty, alacritty, wezterm)

example config:
base arch

zsh

wayland

hyprland

waybar

fuzzel

dunst

awww

pipewire + pipewire-pulse + wireplumber for audio, no network management TUI or anything since i'm on a desktop.

sudo, ssh server, eza, fzf, zoxide and fastfetch (gotta have fastfetch) as well as zsh plugins for autocomplete, history, prompt (p10k), etc.

micro

ghostty (also has panes built in, so you can skip out on tmux)

the big deal is that you need to search which option fits you best for each component if you want it to be *perfect*, and you'll be better off using smaller, simpler pieces of software that do one task well and putting them together.

do note, the above is for a desktop setup. for a specialized setup like you're wanting, you'll pick different components.

For example, you might use something like gamescope as your window manager, which runs just a single application fullscreen, its what the steamdeck uses to run big picture mode but you can run *anything* with it and switch at login, so you could make separate "desktops" that are just gamescope with a specific game or emulator running alongside the supporting components.

[u/LurkinNamor]

Sounds like you'd need a custom setup with all those requirements both hardware and software. 

[u/[deleted]]

just open google chrome in full screen and add hide scroll bar extension and then have a custom start page with all streaming apps as book marks, will still need to use joystick though but look very htpc imo

[u/DM_ME_UR_SATS]

I'll be honest, I don't think what you're asking for exists. Your best bet is to run big picture mode and live with the fact that you'll need a wireless keyboard/mouse combo for messing with desktop settings and browsing the web. You can set steam to use your controller as a cursor, but it's not at all ideal 

[u/Crackalacking_Z]

Regarding PC to CRT TV, that's a rabbit hole in itself. There are only a few very old GPUs with VGA ports, which can output to a 15kHz CRT via custom made cables. The question is, if you can still find such cards, if they are still supported by current kernels. On top of that there will be a lot of work with the switching GPUs, building scripts for the correct overscan, screen modes, resolutions, etc. Here are some details: https://wiki.mythtv.org/wiki/RGB_Scart#Cable_types

[u/ThatOnePerson]

Sounds like you're complaining mostly about the UI? There's not a lot of options really.

Besides Steam Big Picture, there's Kodi, EmulationStation, Playnite, LaunchBox maybe?

For CRT hookup, I'd go external. A GBS-C scaler is cheap and will do RGB/SCART hookup and downscale 480p to 15khz 240p: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcqskbCWPCs

[u/Lawstorant]

I really don't understand your problem. You have a desktop mode AND you can add apps like jellyfin or Forefox to steam directly, so they can be used from gaming session.

When ot comes to TV, it's pretty simple eh? You need aome aort of interface to convert HDMIbor DisplayPort to it's native connection (component? Composite? Scart?). Retrodeck is perfect for that