Topic: PC Gaming

@TheFrenchiestFry, well the reviews I read said that the 3070 is limited to it's lowest power configuration (probably for battery reasons), so they generally mentioned it's not optimal for 4K.

@RR529 Oh is it lower wattage? Yeah I guess that isn't really feasible then but 1080p gaming will be more than suitable for this kind of config

@RR529
You don’t really need 4k on a laptop. 1440p is the sweet spot for laptop/monitor gaming IMO.

I have a 2080 ti, which is roughly equivalent performance wise to the 3070. And I can run any game at 4k 60 FPS on High/Ultra settings. There are a few exceptions- Assassins Creed Valhalla saw some dips into the 50s, for example. For those ultra demanding games, you can A turn settings down to high or medium, B lock Framerate to 30, C simply set resolution to 1440p while keeping 60 FPS and Ultra Graphics settings (thats the one I opted for).

But nowadays more and more high end games are including DLSS, which makes these games far easier to run on the GPU, since it only has to render at 1080p or 1440p and use AI upscaling to 4k. You’ll need it for any game you turn raytracing on for, since it’s so demanding- but it’s useful just to be able to run super demanding games in 4k 60 FPS Ultra.

In your case, I’d stick to 1440p 60 FPS Ultra, and turn on “DLSS - balanced” for any game that supports it.

@RR529
Then again, battery life is a factor one must consider. If 60 FPS is priority, you can crush 1080p for any game on Ultra for the next decade, I’m sure, and have reasonable battery life. Though I would recommend lowering settings to High. Usually Ultra is a lot more demanding for very little perceivable difference over high settings. When you’re dealing with battery life I don’t think it’s very good bang for buck.

1080p 60 fps High Settings (unless the game offers DLSS, in which case, I’d go for 1440p or 4k, no reason not to) and games will look great. I’ve heard the keyboard gets really hot after a while when gaming on that thing. But if you’re using a controller that probably won’t matter.

dont forget that a 3070 in a laptop is not the same as a 3070 in a desktop.
what resolution and refresh rate does the screen of that laptop have? does it have variabl refresh rate / adaptive sync?

A laptop 3070 should perform somewhere in between a desktop 3060 and 3060 Ti.

It's good to have a bit of headroom on game requirements because, although you might not need all that power to run games at 1080p now, things are bound to move on during the next five years or so.

@6ch6ris6, according to the listing it has a 1080p screen with a 240Hz refresh rate. Not sure about those other things though.

@JaxonH, @Matt_Barber, thanks for the input! I've never gamed on PC before so I'm pretty excited. Already set up a Steam account and have started adding games to my wishlist. Oh, and I'll most definitely be using my Dualshock 4 where applicable, which from what I've looked up is super easy to set up on Steam. Since I'm coming from console I have no qualms about sticking to 60 or even 30 FPS, as long as it's smooth.

@RR529
Ah, 1080p screen makes the decision for you then. Probably for the best. Any time battery life is a factor, lowering res from ultra-high pixel densities is low hanging fruit.

As someone who was a console gamer all my life and only got into PC gaming in the last few years, I can appreciate where you're at right now.

My biggest advice is, use a PS5 controller instead. The rumble is well worth using it over the PS4 controller, the Gyro has a magnometer to prevent drift, and it syncs up via Bluetooth without issue. Whereas for my PS4 controller, I had to order the official PC dongle. Many use BT just fine so maybe you'll be alright, but PS5 controller is incredible on Steam.

I would also say, use Steam Big Picture Mode if you want a more console like experience. There are some things you can't do as easily from BPM, but you can always switch back for a moment if needed. They're changing BPM soon though to match the new UI on the Steam Deck, so keep that in mind.

When you start a game via Steam, always get it set up at the proper resolution, framerate and graphical settings right away. Make sure you set to full-screen (if you have issues though, you can try Borderless windowed mode). Also be sure to turn on controller support if need be (some games default to KB/M). Once you get everything set up, you're good to go from then on every time you boot it up.

Another tip- sometimes when booting a game for the first time, before you get the full-screen set up and resolution and all that, you may encounter a black screen. It happens from time to time first time launching a game. If that happens, use Alt+Tab to tab through the different windows you have open. If you don't know about this trick it can be frustrating trying to exit a black screen. This should be your default go-to response to get out of such a situation.

And lastly, learn to use the Steam Input Controller Configurator, which works for all controller types. When a game is open, press the Home Button to open the Controller Config for that game, for the controller type you're using. You'll see options to browse through community configs, save your config, share with community, etc. The better you learn how to use this, the more enjoyment you'll get from games. Always browse community configs when playing a new game and see if one suits you. Or load a template and customize as needed.

Any time you want Gyro aiming, map MOUSE to the gyroscope. You can have on always or set to turn on from holding a button like L2. Joystick Like Mouse isn't as good and isn't worth using. Some games don't allow Mouse input at same time as controller inputs though, so if it doesn't work that's probably why. In those situations it's best to use a Steam Controller where all inputs are mapped as KB/M so it doesn't see it as a conflict.

Here's a basic quick tutorial on how to access the config (it's best to do it in game on a game by game basis by pressing Home while game is running). I like to map TouchPad as two buttons, left and right halves, as select and start, which frees up the Select button to be mapped to screenshots, which feels just like taking pics on Switch or PS.

@RR529
Also, as long as you have "PS Controller Support" checked in your global controller settings in Steam, games with default PS button prompts should show the correct symbols. But many games do not have PS button symbols and therefore only show YBXA for Steam Controller, Xbox Controller and Switch Pro Controller. You'll have to get used to reading Xbox button prompts and knowing what to press on your PS controller. It's worth it for the Gyro though, which Xbox controller doesn't have.

Some games give the option (like MH World) buried in the in-game settings, so it's always worth looking just in case. But a good majority of games I play don't have the right symbols. You'll acclimate to it after a while. There are mods available to fix this on a game by game basis but it's too much hassle for me personally. I have waaaay too many games to be trying to mod the right symbols in for all of them. Better to just learn that Y = Triangle, B = Circle, X = Square and A = Cross

The Switch Pro Controller is proving to be too much of a headache for PC gaming. While I would prefer to use the Switch controllers that I already have in my possession, I am also not keen on using third party adapters.

I’m gravitating towards grabbing an Xbox controller for out-of-the-box compatibility with Windows games. Any warnings, thoughts, or experiences anyone would like to share?

Kopite, the same Nvidia leaker who told us the next Switch is going to be Orin line at 8 nm, has revealed the next line of Nvidia GPUs (4000 series) will require between 400-500W of power, which is insane considering the 3000 series just released were 300W and change, the 2000 series was 200W and change, and the 1000 series was < 200W.

https://www.techspot.com/news/90619-next-gen-gpus-look-big-hu...

@Silly_G
Switch Pro Controller works excellent IF your Windows Bluetooth will recognize it. Problem is, many do not. I had to use a very specific Bluetooth dongle for mine to sync properly and the signal sucked. I eventually decided it wasn't worth the hassle. If you're lucky enough to have Bluetooth which syncs your Switch Controller fine, great! Absolutely use it! But many do not.

Xbox is good but you'll want a dedicated wireless dongle from MS, for several reasons. The chatpad (which is an excellent accessory when playing emulators and need quick access to keys for loading, saving, full-screen, exit, etc) won't work via Bluetooth. It's also less latency and you'll never have any issues. Worth every penny. I always go for dedicated dongles over Bluetooth when given the option.

However, while I do believe an Xbox controller is an absolute must for emulation, as it's the only controller with universal compatibility out of the box, I can't recommend it over the Dualsense for PC gaming. Unless you never play via Steam, which is rare given its incredible Steam Input Config options.

The Dualsense is the best PC controller I've ever used, and I've used them all. The rumble is so much better, the TouchPad allows 2 extra buttons to be mapped by splitting the pad into two halves, the Mute button is yet another mappable button (take screenshot can easily be mapped to Mute), it offers Gyro unlike Xbox controller and, it has a magnometer preventing drift from occurring when using Gyro. I can't use any other controller on PC now.

Having said that, the Steam Controller is a must have secondary controller for PC games not designed to work with a controller. Dragon Age Origins is a perfect example. KB/M only. But sync up a Steam Controller and the default mapping translates those inputs to the controller perfectly. It's not a controller you'll want to use as your primary, but it's essential as a secondary.

So in truth, you kind of need all 3 for the full PC experience. But Dualsense is the best primary controller. Xbox for emulators/Windows, and Steam Controller for games without controller support.

Also, here's a good video explaining Steam Input overall basics. It's a bit out of date (Steam Input now works for PS5/XS/NSW controllers), but still relevant.

This 10 minute video should be mandatory viewing for any PC gamer, and is absolutely crucial to understand why Steam Input is such a gamechanger- one of the most impactful innovations in video games alongside the Nintendo Switch hybrid concept and Dualsense magnometer

Just been adding games to my Steam wishlist for the past couple days, and I was surprised that a game with very explicit sexual content (shown uncensored in the trailer/screenshots) was the first thing that popped up when I went to the JRPG section.

Granted, I knew games such as that were available (and I didn't block them upon account setup as they don't really bother me), however I just assumed they'd be tucked away in their own section of the site & not listed literally right next to mainstream stuff like Final Fantasy, lol.

Anyhow, I think I'm gonna start with something undemanding like Tales of Symphonia or Ys VII just to acquaint myself with how it all works.

@JaxonH, thanks for the in depth controller info! Though I think I'll just play with my DS4 plugged in as I imagine I'll be sitting close enough for it not to be an inconvenience. I'll look into getting a wireless dongle if I ever try hooking it up to the TV though.

Oooh, so which game was that, @RR529 .....? Games usually have several tags, so they'll appear under any of those

The GPD Win Max 2021 has finally reached crowdfunding:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/win-max-2021-handheld-game...

There's been a last minute spec bump to the i7 1195G7 which, while it won't take it any closer to the Steam Deck on price, should give it a raw power advantage when it comes to CPU intensive games and emulators.

Oh, and it ships in September, so in plenty of time for Christmas. It'll be another year after that before the earliest I could possibly get a Steam Deck, so it's not a difficult decision.

A few more questions.

Is it possible (or necessary) to turn down the refresh rate of the screen? Since it's 240Hz would it make playing games at 30 or 60 FPS look worse unless I turned down the refresh rate?

Speaking of frame rate, are there options to cap frame rate from within Steam, or is there some other application I should be using to do that? I'm planning on not going higher than 60 since not even a consistent 30 bothers me coming from console.

Is it possible to turn the laptop screen off (for if I ever want to plug it into the TV)?

@BruceCM, I think it was called Robo-Life: My time with Ainu or some such (probably misremembering the exact wording of the subtitle there). Looked more like some sort of dating sim (with an anime girl android) rather than a JRPG. Think it got highlighted as it was on sale at the time. Obv NSFW though.

you can change the refersh rate of the display in windows.

you need to put a framerate limiter in each game you play. you can not do that from steam

Yeah, I've seen that game, @RR529 .... As for framerates, most games have various options in their settings for adjusting graphics settings, which includes whatever choices they offer for that, too

@JaxonH Hey, maybe you (or anyone) will be able to help me since you seem to be quite knowledgable on this stuff. A few pages back I asked about getting a controller set up to use on Steam, and I still can't get it to work. I followed that video you just posted a few posts ago, Steam recognizes my controller and shows it there, but it just doesn't work. Neither the sticks nor the buttons do anything. I'm using a PS3 Dualshock 3 because that's what I have and I would prefer not to have to buy a new controller. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? If it helps the 4 buttons on the top (labelled 1, 2, 3, and 4, presumable for what player you are) just keep flashing the whole time it's plugged in (I have it plugged into the laptop, not using bluetooth).

@Xyphon22
There are ways, but Steam does not have native DS3 support. You can try activating "Generic Controller Support" and see that works, but no guarantees.

For PC you really need a DS4 or Dualsense (preferably Dualsense).

@JaxonH Cool, thanks for the info. The generic setting didn't work either. It gave me a message that for a PS3 controller I need to set it to Playstation. Every indication from Steam is that it is set up and should work, so I didn't know a PS3 one wouldn't. Oh, well. Thanks for the help. Now I know to stop trying.