I still have a steam link and it actually works pretty good; however, playing PC games on a controller isn't always ideal. It was terrible when the steam link first came out, but it's gotten better over time. Some games were near impossible to map to a controller, still required a mouse and/or third party applications.
For example, I tried to play MSFS 2024 in my bedroom the other day using my new Honeycomb Echo Aeronautical controller.
Seemed like a good idea, but the steamlink didn't recognize it. I had to run a usb cable from my desktop in my living room to put the dongle within visual range of where I was using the controller. The controller works with my steamdeck, so hopefully that won't be a problem with the new console.
The bigger problems were that since I was using the steamlink, I basically needed a keyboard, mouse, and an Xbox controller on top of the other controller to properly navigate. Some menu items required using the A, X, Y, and B buttons (which the honeycomb doesn't have and keyboards don't use) due to being on a steamlink necessitating the use of a Xbox controller. The Xbox controller is terrible for navigating the menus in MSFS 2024 for PC, so a keyboard and mouse was really needed to handle that. That's a lot of peripherals for playing on the couch or bed, which is where most console players want to be.
It's honestly just much easier to play MSFS 2020 on my Xbox or Aerofly 2 on the steamdeck if I need a quick flight and don't have time to set up all the PC sim gear in my living room.
I really hope this console bridges the gap and further pushes developers to make games controller friendly. Not everyone has room for a dedicated computer desk in their house.
For example, I tried to play MSFS 2024 in my bedroom the other day using my new Honeycomb Echo Aeronautical controller.
Seemed like a good idea, but the steamlink didn't recognize it. I had to run a usb cable from my desktop in my living room to put the dongle within visual range of where I was using the controller. The controller works with my steamdeck, so hopefully that won't be a problem with the new console.
The bigger problems were that since I was using the steamlink, I basically needed a keyboard, mouse, and an Xbox controller on top of the other controller to properly navigate. Some menu items required using the A, X, Y, and B buttons (which the honeycomb doesn't have and keyboards don't use) due to being on a steamlink necessitating the use of a Xbox controller. The Xbox controller is terrible for navigating the menus in MSFS 2024 for PC, so a keyboard and mouse was really needed to handle that. That's a lot of peripherals for playing on the couch or bed, which is where most console players want to be.
It's honestly just much easier to play MSFS 2020 on my Xbox or Aerofly 2 on the steamdeck if I need a quick flight and don't have time to set up all the PC sim gear in my living room.
I really hope this console bridges the gap and further pushes developers to make games controller friendly. Not everyone has room for a dedicated computer desk in their house.
