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I’ve devised a strategy to shift my gaming approach in the living room for 2025 – and perhaps you find yourself in a similar position with your own setup.
If that’s the case, I believe my alternative gaming strategy on the sofa might pique your interest, which goes a bit like this…
Issues with the PS5 Pro
First, let me describe the vessel I’m presently utilizing for my sofa-oriented gaming (and I’ll drop the sailing metaphor while I’m at it). That would be the commendable PlayStation 4 Pro (that’s the last mention, I promise) stationed in my living area. Meanwhile, in the study down the corridor, resides my gaming PC, which I reference for reasons that will soon become evident.
As you’ve undoubtedly observed, this November saw the launch of the PlayStation 5 Pro, prompting considerable contemplation regarding whether to part with my PS4 Pro and invest in Sony’s latest console. Initially, it seemed a tempting idea, but the hefty price tag of the PS5 Pro – combined with concerns about the magnitude of the graphical enhancement it purportedly provides, as highlighted in our PS5 Pro review – made me reconsider.
After all, it’s a significant expense for a console. Cash that, ultimately, I thought could be better utilized in my plan B, which can essentially be described as leveraging my gaming PC in the living room. But not by relocating my PC to that room, naturally – that would simply be impractical.
No, my PC will remain exactly where it is – where I require it for actual work in the study – and the strategy is to run some extensive cables from it, through the hallway, to the 55-inch 4K television in the living room, while upgrading my computer with a very speedy new (4K capable) graphics card.
A straightforward solution? Yes, that’s a valid argument, but I still consider it a solid plan, and I’ve begun gathering some of the necessary components already. The final piece of the puzzle will be the new desktop GPU, which I am currently awaiting. Why? Well, I’ll revisit that shortly.
Cables first, GPU to follow as 2025 begins
Before addressing the graphics card upgrade, let’s discuss those cables. I’ve already procured what I need in this aspect: foremost, a very long (10m) HDMI cable, and two extended (12m) USB booster extension cables.
Those are IOGear USB 2.0 Booster Extension Cables – GUE2118 – featuring boosters to enhance the signal over the long lead. Regarding the HDMI cable, I opted for a basic economical option, nothing extravagant.
If you’re contemplating this path, you may not require cables of that length, based on your PC’s location relative to the TV – or you might need them longer. Those USB booster extension cords can be daisy-chained, up to three of them, by the way, although routing cables downstairs may be impractical or even hazardous.
I desire two cables to enable my wife and I to connect our two PS4 controllers for couch co-op. Or, I can connect my PC’s mouse and keyboard for single-player shooters (or similar) on my 55-inch display, perhaps placing the peripherals on a tray over my lap (not the best ergonomics, admittedly, so I’ll just have to see how that turns out and experiment).
Alternatively, you could opt for wireless connections in lieu of the USB booster cables for the controllers or peripherals. It’s true that connecting three lengthy cables from one room to another is cumbersome, and that’s the least favorable aspect of my plan – yet it’s something I can manage.
I’m considering…of the Nvidia RTX 5070, or perhaps even more exciting, the speculated RTX 5070 Ti, or the AMD RX 8800 XT, or possibly the RTX 5080, contingent on the developments with these next-gen GPU releases and how the pricing unfolds. (Admittedly, the RTX 5080 might be significantly optimistic, considering pricing rumors indicate it’ll be quite expensive – but I can fantasize, don’t take that away from me).
The chances are heavily in favor of some outstanding new options for the finest mid-to-upper tier graphics cards making their way to store shelves in January 2025 (or within the first quarter at some point). It’d be sheer folly not to wait and observe the type of value I’ll gain from these GPUs compared to what’s currently available.
Additional price reductions may, of course, occur with existing-gen GPUs as the next-gen variants debut, so regardless, it should be a fruitful harvest for a compelling value proposition. Fingers crossed, as always.
The advantages and disadvantages of my ambitious couch gaming strategy
In my view, the benefits of pursuing this approach are that I not only establish a living room setup for an impressive 4K gaming experience on my television with couch play – that’s set to surpass the PS5 Pro for graphical fidelity – but I also gain the advantage of remarkably enhanced 1440p frame rates while gaming on my PC in my study. A twofold victory, essentially.
Moreover, I can retain my PS4 Pro in the living room (I wouldn’t have received much for it anyway, looking at current second-hand rates, in my PS5 Pro swap-out upgrade scenario) and still enjoy my PlayStation library (and perhaps more titles that emerge next year).
On the flip side, I’ll miss out on those PS5 exclusives, it’s true. But nowadays, PlayStation ports are arriving on the PC with increasing speed and consistency (and they generally tend to be solid versions of those games, too).
I understand that my plan won’t suit everyone – managing three cables isn’t exactly an ideal setup. It’s somewhat cumbersome and low-tech, as I previously mentioned, but I believe it’s something I can comfortably adapt to. I’ll likely only pull out the cables for extended weekend gaming marathons, when we hunker down at the TV to dive into a game.
I’m genuinely excited to try out this concept and am quite hopeful it’ll turn out well. Naturally, I’ve already tested the setup with my current RTX 2060 Super GPU, which clearly isn’t very capable for 4K gaming. However, it performed adequately with some less demanding titles at that resolution, and the controllers functioned flawlessly, as if they are directly connected to the PC – which, indeed, they are – plus the image on the 4K TV (an OLED) is pristine.
Some contend you might require a superior (fiber optic) HDMI cable, ideally, for smooth 4K gaming in this type of arrangement, but I tried a less intensive shooter and found it operated sufficiently well, even on my aging graphics card. An upgraded HDMI cable is a future investment I might consider (the long ones can be expensive). For the moment, though, I’m content – well, I will be when I procure that new GPU as 2025 begins.
There are alternative options, of course, aside from cables, and not merely running the controllers wirelessly as I mentioned earlier. Another possibility that might fit your situation is to eliminate the HDMI lead and opt for a different method entirely to connect a PC in another room to your living room television. Specifically, streaming utilizing something like the Nvidia Shield TV (along with the Sunshine and Moonlight applications, since Team Green discontinued GameStream last year). Using that setup, and wireless controllers, you’d avoid any trailing cables entirely.
There are numerous methods to empower a gaming PC to play games on your large screen TV in the living room while lounging on your couch. I believe it’s worth investigating those choices instead of spending a hefty sum on a premium PlayStation (or Xbox), especially considering how costly the PS5 Pro has turned out to be for those in the Sony camp.
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