Just getting into VCS advice thread

[+bent_pin]

I took advantage of the recent sale:

and I'm looking for advice on upgrades, pc mode, and on which format to buy games.

 

I love steam for games, it's the only modern platform on which I've ever purchased games. Are there any disadvantages to buying all the games on steam instead of from the VCS store, even if I primarily plan on playing them on the VCS?

 

I think I'm considering starting with:

feedback?

 

What upgrades should I do to the VCS? I tried to order the PC mode USB stick but they were out. Can I make one?

 

What else should I know?

[T.A.P.]

I like getting games through the VCS store when that is an option, since those ones are optimised for the VCS and occasionally have additional features.

[stirrell]

I would definitely get the games through the VCS store for any titles that support the Classic controller. This is true of many of the Recharged games. Breakout and Gravitar are two games I think work really well with the Classic.

 

Does NeoSprint support the spinner on the Classic? I think it might so I would look into that.

 

I upgraded my unit’s RAM and SSD drive. It was pretty simple and there are lots of video tutorials on YouTube. The internal 32 gigs of storage is fairly limiting so you may want to upgrade that with an M2 SSD drive or get a speedy USB thumb drive to increase your storage.

 

You should be able to easily your own bootable Linux drive. I think there are many tutorials for doing this as well. I created a bootable Windows drive without too much trouble. Just make sure to get an external drive with a decent speed.

 

Also, I just wanted to clarify that to play the Steam games on the VCS, you will need to go into PC Mode with Windows or Linux. You cannot play Steam games directly on the VCS’s own operating system.

 

Have fun!

[THX-1138]

9 hours ago, bent_pin said:

What upgrades should I do to the VCS? I tried to order the PC mode USB stick but they were out. Can I make one?

 

What else should I know?

I'd reiterate what others have said about using AtariOS and the VCS store to buy and play games.   Some people also, in addition, install a second PC operating system - Linux or Windows. (They call it PC mode - but it's just booting a second OS, there's no 'mode' in reality).    If you're going to use Linux or Windows more often, or, only use Linux or Windows and not use AtariOS at all (and there are people who do that) - then Steam maybe a better option and those purchases can also be used on other PCs, also adds a bit of future-proofing.

The "PC Mode" stick is just a USB recovery drive for AtariOS - you can get the file link for a newer version from the Discord, or someone may have it here.  Just use something to write the image file to a USB thumbdrive like Balena Etcher etc.  The "PC Mode" stick also included a copy of Debian Linux.  Absolutely the worst possible choice for non-technical users.  You can also download a newer version that as an image file and again also write it to a USB thumbdrive.  I would recommend using something designed to be a little more user-friendly. (or skip it and stick to Windows if that's what you know).

If you're going to install an OS, you can connect a USB external SSD hardrive, or, a better option is to fit an internal SATA m.2 drive.  Also while open you can install more RAM.   AtariOS and the VCS games are all optimised for 8GB or less, extra RAM will make little difference.  In Linux or Windows extra RAM will be used and you can install more demanding software and games.

[RollOut]

Welcome to the VCS, @bent_pin. I agree with most of the previous points. I try to buy the games that are available on the Atari OS in that format. Several games (especially the Recharged titles) are best played with he classic controller with the paddle function. That isn't available in the Steam releases. I installed a SATA m.2, so storage of the Atari OS games hasn't been an issue.

 

I also play a lot of Steam titles through the PC mode. I use an external SSD (USB 3.2) that I loaded with Windows. @Mockduck made a great guide on YouTube. I also upgraded the RAM, and have had a lot of success with all sorts of Steam titles (I tone down the graphics on some large/ graphics heavy titles). 

 

Glad you took a shot on the VCS. It's had a few hiccups a long the way, but it's a great little console, and there's a small but very chill community supporting it. 

[zzip]

12 hours ago, bent_pin said:

I took advantage of the recent sale:

and I'm looking for advice on upgrades, pc mode, and on which format to buy games.

 

I love steam for games, it's the only modern platform on which I've ever purchased games. Are there any disadvantages to buying all the games on steam instead of from the VCS store, even if I primarily plan on playing them on the VCS?

 

I think I'm considering starting with:

feedback?

 

What upgrades should I do to the VCS? I tried to order the PC mode USB stick but they were out. Can I make one?

 

What else should I know?

First yes you can make your own PC Mode USB stick,  I think it's just a Debian live USB stick with Atari-themed wallpapers added,  

 

Upgrades:

1, You can add internal storage with an m.2 SSD (get the SATA type, not nVME)

2. You can upgrade the RAM to 32Gb.

 

Some have added a better GPU, though this isn't quite a plug-and-play upgrade

 

You can certainly run Steam on it either under Windows or Linux,    As some mentioned, there are a few advantages to buying a game in  the VCS store rather than Steam, however the VCS store offers less than 200 titles currently vs the thousands on Steam

 

However if you are like me and want to use this device more like a console than a PC...    Steam "Big Picture Mode" delivers a console-like experience, however there's always some game or functionality that will force you to switch to a keyboard/mouse at points, while you can use the Atari OS interface completely from the controller

[+bent_pin]

13 hours ago, T.A.P. said:

since those ones are optimised for the VCS and occasionally have additional features

12 hours ago, stirrell said:

through the VCS store for any titles that support the Classic controller

3 hours ago, THX-1138 said:

VCS store to buy and play games

48 minutes ago, RollOut said:

Several games (especially the Recharged titles) are best played with he classic controller with the paddle function. That isn't available in the Steam releases

Sold. I will buy them from the VCS store whenever possible. I'm only planning on playing my steam games on my VCS as well, but better to have then for the VCS specifically.

 

Definitely going for the RAM and SSD upgrade. Going to add my own Linux build choc-fulla-emulators on an external SSD. Does that boot automagically or can I select which one to boot from the console?

 

Thanks for the support and great tips!

[+bent_pin]

Plus, more sold from the VCS store probably goes a long way to keeping the community alive and making more games, I'd imagine.

 

Can I use the same account on both VCS so I can set one up in the game room and the other in sunroom?

[Mockduck]

It really comes down to whether you want to play mostly Steam games on the VCS, and that's a personal choice. If yes, then you are going the route of installing Windows or Linux and using PC mode, either using an external drive, added internal drive, or decent USB stick. If I were going this route I'd install an M.2 drive into the VCS and use that. 

 

I like to keep my VCSs mostly stock, and I prefer the AtariOS ecosystem for the VCS, although I've messed around with PC mode plenty and I have one VCS set aside as a livestreaming unit for live video. So I'd recommend buying from the VCS Store, although if you really have only ever purchased through Steam that might not work for you.

 

Enjoy, the VCS rules.

[+bent_pin]

1 hour ago, zzip said:

Some have added a better GPU, though this isn't quite a plug-and-play upgrade

Can't do it, the VCS look is way too cool to kludge up. Nice to know it's an option though. 

 

16 minutes ago, Mockduck said:

It really comes down to whether you want to play mostly Steam games on the VCS

Mostly interested in VCS games, but I will want to play my amazingly outdated steam catalog on there too. Orange box anybody? Perhaps a little Homefront?

[zzip]

1 hour ago, bent_pin said:

Mostly interested in VCS games, but I will want to play my amazingly outdated steam catalog on there too. Orange box anybody? Perhaps a little Homefront?

I dual-boot my VCS so I can play both.

[+bent_pin]

1 hour ago, zzip said:

I dual-boot my VCS so I can play both.

Does it give you a boot menu?

[zzip]

4 minutes ago, bent_pin said:

Does it give you a boot menu?

There's one in the BIOS, but it isn't great,  so I've been using reFind for a boot menu

 

Another option is to install your PC OS onto an external USB drive,  it will boot off the hard drive when plugged in or boot to AtariOS when not plugged in

[THX-1138]

6 minutes ago, bent_pin said:

Does it give you a boot menu?

I'd recommend using the boot manager in the BIOS, no special kludge is required.  I know people who have installed 3rd party boot managers and have nothing but grief with them.
When you power on, you just keep tapping [ESC] and then select the boot manager - simple.

[+bent_pin]

Sweet 

[+bent_pin]

7 minutes ago, zzip said:

Another option is to install your PC OS onto an external USB drive,  it will boot off the hard drive when plugged in or boot to AtariOS when not plugged in

I was thinking this was the best way as I could add a switch-enabled USB cable for the hard drive.

[RadiATIon]

4 hours ago, bent_pin said:

Plus, more sold from the VCS store probably goes a long way to keeping the community alive and making more games, I'd imagine.

 

Can I use the same account on both VCS so I can set one up in the game room and the other in sunroom?

Yes you can and you should do it !

[zzip]

18 minutes ago, THX-1138 said:

I'd recommend using the boot manager in the BIOS, no special kludge is required.  I know people who have installed 3rd party boot managers and have nothing but grief with them.
When you power on, you just keep tapping [ESC] and then select the boot manager - simple.

Atari made a firmware update a year or so back that made life easier for boot loaders.    Before that there were a few AtariOS images you could boot, but one of them would trigger firmware update mode, which took forever, worse it wasn't consistent which was which.  It just made getting a working bootloader configuration trickier than it should be.

 

Now there's just a single AtariOS option present and it boots consistently into AtariOS and not the updater

 

The main issue I have with the built-in bootloader is you have to start pressing escape from the moment you power on, and it's very easy to miss the window of opportunity.   ReFind gives you time to make a decision

 

[Flyindrew]

On 9/3/2024 at 10:26 PM, stirrell said:

 

 

Does NeoSprint support the spinner on the Classic? I think it might so I would look into that.

o

Yes and the game is a ton of fun!