Posts by gbryant@subscribeto.me
(DIR) Post #AhMRBRuZ71vJqJOWx6 by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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The Steam Deck is a masterwork of hardware and software. It's proof that having an Operating System and hardware crafted together as one, coherent product is a valid way to bring a PC to market.While it has been a minute since we've had some new and truly exciting software features for Steam Deck, the Deck's software is by no means finished.There are odd crashes and stability issues. Gaps in features and oversights in implementation. That's why I'm making this video. Here are 10 missing features and important fixes we need for the Steam Deck.aptX Bluetooth Audio Codec SupportOkay, if you've ever used Bluetooth headphones with the Steam Deck, you'll know that it can leave something to be desired. This isn't a problem that's exclusive to the Deck. Bluetooth has notorious latency. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest issue is compressing the audio so it can be transmitted over Bluetooth and then back into decompressing the data back into audio on your headphones. Sometimes this process can take well over 300 milliseconds. This is a huge issue.300 milliseconds is enough for virtually anyone to notice a discrepancy between seeing and hearing someone talk in a video. And in a game? Well, you can bet that the delay would be just as noticeable.So that's where the aptX Low Latency codec comes in. It's can reduce compression time from 300 ms down to just 40. Most people are not able to notice such lag. In fact, that's around what most consumer TV panels are capable of.I'd really like to see Valve include the aptX codec on the Steam Deck so those of us who are using Bluetooth can play lag-free.Turn off Wake on BluetoothNext up, this is a feature that I was very much anticipating with the Steam Deck OLED: Wake on Bluetooth. This allows you to turn on your Steam Deck with a bluetooth device. So a controller, a mouse, a keyboard, etc. But some people don't actually like this feature. Or perhaps they would like to prevent the Deck from turning on from a specific device. Allowing us to toggle which Bluetooth devices will wake the Deck and which ones won't? That would be a game changer. I've woken my Deck a few times on accident by just switching my mouse to another channel. So this would be a neat and convenient feature Valve could add.Screen Recording in Game ModeOkay, this next one is a huge deal. We can screenshot using the STEAM + Right Bumper button combo. And screenshots are critical. But every desktop OS and all three consoles have built-in support for screen capture.The Deck does not. At least, not in Game Mode. The way it could work is simple: hold the STEAM (or the Quick Access Menu) and hit the Select button… this one… to start recordingThen, hit it again to stop. Consoles keep a rolling recording of the last 30 seconds or a minute of gameplay and you can quickly save clips from that rolling cache. It would be awesome if there was an option to do this on the Deck. Maybe STEAM + Start? Considering there would be a CPU and power cost for this, this should be an option in the Settings menu that could be toggled on/off.However, I feel like this is a critical feature that Valve needs to implement in Game Mode.Performance PresetsOkay, let's talk about performance. It's a huge deal on the Deck. Pressing the Quick Access button gives us access to the Performance menu. And we can go in here and tweak with settings to get games running exactly how we want. We can enable per-game performance profiles so a game like Forza Horizon 5 has different settings than something like Spelunky.But I think we should be able to define our own Performance Presets. So let's say we had one called "Max FPS" that disabled the frame limit and applied TDP and GPU clock settings just by selecting the option while in game… then we could mess with the settings for the game we're currently playing.We could configure an arbitrary number of these presets in the performance menu and apply them at any time, then tweak them for specific games.This would allow us to pre-define our settings, spend less time tweaking, and more time playing. Making these profiles shareable like how Controller configs are would be a nice touch. Allowing Developers to set performance menu options for their game would also be a killer feature.Relieve the Shader Downloading IssueOkay. One thing I saw a lot of people complaining about when the Steam Deck first launched was the fact that games "updated" practically every time you turned the Deck on. But these games weren't getting new features from their developers. No. The Deck was downloading pre-cached shaders.What does that even mean? Well, shaders allow the GPU to apply effects to the screen after an image is rendered. However, there are many different kinds of GPUs out there with different shader architecture. So this means that games need to distribute their shaders in source form and then they need to be compiled for your GPU before or while you're playing the game.This is super annoying and waiting for these compilations to finish—especially when playing the game—can degrade your experience and the performance of the game.Given that the Steam Deck has the same GPU across all models, Valve took it on themselves to pre-compile shaders and then distribute them through Steam as updates for games. This improves the performance while gaming on the Deck, but it also causes updates to happen all the time.Truthfully, it's happening less often for me, now… but it still does happen. The more Valve can do to alleviate this—especially for folks who have metered Internet connections—the better.Mature Video OutputI've tried my Steam Deck with many different USB-C hubs. The vast majority of them have just worked. That is, at least, when it comes to the USB side of these devices. Some of them have external audio that doesn't work. Some of them offer network interfaces that aren't detected. Others have HDMI or DisplayPort that seemingly aren't compatible.And that's the fix we need: video out over USB C is usually pretty good… but also is not even close to perfect. Heck. I have the official Docking Station and there are times where the Deck just isn't in the mood and won't connect to my TV.Stabilizing this is a critical feature that I'd like to see, since I'm always connecting my Deck to my capture card needing to record something for this channel and I run into this constantly.USB File TransferNext up, we've got USB File Transfer. This is a big deal as there's no simple, obvious way to transfer files to your Deck from your PC.You would think that you could just take the SD card out of your Deck and pop it into your PC. But if you've formatted the SD card for use in Game Mode, this won't work unless your PC is running Linux. You could use a second SD card and switch to desktop mode. But that's not intuitive in any way.And look, there are ways to do this. I've made several videos on the topic. But critically 1) they're not built in to the Deck, 2) they require some extra level of knowledge or the ability to follow a guide, and 3) they're not easy.What would be easy, though? Well, connecting the Deck to your PC via USB. And there is a way to do this. But it requires you to set up DeckyLoader. Wouldn't it be nice if Game Mode just detected that a USB Host Device wanted to connect and it could pop up a little "How do you want to connect?" screen? Then you could choose either MTP or Mass Storage Device. And if you had security set up, you would enter the PIN or whatever and your PC would be able to transfer files to the Deck.That would be awesome and I think it is sorely needed for the Deck.Ad Hoc Download PlayOkay, next up, this one is something I've been calling for for ages. Download Play. This would be a feature that Valve would have to build into Steam and it would require game developers would need to implement if they wanted to support it… but it could be huge.And guess what, this isn't an original idea. Nintendo pioneered Download Play on the DS and later refined it on the 3DS. Games like Mario Kart 7 offered such a feature. Your device would temporarily download the game files, play the game with the host, and then the files would be deleted. In Mario Kart, those players using Download Play would only be able to play as a Shy Guy—they'd get no choice of kart or character.If Valve made this into a feature, the same thing would apply here. Developers would be able to set exactly how Download Play clients would be able to play the game.The thing is, Steam already has a ton of this infrastructure in place. For example, they recently rolled out downloading games from other PCs on the same network. And that's crucial. This wouldn't be for people to play games with each other over the Internet. This would be for LAN parties and Steam Deck owners.Critically, this would have to work in offline mode since it would allow Steam Deck owners who don't have an Internet connection to play with each other.If any company can do Download Play, and do it right, it would be Valve. I mean, for Christ's sake, NINTENDO of all companies was the one that created it.-- Chapters -- 00:00 Intro 00:33 aptX Low Latency Bluetooth Codec 01:34 Control over ""Wake on Bluetooth 02:13 Screen Video Capture in Game Mode 04:14 Arbitrary Performance Presets 05:47 Mitigate Pre-cache Shader Downloads 07:10 Stabilize USB C Video Out 08:07 USB File Transfer 09:44 Download Play 12:44 Download Games with Screen Off 13:05 "Made for Deck" Program
(DIR) Post #ArHXzAkjGyHN2rF3PE by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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In this video I unbox the Logitech MX Keys S keyboard and give my first impressions! Pick one up for yourself with my affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4gMEtW600:00 Introduction 00:18 Why I'm upgrading 01:55 Unboxing 04:04 Connecting the keyboard to my PC with Solaar 05:41 Actual use cases 06:42 Comparing new and old keyboards 07:21 Testing function buttons 08:12 Usability across multiple devices 08:46 Final thoughts
(DIR) Post #B43btqft67Ayg2t7Vw by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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In this video, I react to Linus Tech Tip's 2026 Linux Challenge. If you're not familiar, back in 2021, Linus and Luke tried to use Linux as their only Operating System for a month. Luke seemed to have an enjoyable experience. Linus did not. It was a fun and interesting series and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.Are you Team Mint, are you all-in on CachyOS, or Team "I use Arch btw"? Let me know in the comments!And don't miss my website: ❯ https://gardinerbryant.com00:00 Intro 00:55 Much ado about picking a distro 13:48 The installation process 18:38 Installing applications & playing games 27:48 Conclusion
(DIR) Post #B4YstoxXCGscThTM8G by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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Read the full article: https://gardinerbryant.com/the-vision-behind-iisu-an-interview-with-iisu-developers/00:00 Intro 01:54 The Spark 04:01 The Builders 06:22 When the Internet Showed Up 07:43 Finding Their Footing 09:36 Crafting the Experience 11:12 Building the Core 12:36 The Community as Co-creator 14:05 The Road Forward 15:37 What It's All For
(DIR) Post #B4lnL9mHpQ34C7LGCG by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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Read the full article here: https://gardinerbryant.com/unboxing-a-steam-link-11-years-later/Here's something cool: my friend Peter gave me a new old stock Steam Link and Steam Controller.He had intended on using them to stream games from his office PC to his living room TV... and then never got around to it. This was back when Valve discontinued them both and they were offering a steep discount to clear their inventory. The sale was in 2018, so these devices have sat unopened on his shelf for the better part of a decade.With that being the case and, considering the new upcoming Steam hardware, I figured now would be a great time to open these up and give 'em a spin.00:00 Unboxing a Steam Link, 11 Years Later 00:57 The Steam Controller 02:59 Use the Steam Controller with a PC in 2026 03:52 The Steam Link 04:55 Included peripherals 05:45 Steam Link first boot 06:30 Gameplay 08:32 Other Things 08:53 Conclusion#SteamHardware #SteamController #SteamStreaming
(DIR) Post #B55ptDIrJU2S2m8wIy by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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We've been hearing rumors for a while now: a Framerate Estimator is coming to Steam. This week, we've even had a leak or two. But it's been going on for a while. On March 9th, 2026 Valve offhandedly mentioned a new feature in the Steam Beta Client. Read my full analysis here: https://gardinerbryant.com/steams-new-frame-estimator-will-change-pc-gaming-but-it-goes-much-deeper/Chapters00:00 Introduction 03:46 The ramifications of Framerate Estimator 08:48 The Real Consequences 13:25 Game Developers won't like this
(DIR) Post #B5dhFAG71GJ0lAt7p2 by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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If you've ever built your own PC, if you've ever had to 'nuke and pave' your Windows install, if you've been a PC gamer for any length of time, or if you're in any way/shape/form a coder, I cannot stress this enough: Linux is better than Windows. That's not to say it's perfect or that every distro will suit your specific use-cases. I can guarantee you that the opposite is true. However, if you're any of the above or you've in any way recognized that the way things are in the Windows world is not how they ought to be... you're ready to give Linux a try.Read the full article00:00 No more excuses, it's time to try Linux! 02:22 "But Linux is too hard" 03:07 Not everyone's going to benefit from switching to Linux. So let's talk about that 05:22 But those are the exceptions 05:43 Stop worrying about which distro to try... it's actually really simple 06:32 Differentiator #1: Desktop Environment (GUI) 07:34 Differentiator #2: Software Selection 10:54 Distro Recommendations 11:21 🎮The best distro for gamers 12:24 📎Windows users looking for a Windows-like experience 12:58 🪄 A desktop with a little bit of everything 13:27 It's time to make the switch
(DIR) Post #B5nZLIAXfMbqygIDeC by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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Anthropic is now a Corporate Patron of the Blender Development Fund. What does the being a Corporate Patron mean? What are the implications for the Blender software suite? And what should the Blender Foundation take from this?00:00 The major players 00:30 Why this shouldn't be a problem 03:00 AI is just toxic 04:32 The erosion of social trust 05:08 A diagnosis 07:37 The cure
(DIR) Post #B6b4v15TGqr9kVTKds by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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I've spent several weeks with this device using it for the majority of my game time and, I have to say, it's quite awesome! From a hardware perspective, it's nearly perfect. From the software side, though? It definitely could use some improvement. Thankfully the software is where it will see upgrades.Get the AYN Thor from AYN's website NOT an affiliate link Get the AYN Thor grip on Amazon (affiliate)Chapters 00:00 AYN Thor 00:37 A dual-screen Android gaming device 01:20 Built on AOSP 01:53 All your favorite emulators work 03:15 3DS emulation 06:14 GameNative: PC games on your Thor 06:31 There's a decent change you'll want this grip accessory 09:00 External tour 11:20 GameNative setup 12:27 Speakers & BioShock: Remastered Gameplay 13:53 Half-life 2 Update doesn't work 15:07 Portal 2 & some minor annoyances 17:06 Notification shade 17:48 Stylus use case? 18:23 Android apps 20:25 Complaints
(DIR) Post #B7hqV7nOUpd9ceoDK4 by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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Microsoft might have left this 2017 Surface Book in the past, but we aren't letting premium hardware go to waste. In this video, we're taking this former flagship detachable and giving it a complete rejuvenation using NixOS. From tearing through initial installation troubleshooting and setting up the specialized linux-surface kernel, to testing full multitouch, Krita, and active stylus support, we see if open-source software can genuinely fix proprietary hardware. Stick around until the end to see Emily's honest reaction to the final setup!00:00 The provenance of my Microsoft Surface Book 04:41 Why I chose NixOS for this rejuvination 09:00 More troubleshooting 10:42 Closing in on the real issue 11:18 Installing NixOS 13:02 Picking a desktop environment 14:53 Confirming touch input and the stylus don't work on NixOS out of the box 16:25 The post-install experience 18:23 Using the linux-surface guide 21:41 Adjusting a few settings 23:35 After compilation finished I tried the touchscreen 25:33 Trying the active stylus 26:03 Krita 27:57 Multitouch test 30:00 Web browsing test 31:14 Emily reacts to the Surface Book
(DIR) Post #B7w70TlNojwCYfi688 by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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Sony's ending production of physical, disc-based games. This is literally game over for PlayStation. The rest of the industry isn't far behind. Read the full article on The Bryant Review00:00 Sony's ending disc-based games. 01:24 PlayStation's long & storied history of economic violence against their own customers. 04:24 Final proof that you cannot trust Sony. 06:09 The corpocrats are about to destroy the gaming industry. 07:22 What to do about it?
(DIR) Post #B82rUZIjgvsdArBnNo by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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Inside Maine’s independent creative economy, local artists are turning niche passions into self-sustained lives. From cryptid quilting to ethical upcycling, see how these creators capitalize on "secret" crafts to achieve true personal freedom. 🔗 Links to every artist featured in this video are listed below!https://www.pine-giant.com/ https://sarahterrellillustration.com/ https://www.instagram.com/wickedawesomequilts/ https://www.seasaltandsilver.com/00:00 Welcome to "Arts in the Park" in Belfast, Maine 00:20 Pine Giant 01:28 Sara Terrell Illustrations & Design 03:42 Wicked Awesome Quilts 05:13 Sea Salt & Silver
(DIR) Post #B8PeJV8dgok7ZvfWvA by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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I unboxed the chunky -- yet adorable -- ZimaBoard 2 to see if it’s the ultimate $400 home server... But my home network had other plans. From a dead switch port to installing a 14TB drive, this first impression got chaotic fast. I put a ton of work into this one. Let me know if you liked it in the comments below! Read my full review: https://gardinerbryant.com/zimaboard2-the-full-review/ Watch the exclusive cut of this video: https://gardinerbryant.com/zima-board-2-unboxing-first-impressions/8GB RAM / 32GB ZimaBoard2 (affiliate) featured in this video 16GB RAM / 64GB ZimaBoard2 (affiliate)14TB Western Digital drive-- Chapters -- 00:00 ZimaBoard2 Unboxing & First Impressions 01:46 What's in the box? 05:00 Attaching the HDD bay to the chassis 06:48 First boot troubleshooting... 12:43 ZimaBoard 2 Software Experience 14:53 The actual ZimaOS experience 18:32 Installing the active cooling 20:26 Installing & formatting a hard drive 23:27 Closing thoughts...
(DIR) Post #B90o9RBnQRNm6fGs1Q by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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BMW isn't the first and won't be the last. But if they're willing to put ads in luxury cars... what will they be willing to do to YOU?-- Chapters -- 00:00 BMW's screens are vulnerable 02:17 Comedy comes in threes 03:57 A history of unwelcome ads 05:57 Ads are an attack on your mind 07:54 You can't even pay to escape ads anymore.
(DIR) Post #B92Jyrem4UJ4hQmt7o by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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Linux market share for Desktop/Laptop PCs in North America have grown by at least four points for the last two months. Now reaching over 10%, we're seeing the dominos starting to fall and the broader culture catching up. This is proof that not only is Linux on the desktop inevitable, but that we need to keep up the good fight.00:00 Linux market share is growing 01:00 It's not just stats counter 01:53 Steam hardware survey 02:33 Why is desktop Linux growing? 04:40 People are looking to reclaim their digital autonomy 05:16 KDE Plasma, GNOME, and software distribution 05:52 Linux just gets out of your way 07:00 Hope in a world that feels hopeless
(DIR) Post #B9badohNBz967vn13Q by gbryant@subscribeto.me
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Bazzite 44 is a major update and it's a huge progress for the Linux gaming ecosystem.My article covering the latest Bazzite 44 release: https://gardinerbryant.com/this-is-the-biggest-update-bazzite-has-ever-seen/Support the Show ❯ ✒️ Become a Member: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/tbr-membership ❯ 🎮 Humble affiliate: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/humble ❯ 🕹️ GOG affiliate: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/-gog ❯ 🛒 Amazon affiliate: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/amazon ❯ 🪙 Bitcoin: bc1qgz3r4yhzvxm7s8srutkvlnm2c70n8gga4j259eMy Game ❯ Get the source code: https://github.com/heavyelementinc/dudelings-foss ❯ Dudelings on Humble: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/dudelings-humble ❯ Dudelings: Arcade Sportsball: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/dudelings-steam ❯ Dudelings on Itch.io: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/dudelings-itchAffiliate links Services I Recommend: ❯ RackNerd Affiliate Link: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/racknerd-yt ❯ RackNerd Virtual Private Servers: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/racknerd-vps ❯ RackNerd 200GB Shared Hosting: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/racknerd-200gb ❯ RackNerd Intel Xeon Bare Metal Server: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/racknerd-xeonPrivate Email & More: ❯ Proton Drive: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/proton-drive ❯ Proton Pass: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/proton-pass ❯ Proton VPN: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/proton-vpn ❯ Proton Mail: https://metrics.gardinerbryant.com/q/proton-mailBest Steam Deck Accessories: ❯ SanDisk 1 TB card: https://amzn.to/3z8mMfH ❯ Steam Deck Dock: https://amzn.to/3PDjgkt ❯ Steam Deck accessories: https://amzn.to/4c2XKkM ❯ DualSense: https://amzn.to/3WR1u1R ❯ Gulikit KK3 Max controller https://amzn.to/4dqRaoC ❯ DualSense Edge: https://amzn.to/4cuzIyd ❯ 8Bitdo Pro 2: https://amzn.to/46R7hcz ❯ Amazon Suggested Products: https://amzn.to/4fAha2hElsewhere on the Web ❯ ✍🏻 My Writings: https://gardinerbryant.com/ ❯ 🎙️ My Podcast: https://podcast.subscribeto.me ❯ ✉️ Email Newsletter: https://heavyelement.com/newsletter ❯ 🐘 Mastodon: https://mastodon.online/@gardiner_bryant ❯ 💬 Matrix Chat: https://matrix.to/#/#the-bryant-review:matrix.org ❯ 🌐 Heavy Element: https://heavyelement.comAbout Gardiner Bryant: A native Maine resident, Gardiner (yes, that's his first name) is an enthusiastic Linux evangelist, a believer in the efficacy and superiority of the Free and Open Source way, and President of Heavy Element. Heavy Element offers web design, media production, and YouTube consulting services to individuals and companies in Maine and beyond. https://heavyelement.comGardiner Bryant is a privacy advocate and public speaker on the topic. Learn more about his speaking series and schedule an engagement at your institution at https://gardinerbryant.com00:00 Bazzite 44 is the biggest release they've ever had 00:35 What is Bazzite Deck? 01:09 Quote from Kyle 03:20 Bazzite Portal upgrades 04:30 Open Gaming Collaborative 05:39 HDMI CEC upgrade 07:31 Blu-ray Playback 08:18 Huge milestone for Bazzite