ZeroPike1 wrote on Nov 26, 2024, 06:17:

MeanJim wrote on Nov 25, 2024, 09:44:

ZeroPike1 wrote on Nov 25, 2024, 04:45:
I mean… I guess it could be useful in some situations. But as people here mention having a second monitor does the job. Some games are built for this and allow you to unlock your mouse from the game program to swing it over to another monitor.

So no thanks.

Yeah, because everyone has the money and space for a second monitor.

Skill issue detected.

Suggesting someone to buy a second monitor simply to use a browser while gaming is pretty whack. It's not like productivity software where having more screens is actually helpful.

RogueSix wrote on Nov 25, 2024, 13:09:

chickenboo wrote on Nov 25, 2024, 11:58:
I actually like the GameBar and find it handy for overlaying performance details. It's not entirely garbage.

MSI Afterburner/RTSS overlay >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [please imagine an infinite number of '>'] >>>>>>>>> ... Shitbox GameBar

... for the purpose of performance monitoring. No contest at all.

I concur, but I've been having issues setting RTSS Overlay up lately and the GameBar and/or GFE Overlay get me the stats i want most of the time which is frame pacing.

MeanJim wrote on Nov 25, 2024, 09:44:

ZeroPike1 wrote on Nov 25, 2024, 04:45:
I mean… I guess it could be useful in some situations. But as people here mention having a second monitor does the job. Some games are built for this and allow you to unlock your mouse from the game program to swing it over to another monitor.

So no thanks.

Yeah, because everyone has the money and space for a second monitor.

Skill issue detected.

Slick wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 15:19:

Jim wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 14:15:
more stupid features that nobody asked for or wants. Like when you look up something on edge and it brings up a youtube video embedded in the edge interface with ads. nobody asked for that shit.

I'd say the same thing about the browser within Steam that people like shouting at me as a "feature".

Also, you know on edge you can change the homescreen, and the default search engine right? Just like on any browser? It's chromium-based, and uses half the RAM as Chrome. We've come a long way since IE.

Steam's browser is pretty nice for games that don't play nice with ALT-Tabbing, kind of an edge case, but it's there.

Other than that, I don't know why people would use their phones to slowly search something up when a browser is a two keys away.

Having six monitors means never having to worry about this bullshit. Well, that, and leaving the dumpster fire of Windows behind.

chickenboo wrote on Nov 25, 2024, 11:58:
I actually like the GameBar and find it handy for overlaying performance details. It's not entirely garbage.

MSI Afterburner/RTSS overlay >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [please imagine an infinite number of '>'] >>>>>>>>> ... Shitbox GameBar

... for the purpose of performance monitoring. No contest at all.

The Flying Penguin wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 12:06:
Nice idea, and I can see some people using this, but I will stick with alt tabbing to Firefox on my second monitor.

Knowing your proven expertise in all matters, I'm sure your 2nd monitor is the best solution.

Having only one, a true revelation for me was beginning to use a few years ago, the 2nd (or 3rd, 4th, etc) desktop/s function of Window.
Couldn't live without it now !

So, to any Bluesnewers :

Have you used it ?
(Just have a window open or something running alongside the game to make it easier to change desktop: in some game is best to alt tab to any other thing in the same game desktop, then change desktop)

-- Create another desktop
Ctrl + Winkey + D

-- Change desktop
Ctrl + Winkey + right arrow (or left arrow) to change desktop
where you have things open and arranged to your preference.
Another main advantage is that if you gonna be alt tabbing from the game regularly, you can exile logins, and other necessary but unused things, to another desktop, and not have to alt tab and choose between many things each time you alt tab in only one desktop.

-- Show all desktops at once, drag and drop windows or programs, close any, close a desktop (all items will transfer to the remaining windows, etc)
Winkey + Tab

-- And you can have browser -Firefox, yeah !-, maps, walkthroughs, cheat engine, programs, windows, whatever and change between desktops with the shortcuts above.

Slick wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 23:08:
I stopped blocking ads years ago. Unless you're paying for subscriptions, it's unfortunately the only way content creators are paid.

I've tried that, but ads are so frustratingly annoying now, I feel like we're back in the 00s. Auto-sound, auto playing videos. It's ridiculous. Don't even get me started on mobile. There are sites where I have less than 25% of my screen for the article on my Note9, the rest are ads you can't close (they re-open), or sites like Kotaku who you can't even get the comments 90% of the time, because it's busy loading ads.

Now that Steam Overlay allows pinning of Steam Guides and the like, this has a bit less use-case other than being tied into the GameBar. I actually like the GameBar and find it handy for overlaying performance details. It's not entirely garbage. This change seems fine too, except: you must set Edge as the primary browser to enable the feature!
To hell with that.

Next: Microsoft's AI Assist will offer a "Let me play the game for you" option. Tagline: Finish games with better results than your friends who actually play the games. The modern way to win - Let me play this for you. Coming soon!

I have a second monitor, but even if I didn't, alt-tabbing isn't such a big hassle that I'd feel the need to run yet another performance-sucking overlay.

See this for what it is - Microsoft trying yet another tactic to get their logo and products under your nose. It gives them one more avenue for data collection, advertising, and 'captive audience' clout.

ZeroPike1 wrote on Nov 25, 2024, 04:45:
I mean… I guess it could be useful in some situations. But as people here mention having a second monitor does the job. Some games are built for this and allow you to unlock your mouse from the game program to swing it over to another monitor.

So no thanks.

Yeah, because everyone has the money and space for a second monitor.

I've wanted to be able to do something like this with Firefox. I like to take notes in games like RPGs. On Steam, I would use the overlay and open a google doc to take notes. It's quicker and easier than writing it on paper or alt-tabbing. Steam's Chromium based browser is always out of date and Google now blocks you from accessing their tools with it.

I might give this a try. I'm already forced to use Edge on my PC since certain streaming sites restrict the resolution to 540p in Firefox for some reason. I also mostly buy games on GOG these days anyway, so I alt-tab and take notes if I can. Some games don't like it when you alt-tab though.

I mean… I guess it could be useful in some situations. But as people here mention having a second monitor does the job. Some games are built for this and allow you to unlock your mouse from the game program to swing it over to another monitor.

So no thanks.

Game Bar is one of the first things I disable on any Windows Machine. No thanks Microshit.

I deactivate Steam overlay first thing after installing Steam. Now I need to disable this junk as well. Excellent use of resources MS

I stopped blocking ads years ago. Unless you're paying for subscriptions, it's unfortunately the only way content creators are paid.

I'll say this, I'm highly skeptical that using a certain browser, or a certain browser plug-in just smokebombed your trackability off the net. It's 2024. Everything is a bug. They own the networks you use. They own the OS you're using. If they wanna follow you they can.

IMO might as well give the 2 cents of ad revenue to the outlets who's content fills your days. Cut them off entirely and it's just a never-ending sea of hack "top 5" lists generated by AI. It's already bad enough already, but as 2025 will show us... it could always get worse.

Love how they picked the one game in the world that doesn't need a walkthrough... 😂


Also... people have phones...

Kxmode wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 19:41:

RogueSix wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 19:26:

Kxmode wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 18:53:

RogueSix wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 18:34:

Riahderymnmaddog wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 14:19:

Agree up to the commercial part. Cuz... commercials? What commercials?

Step 1: Install a decent browser like Firefox (instead of that Edge or Chrome garbage)
Step 2: Install the uBlock Origin add-on
Step 3: heehaw commercials!

Simple!

Brave if you want genuine blocking.

Not necessary at all. Blocking works perfectly fine in Firefox .

But you could be so much Braver!

True dat .

I actually used Brave in parallel to Firefox for a while when YouTube was a stuttery mess on Firefox for a couple of months in early 2024 but the Firefox devs fixed it for the most part (YT still slows down after longer use in FF, kind of like a memory leak, but everything goes back to normal after reopening it in a new tab).

Anyway, Brave = Chromium = yuck. It’s probably the most spyware-free version of Chromium but I will keep using it only in emergencies when FF and Google won’t get along. Currently, everything is peachy on FF with the minor exception described above.

RogueSix wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 19:26:

Kxmode wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 18:53:

RogueSix wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 18:34:

Riahderymnmaddog wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 14:19:

Agree up to the commercial part. Cuz... commercials? What commercials?

Step 1: Install a decent browser like Firefox (instead of that Edge or Chrome garbage)
Step 2: Install the uBlock Origin add-on
Step 3: heehaw commercials!

Simple!

Brave if you want genuine blocking.

Not necessary at all. Blocking works perfectly fine in Firefox .

But you could be so much Braver!

Kxmode wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 18:53:

RogueSix wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 18:34:

Riahderymnmaddog wrote on Nov 24, 2024, 14:19:

Agree up to the commercial part. Cuz... commercials? What commercials?

Step 1: Install a decent browser like Firefox (instead of that Edge or Chrome garbage)
Step 2: Install the uBlock Origin add-on
Step 3: heehaw commercials!

Simple!

Brave if you want genuine blocking.

Not necessary at all. Blocking works perfectly fine in Firefox .