Category: Gaming

Pairing Multiple 8BitDo SN30 Pro Controllers to Batocera

I recently set up Batocera on an old Dell SFF desktop that I wasn’t using for anything else. I figured it would make a decent gaming rig for not only classic 8-bit and 16-bit emulators but also more advanced 3D consoles like Nintendo 64 and GameCube. Initially I used two Xbox 360 controllers with a…

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My RetroPie Tweaks

I recently lost my RetroPie SD card due to corruption and had to recreate my RetroPie setup. So I thought I’d document my personal post-install steps this time around. I use a Raspberry Pi 3B+ connected to an Onkyo receiver, a couple of Xbox 360 controllers connected to a USB wireless adapter, 8BitDo SN30 pro…

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Xbox One controller and Apple TV remote

Reset Controller Buttons on Steam Link for tvOS

Lately I’ve been using an Xbox One controller paired to the Apple TV for playing tvOS games. I recently installed the Steam Link tvOS app to play PC games from Steam on it. However I ran into a problem with configuring the controller’s buttons that I could not undo in an obvious way. The Steam…

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Photo of UAC prompt.

Steam Game Always Asks for UAC Confirmation or Installs VC Redist

I recently picked up Assassin’s Creed III during the Steam Summer Sale. The first few times I played the game, I noticed that I was getting a UAC prompt and that Steam was was running a first-time setup for VC Redist (as though I had just installed the game). This was mildly annoying, and neither…

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Screenshot of DOOM using hq3x scaling in DOSBox.

Optimize DOSBox for Modern Screens

Compared to today’s high-definition games, DOS games used low resolutions, so playing old games in DOSBox on a modern LCD monitor or HDTV is not an optimal experience without some configuration. The dosbox.conf file controls how DOSBox displays old games and software. These settings can be changed by opening the DOSBox Options from the Start menu. First,…

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Screenshot of Windows 3.1 running at 800x600 with a 256 color wallpaper.

Run Windows 3.1 in DOSBox

My family’s first computer was an AST desktop with an Intel 486SX 25Mhz processor and 4MB of RAM that my parents purchased when I was in grade school. It had MS-DOS and Windows 3.1 on its 160MB HDD. I can remember creating graphics in Paintbrush, playing Solitaire and Minesweeper, listening to audio CDs using the CD-ROM (we…

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Screenshot of DOSBox commands to run Doom setup.

Install and Configure DOSBox

Over the past five years or so I’ve installed and configured DOSBox several times to enjoy some retro gaming. I grew up playing games like Star Wars: X-Wing, Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, and Kings Quest VI in MS-DOS, and it’s nice to revisit those classics. I tend to reformat my computer once a year, and…

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Screenshot of GRID running in 1080p resolution.

Enable Higher Resolutions for GRID on PC

I’ve had the game GRID for a few years, but never got around to playing it. Now that I’m using an nVidia GeForce 770 video card, I wanted to enjoy the game in 1080p with all graphics options turned on. Unfortunately when I installed and started up the game, I was only able to select…

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Fix Blank Screen in Spider-man 3 for PC

I never played the Spider-man 3 video game when it came out (although I loved Spider-man 2 on the original Xbox), but I recently received the PC version as a gift from my girlfriend (we occasionally buy random items off each others’ Amazon.com wish lists) and installed it on my desktop PC. Unfortunately, when I…

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