Seeking guidance - run BB via Unraid

[tomahawk51]

I never really "finished" or finalized my Launchbox/BigBox setup and I need some help to do so.  I've been a user for years and really want to make this easier and more accessible for my kids, and of course me. I'm hoping there's some input out there for me. 

I was hoping that there would be a client/server approach with the Android development, but I see that LB for Android is dead so I'm moving on.  I'm sad, as the ShieldTV was seemingly a great client from my tests.

What I've got:

• Launchbox "server": Big and Heavy (dual Xeon) Unraid server running a Win10 VM that hosts LB.  Note: it has NO video card, which is desirable for power savings, but I wonder if that would improve my gaming (I can't emulate N64, etc. currently as it's too slow/choppy).  Resides in my basement, not co-located with any TV for playing.
• At the TV: I have a physical SteamLink that I use to connect to BB on the aforementioned server.  It's not really a great experience, kind of choppy to start up and laggy at times.  I also have a ShieldTV and have used the SteamLink app with results about the same.
• I don't want to run a full PC at my TV to play games.  I really want a "client" that I can rely on.

Should I get an Nvidia Video card and try the "GameStream" on my Shield TV?  Are there any other ideas on how I should do this? Does this server-esque setup even make sense? - I hope it can work reliably and easily.

Thx for reading.

[tomahawk51]

Thank you Pixelpiper,

Nice to see another Unraid user.  I actually wish Launchbox was available as a Docker on Unraid, but I expect I'm a minority in the user base on this.

I did find that emulation on Android and on my ShieldTV client was pretty great, and was enjoying the Launchbox Android app and the premise of having a well organized library and UX!  I am understanding my options better, and think they are:

• Option 1 - move away from LB and to just Android apps.
  • I suppose I could continue down the Android emulation road, use Retroarch or Arc Browser (thanks for mentioning this app) and basically leave the Launchbox/Bigbox ecosystem. This would definitely simplify things overall in some ways, and I might even retire a VM as a result.
• Option 2 - Bolster my emulation on the server w/ a video card, and expect better streaming experience
  • Start the search to figure out a card that fits in whatever slot my "enterprise" motherboard offers, and is a good mix of power/performance/cost.  It's been ages since I bought a video card.

I'll spend some time debating this further.  I may want to play around with Option 1 more to be better informed - as investing in the VM for something I only rarely use might not make as much sense.

Thanks for this input and direction!

[tomahawk51]

OK, long overdue update - but I had some vacation time to dabble and progress. @Pixelpiper - here's an update.

Overall, I'm fully moved over to emulating my games on a ShieldTV (new Pro model, as well as the old Pro model).   I can play all sorts of systems up to PS1, N64, Dreamcast, Saturn era.  I may play with more, but Dolphin isn't exactly smooth in initial testing.  I use ArcBrowser and primarily RetroArch.  I'm sad to say I don't have reason to keep Launchbox up and running anymore.  I don't expect LB on Android to resurrect, but I'm crossing fingers.

The Experience of doing this native on the Shield is worlds better/faster/smoother than trying to stream Launchbox/BigBox via Steam - on a Shield or on the dedicated SteamLink box.  The app opens quicker, looks better, is super responsive, etc.  I've got PS2/3/4 controllers working near natively and very well.  It's made such a difference in picking up and enjoying these games by lowering the barrier of patience needed.  It's also nice to see the games interleaved on my AndroidTV home page.

Furthermore, I love the ShieldTV as a streamer/Plex box anyway.  The new model has a truly impressive AI powered upscaling feature (check out videos if you haven't seen it).  I'm watching 720/1080p content on my 4k TV and it looks noticeably better now thanks to the Shield.

ArcBrowser isn't anywhere near perfect, but after some learning curve I've figured it out.  The community isn't as big, and customizations aren't easy/obvious, but it's serving my purposes.  I'm pretty much just going to run it stock and not tweak.  Maybe that will end up saving me time (at the cost of looking less awesome).

Moving forward, I do want to be able to play some specific older PC games.  I may still need to use a Steam streaming solution for that on the Shield I guess. I wanted to report back, as this is my personal best experience in many decades of trying to bring casual emulated gaming to my living room after many decades. I'm very thankful for LB and the community around it.