How to Connect with Digital Games?

[EposVox]

Frustrating update on this front.
Got my Epson Receipt printer in. Gap in my (and those who recommended it to me) research: The ESC/POS printer type only prints text characters.
So while I COULD convert my screenshots to ASCII art… broadly speaking they won’t really be coherent.
Example:

::::::.:+=-:..:-+******+::=*************+-::   .:-=:    .:   .. ...::::::.... ::::::::::.::::...::
===-::::::::....:=+=--:  . :=*+====-=+**: .:.   ::-:      .::::-:::::-==-:.   :.::::--::.:-::::=*@
=====-::::::..:.  .::::.  ::-==:--: :=-:::::.  .         :::-===-::-======:  ::::------=:===++*@@@
+*****+===:::::.. ..:::..  .:===+===-:::::::.:::.......:::---=====+++++===-:::::-==========*#%@@@@
*********+===--:::....::..   .==---=-:----:...::::::::::+%#++++********+========+********+*%%@@@@@
*****===--=+=======:::::..:.  :==:::=====-::-:::.::::==#@%@%************==++****####******%%%%@@@@
%%###########***+++====::. ..:===::-++++=--===-*@@%%%%%@@@@%***********+*+=+*************#%%%@@@@@
########*##########***+==::. .:=++==+++++====-. :#=+##%@@@#***********+=+++++***********%%@@@@@@@@
********+=====..:-++===-=:..:=+++=++======-=+@%%*@*==::=%-:---============+===========+@%%@@@@@@@@
:...::::..:::.....  .     .       .:. :-:  =@@@@@@@@@@@@@%:::  .:  . .. .:: .. ::::.. +@@@@@@@@@@@
++++==-::::::===-==---:-===:::: ...    .:  *@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*     .::. .     .:.  .. .#@@@@@@@@@@@@
++================---====------***#%%%#*=. +@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*             ...........+@@@@@@@@@@@@@
************+*++++++++++++==+++***+****+*+-*%@@@@@%%%%%@@@@#.    ..................:*@@@%@@@@@@@@@
****************+=+++=++++++===########**=::#%%%%%%%#%@@%%%#=%=:::::--=+*=----*#@@%*%%%%%%@@@@@@@@
****************+++**********************+==*%%%#%%%%%@%%%#==========++**=-======++=+%@@@@@@@@@@@@
##%@@%********#**++*************#*######**++%%%%%%%%%%%%@%+==+==+******+=====+++*****#@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@%%%%##*******####*****##****##***#*####***%@@@@@@@%%%%%%*#%%%#**#####***#****#%%%#*%@@@@@@@@@@@@
@%%%%%###**##%%%%##%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%###*%%@@@@@@@@@@@%#: -@#**###**##***%%##%%@@@@@@%#*%@@@@@@
@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%@@@%%%%%%%@@@@%%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%%**#%#%%*######%%%%%%%%%%@@@@@%%%@@@@@@
%%%%%##%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%@@@@%%%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%%#%*#%#*@@@@##*%#%%%#######%######%%%@@@@@@@@@@@@@
###**@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*+==--------::::-::::--::=%%%%%%@@@@@@**#%*+++**+===+****%@@@@@@@@@
###%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#=-----------=::::-------::::=*%##@@@@@@@@+-----=-=-==-======----==+*#
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*-=-:---===--=---::-:::----:-::::::-+*%#*@@@@@@@@+----=======================
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*++=-----::::::::::::::-::-::::-:::::::::+@@@@@%%@@@@@@@=--===*++****###*******%%%*+
@@@@@@@@*==%%=====---------------==--====+*======::::::+@@@@@@***%%%#*-::+***+==**%#*%%%%%%%@*@@@@
@@@@+==+=-=----------==+====+=======+==+=====++=+=-:-+@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*=+==**@@@@@@%*+=+*=-=%@@@%@@
*===----------====+*+=+*=++==---=======+*===****==-=%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@***====-=++***%@**+==*%%%***
==+#=+=-==*%%%****++==-=======--==-*======-==-==-:-*@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*#+=----=+=--=++=*=======+
%#*++++++%%*=*==============-=======-===----===-::-%@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%*%@%%@=------=======+++++===
=*+**==+============-----==------=====-=----==-:::=@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%**#%*===============+=++**

Also I spent $32 at Staples today only to accidentally get normal paper rolls, not thermal paper rolls… Don’t feel like dragging my kid back there today, but hopefully they’ll let me return it. Ordered some thermal rolls online - I will still have a lot of fun with this printer for journaling and other creative projects, but… sadly not this project.

[EposVox]

Currently eyeing a Selphy 1500 - but 4x6" is pretty big for a journal. The Ivy does 2x3" (neither of these formats fit a 16:9 screenshot well, but whatever) - but no PC support.
I’m tearing my hair out trying to find a solution now.

[EposVox]

update!!!

I’ve had a bit of a breakthrough. I found some wide thermal paper my kid had, cut some to size, and tinkered a bit more.
I am successfully printing images - albeit very skewed ones. I’m missing a width setting somewhere but I can’t find it yet. Perhaps if I pre-skew the images during other automation, it’ll even out (just need to figure out the ratio, I guess)…

Some settings to uncover and figure out - but first I have to wait on proper thermal paper to get here next week. It’s super frustrating trying to cut this to size and fighting with it.
But I’m back to being convinced the project can proceed as expected. Just need the right settings.

Current assumed automation flow:
Screenshot → wait 5 seconds → check folder → rotate, maybe adjust contrast → print, move to “printed” folder

Rotating 90 degrees so it prints long ways, but again, need it to not skew.

[EposVox]

Fun video I stumbled upon while down the rabbit hole:

I Built the World's Largest Receipt Paper Mural

[BerrieV]

Pretty cool you’ve gotten the result you wanted, the ASCII art honestly looks kinda sick. You could also use it for other projects as well, so on second thought it looks like a good purchase!

[EposVox]

I have SO many ideas!!

[EposVox]

SUCCESSSSSSSSSSSS
Shouts out to both the “epson-tm-series-printer-impact-receipt” driver on the AUR and a seemingly massive overhaul of the printer settings menu system in this week’s CachyOS updates. Dunno which had the biggest impact here lol

[Siors]

To get that whole ‘picking a game off the shelf’ feeling, and to have a chance to browse through my games in a much more tactile way, I set up these NFC cards for my digital games! I just tap them on an NFC reader and it will launch the game, or even prompt to install the game if it’s a Steam game that isn’t currently installed.

I keep them all in a trading card binder for easy storage. It really helps me connect more to the experience of gaming I feel, even though it’s still playing a digital game at the end of the day.

I also keep a handful of whatever games I’m currently playing/interested in playing soon on my desk, that way it really reduces decision fatigue, since I just limit my choice to whatever’s in the pile!

I’ve been very tempted to try writing about my gaming experiences as I see some others doing, I like the idea of printing out screenshots and popping them in a journal along with some words about what I got up to.

[EposVox]

These RULE! I have a set of TapTo cards for the MiSTer, but I honestly don’t know where I stashed them. I love this.