I’m playing Armored Core 6 and thinking how I want a 100 button Steel Battalion controller with all 3 of my monitors to have different huds.
Center or left two screens for my main visor. Right e-reader for text, minimap, ammo, mech metrics, etc.
Game developers could do it fairly straight forwardly but the demand for multidisplay functionality isnt really there. Supcom had a 2nd monitor option to render a 3d map but i cant think of any other games that do a separate function like that. Ac6 has a minimap? Fat chance getting something that cool and involved with a game you cant completely mod or make yourself though. Itd be really sick to see something like it on ac6 especially. I miss 4/4fa’s HUD.
Many factors…
First: Can your GPU handle that at better than low quality 20 fps? If you have a gpu that can handle 4K fine, then it “should” be able to do 3x 1080p monitors (because there are 4x as many pixels in 2160p than 1080p). Playstation and Xbox are pretty much right out of question (no custom controller support likely anyway), and 3x 1440p or 3x 4K is most likely out if you don’t have a top end GPU. Having a wider field of vision may need beefier CPU power to calculate bullet physics and other things in view as well.
Second: How many Armored Core players would have the money and need to buy a custom controller, a highend GPU and 3 monitors (assuming 1080p), back of the napkin math says 2200 CAD = 1620 USD? While support for crazy setups are nice but the developers aren’t really in a rush to add support for stuff that at most a few hundred people worldwide will make use of. Racing sim and other simulator fans have the audience there, I don’t know if ACVI is billing itself as less arcadey and more simulation.
However, if mod support is there, perhaps interested fanatics would add multimonitor, custom controller and HUD support.
So multiple people have mentioned mod support but I’ve never seen it myself in numerous low graphic and high graphic quality games. It looks like resolution is less a matter and more no want for it. 99% of games have no NEED for anything I said.
Immersion is supreme for so many whales though. Not only that, but people with 3060 series graphics cards or equivalent make up like ~15% (did I math right from the toilet?) of Steams userbase. https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/videocard/?sort=name
I’m just surprised mech games, which are designed by their nature to be futuristic and have LOTS of HUD elements, wouldn’t make use of multiple screens to declutter and immerse better. RTS games would also be great candidates for this QoL feature.
The argument requiring 4k resolution is moot too when you consider only 1-2 screens need it. A minimap and info screen can be rendered in near shitter quality.
It just seems like a case of where creating a game that uses multiple monitors in different resolutions seems like one of those weird programming hiccups that throws shit off or takes up too many resources. Otherwise I feel like making use of another screen for a HUD would be relatively easy. I’m no programmer though, hence the question. There’s also balancing complaints where people who can afford multiple monitors have easier to see from peripheral maps, cooldowns, stats, etc.
As for money on controllers, gtfo lol. That’s clearly not in the spirit of my question. I just kinda expected FromSoft after making billions to put in some neat odds and ends features into Armored Core which is also near and dear to their hearts.
I was immediately disappointed when there was no cockpit view but hey, it’s Armored Core, not MechWarrior.
I’m not trying to throw shade on people wanting to spend money for an immersive experience, just that there are fewer of them with that setup and that number is what matters from a software sales perspective.
I’m simply stating why FromSoft wouldn’t be compelled to implement such a feature other than out of the goodness of their heart. People with insane setups spend a lot of money but FromSoft wouldn’t see a penny more than someone who buys and plays the same game with a simple setup.
Rendering more screens is more demand on the graphics card.
Also, not everyone has multiple screens or their screens laid out in a similar arrangement and/or the same resolutions.
Beyond these though, there shouldn’t be that much limitation to the idea.
I currently play Baldurs Gate 3 couch co-op split between two screens. There doesn’t seem to be a way to do it natively, since it recognizes each monitor individually, but doesn’t see their connections to each other. I have to do a borderless window and then drag one side of it to the other monitor.
Anyway, I wish there were more built-in options to spread a game across multiple screens. Years ago I used to play Rocket League across three monitors so I could see more of the field while playing.
Some games do support this functionality; typically flight or racing sims. Best of luck getting it running.
Yeah racing sims is what brought this question to my mind. My workplace has a racing sim area which has the actuating seat and multiple monitor setup and by god thinking about it in a modern mech game just made me giggle at the thought.
