Is there a universal launcher like Lutris available for Windows? I was looking to build a gaming HTPC and want to interface with it with just only a controller, just like a console.
Launchbox. But the 10foot controller interface is behind a paywall with a weird scheme.
(not for windows, OS) Maybe have a look at Bazzite? It’s supposed to be a SteamOS but Fedora based. I’ve been meaning to have a look at it eventually, so i dont know how it actually is, maybe it’s garbage for all i know
There is ChimeraOS too, based on Arch.
The problem with Linux is that you will always have to tolerate a nontrivial section of games being straight-up unavailable, of games breaking, running suboptimally and requiring hacky solutions to run, and the complete absence of first-party support from hardware manufacturers and game developers. It’s not suitable for HTPCs despite having terrific UI unfortunately.
You can add them as shortcuts. UWP need a tool to set them up in steam, but you can do them too.
They’ll still need to open the other launchers to run, but it’s about as close to seamless as you’ll get. You can make Windows log in automatically, not lock when it sleeps, and launch to steam big picture mode. It might take a search or two to set up, but after it’s (minus windows being windows) relatively out of your way.
You can do the same with Linux, but you lose anticheat games and setting up other launchers is more work.