Description:

Creates and manages a separate environment for playing PC games, providing a 'console-like' experience.

Requirements:

• .NET Framework 4.7.2
• Playnite

Installation:

• Open the solution in Visual Studio
• Set build configuration to Release and build the solution
• Copy build output folder's content (./bin/Release) to a desired installation folder ([InstallationFolder])
• Customize the service configuration for your needs ([InstallationFolder]/config.json)
• Setup BackgroundService ([InstallationFolder]/BackgroundService.exe) to start automatically during Windows startup (You have to do it manually, there isn't any built-in feature for this.)
• Setup Playnite plugin:
  • Open Playnite
  • Add PlaynitePlugin as an extension: Go to Playnite settings, For developers section, and add the PlaynitePlugin's folder from the installation path ([InstallationFolder]/PlaynitePlugin) to the External extensions list.
• Start BackgroundService ([InstallationFolder]/BackgroundService.exe)

Hotkeys:

You can modify hotkeys in the main configuration file. (./Configs/Config.json)

• Switch environment (Alt + NumPad 0): Switches between game and PC environments.
• Reset current environment (Alt + NumPad 1): Restarts third-party applications (e.g.: Playnite, DS4Windows). Closes game stores and resets environment settings (e.g. desktop, display, cursor visibility). Useful when a third-party app is bugged or enters into an invalid state.
• Toggle cursor visibility (Alt + NumPad 8): Toggles cursor's global visibility. This hotkey is usable to show the cursor and to use mouse input in the game environment (in this environment cursor is invisible by default).
• Toggle console visibility (Alt + NumPad 9): Toggles BackgroundProcess's console window's visibility. By default, the window is hidden. Hotkey can be used to show the console with debug logs and events.

Components:

BackgroundService:

A background service for managing game and PC environments. Users can adjust and interact with these environments using different hotkeys (See Hotkeys).

Core:

A library, containing common source code shared amongst project components.

PlaynitePlugin:

A Playnite extension notifies BackgroundService when a Playnite event is triggered (e.g. Game is starting)