Universe Desktop
Universe Desktop is the app for the mouse and the keyboard. It shares Big Screen’s library and settings, and either app sees a game the other started. Install says which packages bring it.
The window
Section titled “The window”The sidebar lists All Games, Favourites, Media and Store, then Sources and Platforms. Under Sources, Added by hand holds the games you added or imported, such as from Lutris. The library has a search field (Ctrl+F) and a sort menu, whose Show Hidden Games (Ctrl+H) lets you unhide a game.
A click on a card opens the game’s page, and a right click opens its menu.
A game’s page
Section titled “A game’s page”The main button reads Play or Continue, and Quit while the game runs. Beside it are the favourite button, Game Settings and More, which holds Artwork, Hide, Update, Uninstall… and Remove From Library. Below come the game’s achievements, screenshots, recordings, journal and sessions. Saves and Storage opens a page with its saves and backups, its cloud saves, its Wine prefix and the space each of its folders takes. In Storage, picking a game opens that page too.
When Universe knows where the game stands, the line under the title adds the installed version and Up to date, or Update available shows below it. When it can’t tell, nothing shows. More has Update when the store can update the game.
Preferences › Game Defaults › Game Updates lists the games with a newer version out. A game its store updates has Update. For one you update yourself, install the update, then choose I Have the Latest Version: it shows your version and the day of the newest build, and It’s the Latest takes the game as up to date. Games Universe Can’t Check holds the games with no version to compare, with the same button.
A hide, a favourite or a removal shows a message with Undo, and Ctrl+Z undoes it too. A removal that fails says why once the message goes, and the item comes back.
Playing
Section titled “Playing”Play starts the game on the window’s monitor, in gamescope by default. While it runs, Now Playing at the foot of the sidebar has Show Game, Screenshot, MangoHud, Frame Rate Limit and Quit Game. In gamescope, HOME opens Big Screen’s dock over the game, in your look. It has no Pause on HOME, and its Home brings this window back. Your pad’s macros work either way. Closing the window closes the game too, after asking.
Media and the Store
Section titled “Media and the Store”Media shows your screenshots, recordings and journal entries. Store groups your store games under In Progress, Updates, On This PC, Not Installed and In the Store.
The main menu and Preferences
Section titled “The main menu and Preferences”The main menu (F10) has Rescan Library, Library Artwork…, Open Big Screen, System Check, Storage, Preferences and What’s New.
Preferences (Ctrl+,) has the same settings as Big Screen’s Stores, Controller, Game Defaults, Emulators & Proton and Features (Settings). Controller also picks a model with no pad connected, so you can bind its macros without it.
Add Games (Ctrl+N) has First-Run Setup….
On GNOME, the Shell’s search finds your games, and picking one opens it in Universe Desktop and starts it if it’s installed. The Arch, Fedora and Nix packages set this up; the installer can’t.
The Universe Shell extension lets Universe record or screenshot one window, show its messages and hide the cursor while you play. universe setup installs it (After installing), and so does System Check › System Setup › Set Up.