Simple bash script set to run once your DE is loaded would do it. Detect the TV with xrandr or equivalent, then start Steam in BPM. If not, do nothing.
this post was submitted on 13 May 2026
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I’ll probably have to look at the docs but does xrandr assign something like a uuid to displays? I do remember having to set a display manually for one game for Wayland so it launched on the right monitor but I thought I had some issues with the numerical order moving around for some reason. Presumably I’d also want a kvm or something to start the pc from my living room as well and just plug or unplug from the tv itself?
If you just want the machine to do something only WHEN it detects the TV, that's a bit different. You want an HDMI or DP switcher. You can just make a tiny listener for DBUS events that launches BPM when it detects the TV coming online.
As a workaround, if you have a Steam Controller pressing the Steam button should bring up Steam and pressing it again should switch to Big Picture Mode. That's at least how it works on my Steam Deck in desktop mode.
If you have an Xbox or PlayStation controller you could try if their corresponding buttons work the same.
I might try that, the only issue is having it pop up on the right display, since my main desktop monitor I set as the primary. Presumably will need to script that anyway
For switching between monitors and the tv, just get an hdmi selector with a remote. Something like this for example. That way you just turn on your pc with the controller and switch to the tv with the selector remote. As for starting in steam big picture mode, you can’t have it both ways. You can do either or as far as I know. You could try installing cachy OS regular desktop then install the handheld package, which puts an icon on your desktop that when you click, it takes you to big picture mode. Although, I’m not sure whether or not the handheld package causes the machine to boot directly into big picture mode.
You can force steam to start in big picture mode with the -gamepadui argument. And you can always switch between desktop and big picture mode, at least when you have a normal window manager running.
Booting into big picture mode would entail launching gamescope and launching Steam inside that.