KDE’s Plasma Bigscreen, a project once sidelined during the transition to Plasma 6, has been revitalized thanks to a focused effort by a dedicated developer. This TV-focused interface provides an alternative to Android TV and is aimed primarily at enhancing the smart TV experience with a Linux desktop environment.
Recently, developer Devin, along with contributions from Espi, dedicated a week to modernizing Plasma Bigscreen. This revival effort focused on overhauling the user interface to align more closely with the original design mockups, featuring changes like background blur, improved navigation, and a new search function powered by KRunner. Additionally, the settings application was rewritten to offer a cleaner and more intuitive user experience.
A notable change in this update includes the removal of panel backgrounds, resulting in a flatter design that resonates with contemporary user interface trends. Startup animations akin to those found in Plasma Mobile have been added, providing a smoother user experience. While the update was tested successfully on Raspberry Pi 5, incorporating Xbox controller support along with various applications like media players and web browsers, the project still faces challenges. These include the need for better virtual keyboard navigation and configurations for TV remotes.
Despite these hurdles, the project has set its sights on rejoining the official Plasma release schedule, potentially returning in version 6.5, highlighting a clear intent for long-term development. However, with the discontinuation of Mycroft AI, one of the project’s former collaborators, questions around the long-term direction of Plasma Bigscreen remain. As the project seeks broader adoption, community contributions and reestablishing connections with Plasma’s release cycle are imperative for its success.

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KDE's Plasma Bigscreen, a TV-focused Linux interface that was sidelined during the Plasma 6 transition, has been revitalized by developer Devin and contributor Espi. The modernization effort includes UI overhauls with background blur, improved navigation, KRunner-powered search, and a rewritten settings application. The update features a flatter design with removed panel backgrounds, startup animations similar to Plasma Mobile, and successful testing on Raspberry Pi 5 with Xbox controller support. While challenges remain around virtual keyboard navigation and TV remote configurations, the project aims to rejoin the official Plasma release schedule, potentially in version 6.5.

Plasma Bigscreen: KDE's TV-Focused Interface Makes a Comeback