5 ms·

It seems a bit like an unforced error to be dumping Linux a few months before Steam's new Linux-based Steam Link is released.

by Naga 5y ago

Kye 5y ago
Maybe there's some weird business logic, not necessarily well-founded, driven by that launch that makes them think it's a bad idea to support it.
lozenge 5y ago
Steam's Linux investment is as much to reduce Microsoft's power over it as for its actual users.
- toastal 5y ago
  Sounds like a win-win to me
- pjmlp 5y ago
  Ah that is why XBox and Windows gamers are running in droves into Linux.
  - stavros 5y ago
    The grandparent is saying that Steam didn't want to have to run on Windows, so they're investing in Linux so they can use that as the base OS for gaming. Otherwise Microsoft could demand a cut.
  - travisporter 5y ago
    Tongue-in-cheek, but after about 5 years of dual booting I am actually finally linux-only with Proton and steam
- vintermann 5y ago
  That's almost the same thing.
- trey-jones 5y ago
  Valve has been investing in Linux gaming for nearly a decade now (to my knowledge), and it's looking like a really good decision. I've recently set up new Windows and Mac devices and it's just glaringly obvious how tightly they're clamping down on their respective platforms. My perspective is a that of a Linux sysadmin who hadn't done a fresh Windows install in over a decade, and took about 3 years off of using Apple products. It's definitely an arms race, and the experience is getting worse and worse for customers (including software developers). I don't know if the average user notices these things or not. Valve is trying to not get caught in the crossfire here, and to have some recourse when inevitably MS wants 30% to allow steam to run natively in Windows. In the meantime they also have built a strong reputation among nerds like us, mostly as a byproduct.
Ndymium 5y ago
I think you mean Steam Deck, Steam Link is a remote play box for your TV that was released in 2015 and discontinued (in hardware form) in 2018. Steam Deck is expected to release at the end of next month.
- Naga 5y ago
  Yes, I definitely mean that! I have one reserved myself, so I'm not sure why I misspoke.
- johnday 5y ago
  Steam Link is a bit more general than that - it also includes the mechanism that Steam uses to stream games to NVIDIA Shield, mobile phones, and between computers. But the parent did indeed mean the Deck.
zamadatix 5y ago
Steam has been releasing Linux based hardware and driving generic Linux support since 2015, if it hasn't been worthwhile for the last 7 years it seems an error to bet on the next new thing catching on this time before it's even released. Even assuming Steam Deck (which is what I think you really meant) is an absolutely roaring constant success then they still realistically have a couple of years before it'd really be a significant chunk anyways. That's ignoring the whole premise of their other development, Proton, which is about running the Windows games on such systems anyways.

It seems a bit like an unforced error to be dumping Linux a few months before Steam's new Linux-based Steam Link is released.

by Naga 5y ago

It seems a bit like an unforced error to be dumping Linux a few months before Steam's new Linux-based Steam Link is released.

Kye 5y ago

Maybe there's some weird business logic, not necessarily well-founded, driven by that launch that makes them think it's a bad idea to support it.

lozenge 5y ago

Steam's Linux investment is as much to reduce Microsoft's power over it as for its actual users.

toastal 5y ago
Sounds like a win-win to me
pjmlp 5y ago
Ah that is why XBox and Windows gamers are running in droves into Linux.
- stavros 5y ago
  The grandparent is saying that Steam didn't want to have to run on Windows, so they're investing in Linux so they can use that as the base OS for gaming. Otherwise Microsoft could demand a cut.
- travisporter 5y ago
  Tongue-in-cheek, but after about 5 years of dual booting I am actually finally linux-only with Proton and steam
vintermann 5y ago
That's almost the same thing.
trey-jones 5y ago
Valve has been investing in Linux gaming for nearly a decade now (to my knowledge), and it's looking like a really good decision. I've recently set up new Windows and Mac devices and it's just glaringly obvious how tightly they're clamping down on their respective platforms. My perspective is a that of a Linux sysadmin who hadn't done a fresh Windows install in over a decade, and took about 3 years off of using Apple products. It's definitely an arms race, and the experience is getting worse and worse for customers (including software developers). I don't know if the average user notices these things or not. Valve is trying to not get caught in the crossfire here, and to have some recourse when inevitably MS wants 30% to allow steam to run natively in Windows. In the meantime they also have built a strong reputation among nerds like us, mostly as a byproduct.

Ndymium 5y ago

I think you mean Steam Deck, Steam Link is a remote play box for your TV that was released in 2015 and discontinued (in hardware form) in 2018. Steam Deck is expected to release at the end of next month.

Naga 5y ago
Yes, I definitely mean that! I have one reserved myself, so I'm not sure why I misspoke.
johnday 5y ago
Steam Link is a bit more general than that - it also includes the mechanism that Steam uses to stream games to NVIDIA Shield, mobile phones, and between computers. But the parent did indeed mean the Deck.

zamadatix 5y ago

Steam has been releasing Linux based hardware and driving generic Linux support since 2015, if it hasn't been worthwhile for the last 7 years it seems an error to bet on the next new thing catching on this time before it's even released. Even assuming Steam Deck (which is what I think you really meant) is an absolutely roaring constant success then they still realistically have a couple of years before it'd really be a significant chunk anyways. That's ignoring the whole premise of their other development, Proton, which is about running the Windows games on such systems anyways.