When does Valve plan to release Steam Deck OS for PC users?

[Waifu4Life]

I know some hacked versions are out there, but I'd like to try an official release one day (not the old version that they had with their Steam machines).

Cheers

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

When they are ready to.

[ReBoot]

Look up "Valve time".

[Waifu4Life]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Look up "Valve time".

haha, that's a funny site.

[Prezidentas]

The OS would only make sense for HTPCs anyways. For actual desktop experience you should get a regular Linux distribution.

[retrogunner]

Waiting for it myself. And with the recent AMD silicon appearing (like the Z1 Extreme, much like the 7040) it means more hardware in line with the Deck.

I can definitely imagine some very affordable sub$300 gaming laptops & PCs coming out as a new, improved, "not-SteamMachine". They would be made with more "commodity" parts reducing the BOM costs - more than the ASUS ROG.

Personally, I'd like to have an ultrathin "Surface-like" 1080P touchscreen tablet PC with a Z1 Extreme (or so) in it (and having 2 sodimm & 2 NVME slots). Then again, I'd likely get a https://frame.work so I could repair it - they just don't have a yoga style hinge or touchscreen (yet).

There's a lot happening in the AMD space. They are bringing decades of console CPU/GPU & APU experience into the PC space now. I suspect one of the biggest hurdles SteamOS 3.x has is the nVidia footprint. I think Valve should get Steam OS 3.x out the door for AMD asap. The nVidia camp jealousy would probably light a fire under NV's backside to assist SteamOS 3.x on the Desktop for their GPUs.

[Minneyar]

There honestly isn't much reason for Valve to release SteamOS for desktop PCs. Install Pop!_OS, install Steam, put it in big picture mode, and you're ready to go.

[lllaxmatist]

Funny thing is....
You do not want SteamOS for PC.

Because SD is an amazing gaming device, but equally terrible Linux PC.

It is because you have no repo support. And flatpak is too restrictive in terms of packets choose. If SteamOS will have a way to use pacman without wiping all out on update, it will be solid coose as gaming orientired home PC OS.

Try manjaro for your home PC. It is smooth enouth and gives you full linux freedom.
I am running on my PC and able to play almost all games (exept non-linux anticheat-protected).

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by lllaxmatist:

Funny thing is....
You do not want SteamOS for PC.

Because SD is an amazing gaming device, but equally terrible Linux PC.

It is because you have no repo support. And flatpak is too restrictive in terms of packets choose. If SteamOS will have a way to use pacman without wiping all out on update, it will be solid coose as gaming orientired home PC OS.

Try manjaro for your home PC. It is smooth enouth and gives you full linux freedom.
I am running on my PC and able to play almost all games (exept non-linux anticheat-protected).

Instead of recommending a distribution, I'd advice to look for a specific distribution yourself. Everyone has different needs.

[tyl0413]

Originally posted by Škoda 14Tr:

Originally posted by lllaxmatist:

Funny thing is....
You do not want SteamOS for PC.

Because SD is an amazing gaming device, but equally terrible Linux PC.

It is because you have no repo support. And flatpak is too restrictive in terms of packets choose. If SteamOS will have a way to use pacman without wiping all out on update, it will be solid coose as gaming orientired home PC OS.

Try manjaro for your home PC. It is smooth enouth and gives you full linux freedom.
I am running on my PC and able to play almost all games (exept non-linux anticheat-protected).

Instead of recommending a distribution, I'd advice to look for a specific distribution yourself. Everyone has different needs.

It's a fair but unhelpful advice to those new to Linux, you do not want them looking up "Top ten distros for gaming current year"

[retrogunner]

As a long time linux user (and sysadmin), I agree - everyone has their different use-cases and distro preferences.

For example, between my variety of hardware (RPi, Pine64 - laptop, phone, & tab2), Desktops, and Homelab, I use Debian(s), Alpine, Mint, Manjaro, PostmarketOS, Fedora, CentoOS Stream 8/9, and RHEL 7/8/9. Each has different use-case for me.

But, for my Kids PCs (tweenagers), they currently use Windows 10/11. Putting ChromiumOS/Chrome Flex is really less ideal. And I don't want to install a Linux Distro for them, then manage all their "wants". I want to enable them while reducing "Dad" tech support.

For me, having an appliance Gaming OS like Steam OS 3.x would solve so many problems.
* They pretty much only use Steam, Web Browser, Discord, a few other things.
* Everything they need is via a flatpack.
* They literally can install whatever -- without having to virustotal everything they download.
* It's managed, garbage-ware free, with a fallback boot partition
* backups are just an rbackup of /home/deck away (as flatpaks can be re-installed.)

Sure, SteamOS 3.x has some warts (like game launchers from Ubisoft, Rockstar, Origin, etc.), but in the end, it makes for a consistent gaming (and desktop) experience.

Even with my experience, I run a emu's, virtualization, containers, etc. on my SteamDeck in Desktop mode - when not using it on the couch.

But everyone's use-case is different. For me, I cannot wait to toss official Steam OS 3.x for PC (not HoloOS, or others) on a fresh NVMe. With add-ons like Decky Loader, it will reduce even my need to go to Desktop Mode on PC quite a bit.

[tyl0413]

Originally posted by retrogunner:

As a long time linux user (and sysadmin), I agree - everyone has their different use-cases and distro preferences.

For example, between my variety of hardware (RPi, Pine64 - laptop, phone, & tab2), Desktops, and Homelab, I use Debian(s), Alpine, Mint, Manjaro, PostmarketOS, Fedora, CentoOS Stream 8/9, and RHEL 7/8/9. Each has different use-case for me.

But, for my Kids PCs (tweenagers), they currently use Windows 10/11. Putting ChromiumOS/Chrome Flex is really less ideal. And I don't want to install a Linux Distro for them, then manage all their "wants". I want to enable them while reducing "Dad" tech support.

For me, having an appliance Gaming OS like Steam OS 3.x would so many problems.
* They pretty much only use Steam, Web Browser, Discord, a few other things.
* Everything they need is via a flatpack.
* I literally can install whatever -- without having to virustotal everything they download.
* It's managed, garbage-ware free, fallback boot partition
* backups are just an rbackup of /home/deck away (as flatpaks can be re-installed.)

Sure, SteamOS 3.x has some warts (like game launchers from Ubisoft, Rockstar, Origin, etc.), but in the end, it makes for a consistent gaming (and desktop) experience.

Even with my experience, I run a emu's, virtualization, containers, etc. on my SteamDeck in Desktop mode - when not using it on the couch.

But everyone's use-case is different. For me, I cannot wait to toss official Steam OS 3.x for PC (not HoloOS, or others) on a fresh NVMe. With add-ons like Decky Loader, it will reduce even my need to go to Desktop Mode on PC quite a bit.

Yeah SteamOS is not an optimal desktop OS. I think what people really want is a distro that's has Valve's stamp of approval that stuff will run, which SteamOS is it'll just kinda suck on desktop.

[invision2212]

I like steam OS and it works for me as all I do is play games, watch YouTube, and buy crap off amazon.

When they release it for pc I’ll probably install it on the next computer I build as I don’t need it to do much.

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by invision2212:

I like steam OS and it works for me as all I do is play games, watch YouTube, and buy crap off amazon.

When they release it for pc I’ll probably install it on the next computer I build as I don’t need it to do much.

wouldn't you want to at least use word processors or spreadsheets?

[s_greyjoy]

im using my deck as a full desktop replacement, and it's working out great for me. i do minimal stuff anyway like web browsing, youtube, spotify etc.
for word processors/spreadsheets i'm using libre office and it's great.

this is coming from someone who never used linux before steam deck. a lot more snappy when compared to windows. i like flatpaks too

[voidmind]

All you people waiting for Steam OS should know that Steam OS itself is based off of existing versions of Linux that you can install and run right now and get a nearly identical experience (arguably better than Steam OS). Before the Steam Deck was available, Valve were recommending Manjaro Linux for people who wanted to get a feel of what it would be like, (Plasma Desktop edition, which is what the desktop on Steam OS is). You can download an ISO for it here, make a bootable USB key with Balena Etcher and install it right now. Apart from not having the Steam Deck logo on the start menu, you will not see much difference.
https://manjaro.org/download/