Steam OS?

[PlanktonHatesTheWorld]

Can someone explain if this is something we'll have to buy from Steam or is it just a Linux OS you can use if you want (like other Linux stuff).

I want to get off Windows 10 when Steam won't allow Windows 10 anymore since I don't like Microsoft because they're awful (morally and commercially).

Unfortunately, Steam has also been doing a bunch of morally condemnable things (allegedly profiting from under age gambling, doing nothing against extremism on their platform), so I don't know if I want to give Steam money anymore either.

My entire game library (300+ games) is on Steam though, because I bought all of them before I learned about the horrible things Steam is doing. I'm slowly rebuilding my library on GoG (hopefully they're not evil too).

Like, will Steam be making money off Steam OS or will it just be a Linux OS, like other Linux OS' and be free or not make the creators money.

Linux is attractive because it's open sourced and no one owns it. Plus no bloat.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Steam OS will be free for users when it is eventually released, just like the past versions.

In ValveTime...

We’ll soon be shipping a general
installer for SteamOS, enabling any
PC to take advantage of all of its
features. In addition, we’ll soon be
making SteamOS available for other
manufacturers who wish to make a
gaming device of their own.

Page 16 of the Steam Deck booklet...

https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamdeck/images/press/book/steamDeck_booklet_EN.pdf

They're working on making SteamOS 3 available on more portable devices first...

https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/steamworks_docs/english/steam_brandGuidelines.pdf

Again, in ValveTime.

[Electric Cupcake]

Red Hat-style commercial release would be possible, but unlikely.

[r.linder]

SteamOS will be free when it's ready for desktop systems, there's no point in them charging money for it because less people would try it which is counter-productive.

It's also only a modified version of Arch Linux.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

I just don't understand why anyone cares about SteamOS and wanted it for Desktop so badly. Just install a good Linux. It's the same thing.

Win10 won't lose major support until at least 2032

[TheTrippyHippie]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

I just don't understand why anyone cares about SteamOS and wanted it for Desktop so badly. Just install a good Linux. It's the same thing.

Win10 won't lose major support until at least 2032

Most people want steamOS because it will come pre-configured and should work out the box for them.

Most people have never used a LInux based OS as their main gaming OS and just want to play games and browse the net etc.

Most people would of read Linux is hard to understand and complicated maintain, easy things like updating drivers etc can become finicky and complicated if things go wrong.

Most people just want their system to be easy to use and clearly most people in the steam community trust Valve to deliver a version that is easy for them to use.

So people most likely want SteamOS because they trust Valve and it should be more or less easier for them to get up and running with minimal effort on their behalf.

You are correct in stating what you said, there are many good distros of Linux Bazzite-deck for example, that's the best distro I have come across if you want to play games on your PC and are new to gaming on Linux.

And that's where steamOS 3 Plays a big part, people new to an linux based gaming OS dont have to get confused on what distro they should run because the distro path has already been selected for them.

By steam keeping all it's player base that choose to install SteamOS3 on the same Linux distro that alone in turn help's Valve keep everything working and not breaking things or making things more complicated than they need to be, because everyone using SteamOS3 will be on the same distro.

It is the best way moving forward for Valve and the SteamOS3 user base and it makes sense in the long run.

[Haruspex]

Originally posted by PlanktonHatesTheWorld:

Can someone explain if this is something we'll have to buy from Steam or is it just a Linux OS you can use if you want (like other Linux stuff).

It's a Linux OS you can use if you want, with a particular focus on creating a console-like experience on handheld PCs and TV set top box PCs. There is a desktop environment available, but it doesn't load it up by default and it's really not ideal for a general use PC.

Originally posted by PlanktonHatesTheWorld:

Like, will Steam be making money off Steam OS or will it just be a Linux OS, like other Linux OS' and be free or not make the creators money.

Valve makes no money directly off SteamOS. In fact, they're spending a considerable amount of money to develop it while also contributing directly to Linux open source projects, and then they're giving it away for free. SteamOS and Proton are open source, except for Steam itself. That's closed source.

Of course the more people using SteamOS, the more people using Steam. The more people using Steam, the more people buying games on Steam, and the more money Valve makes.

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

I just don't understand why anyone cares about SteamOS and wanted it for Desktop so badly. Just install a good Linux. It's the same thing.

This is my advice. SteamOS isn't the savior that's going to free you from Windows. Linux already exists, and it's very usable. Pick a distro and use it, learn it, embrace how it works, it's benefits and it's quirks. Just do a reality check first. The vast majority of the Steam catalog works fine on Linux, but if you really want to play certain multiplayer games with annoyingly aggressive, kernel level anti-cheat systems, you won't be happy with it. Also if you have an NVidia GPU, maybe stick with Windows for now. You really need AMD hardware for now.

[TheTrippyHippie]

Originally posted by Haruspex:

Originally posted by PlanktonHatesTheWorld:

Can someone explain if this is something we'll have to buy from Steam or is it just a Linux OS you can use if you want (like other Linux stuff).

It's a Linux OS you can use if you want, with a particular focus on creating a console-like experience on handheld PCs and TV set top box PCs. There is a desktop environment available, but it doesn't load it up by default and it's really not ideal for a general use PC.

Originally posted by PlanktonHatesTheWorld:

Like, will Steam be making money off Steam OS or will it just be a Linux OS, like other Linux OS' and be free or not make the creators money.

Valve makes no money directly off SteamOS. In fact, they're spending a considerable amount of money to develop it while also contributing directly to Linux open source projects, and then they're giving it away for free. SteamOS and Proton are open source, except for Steam itself. That's closed source.

Of course the more people using SteamOS, the more people using Steam. The more people using Steam, the more people buying games on Steam, and the more money Valve makes.

To be honest even if Valve put SteamOS3 in retail Stores and charged 50-100 quid for it I'd still buy it.

But I think it would be better if Valve released and offered a Desktop PC package that contained the Steam Controller 2.0 and SteamOS3 again I'd be happy to pay 100-150.

It wouldn't bother me if SteamOS3 wasn't free, I don't expect everything to be free and who cares how much money Valve makes as long as the end user is happy and things work?

surly people play games to have fun not sit there playing games freaking out about how much money Vale makes?

But it does seem most people expect things to be free these days.

I mean if they packaged something like :

Steam Controller 2.0
SteamOS3 + Free Store Credit 20
Limited Edition SteamOS3 custom Profile (limited to Day 1 package buyers)

For 100-150

I think that's a fair deal plus I got some free store credit. (for those who like free things which is all of us)

[C1REX]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

I just don't understand why anyone cares about SteamOS and wanted it for Desktop so badly. Just install a good Linux. It's the same thing.

Win10 won't lose major support until at least 2032

I personally care because of its potential in the future. That games may start to be actually optimised for Linux (Steam OS specifically). That PC makers may release cheaper console like hardware with powerful APUs. That we can get truly unified memory with software and games taking advantage of it. Currently Steam OS and games still share and divide memory into GPU and CPU portions with duplicated data on both „partitions” like on Windows.

Steam OS gives a more realistic chance for Linux to be finally a compelling competitor to Windows.

[r.linder]

Originally posted by TheTrippyHippie:

Most people have never used a LInux based OS as their main gaming OS and just want to play games and browse the net etc.

That already exists in so many distros and you know it, the issue is a lot of people don't understand that and think that SteamOS is somehow going to be easier, it's not. All of what SteamOS does is already available in many other distros even outside of Arch as free and open-source software is made to be that way.

Originally posted by TheTrippyHippie:

To be honest even if Valve put SteamOS3 in retail Stores and charged 50-100 quid for it I'd still buy it.

People would have to be stupid to pay a bunch of money for access to SteamOS when there's literally no reason to, there's nothing that SteamOS brings to the table that makes it better than other Linux operating systems. Gamescope being an example is already available on almost every distro a gamer would use at this point, if not all of them.

Valve would have to be stupid to charge money for SteamOS because they're trying to get people onboard with Linux, it'll be harder to do that if they charge a ridiculous amount of money just to install an OS that still won't run the entirety of the Steam library and will take just as much tinkering as any Linux OS to get many games working. It's not special, not worth paying money for. People putting a price tag on it is only going to ruin it.

[TheTrippyHippie]

Originally posted by r.linder:

Originally posted by TheTrippyHippie:

Most people have never used a LInux based OS as their main gaming OS and just want to play games and browse the net etc.

That already exists in so many distros and you know it, the issue is a lot of people don't understand that and think that SteamOS is somehow going to be easier, it's not. All of what SteamOS does is already available in many other distros even outside of Arch as free and open-source software is made to be that way.

Originally posted by TheTrippyHippie:

To be honest even if Valve put SteamOS3 in retail Stores and charged 50-100 quid for it I'd still buy it.

People would have to be stupid to pay a bunch of money for access to SteamOS when there's literally no reason to, there's nothing that SteamOS brings to the table that makes it better than other Linux operating systems. Gamescope being an example is already available on almost every distro a gamer would use at this point, if not all of them.

Valve would have to be stupid to charge money for SteamOS because they're trying to get people onboard with Linux, it'll be harder to do that if they charge a ridiculous amount of money just to install an OS that still won't run the entirety of the Steam library and will take just as much tinkering as any Linux OS to get many games working. It's not special, not worth paying money for. People putting a price tag on it is only going to ruin it.

People see Value in different things

Some people see value in expensive foot wear just because of a brand name.

People can perceive value in different things.

[r.linder]

Originally posted by TheTrippyHippie:

Originally posted by r.linder:

That already exists in so many distros and you know it, the issue is a lot of people don't understand that and think that SteamOS is somehow going to be easier, it's not. All of what SteamOS does is already available in many other distros even outside of Arch as free and open-source software is made to be that way.


People would have to be stupid to pay a bunch of money for access to SteamOS when there's literally no reason to, there's nothing that SteamOS brings to the table that makes it better than other Linux operating systems. Gamescope being an example is already available on almost every distro a gamer would use at this point, if not all of them.

Valve would have to be stupid to charge money for SteamOS because they're trying to get people onboard with Linux, it'll be harder to do that if they charge a ridiculous amount of money just to install an OS that still won't run the entirety of the Steam library and will take just as much tinkering as any Linux OS to get many games working. It's not special, not worth paying money for. People putting a price tag on it is only going to ruin it.

People see Value in different things

Some people see value in expensive foot wear just because of a brand name.

we all see value in different things.

There is no excuse in paying money for SteamOS, none. In the FOSS community where you have options and most of them are free, choosing to pay money for something is like refusing to get a pair of Nikes for free only to walk right next door and spend big money on Yeezys.

It's stupid.

[TheTrippyHippie]

Originally posted by r.linder:

Originally posted by TheTrippyHippie:

People see Value in different things

Some people see value in expensive foot wear just because of a brand name.

we all see value in different things.

There is no excuse in paying money for SteamOS, none.

Thats fair enough

but I would not mind if they did charge for the OS because I see value in the product you don't and that's fine.

[r.linder]

Not everything needs a price, and if they put a price on it, a lot of people aren't going to use it and would more likely stay on Windows than try anything else.

There's also more to value than putting a price on it, there are things that don't have an actual price but are priceless in value.

[Zef]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

I just don't understand why anyone cares about SteamOS and wanted it for Desktop so badly. Just install a good Linux. It's the same thing.

Win10 won't lose major support until at least 2032

Cause it's more noob friendly, already has a ton of community support and will get direct fixes from Valve.

Everyone into linux already knows they could just install Bazzite and be done with it, it's already a glorified Steam OS.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

SteamOS = Look I'm a sheep and don't care to learn as I find that too difficult