If Valve really wanted to make a splash, they could release a desktop version of SteamOS in October, right when support for Windows 10 ends. For additional damage, they could bundle in Half-Life 3. Just imagine the coverage this would get.
If Valve really wanted to make a splash, they could release a desktop version of SteamOS in October, right when support for Windows 10 ends. For additional damage, they could bundle in Half-Life 3. Just imagine the coverage this would get.
What do people expect out of a desktop SteamOS that they can’t already get from any other distro?
Approachability. Valve is a recognizable name and the Steam Deck is notoriously usable in the sea of Linux uncertainty.
Before you say “Linux is totally usable, just look at <examples>” the first question people are prompted with is “What distribution do you want to install?” and there is no singular place that says “this is what you want for this specific use case.”
Valve is not the first name in Linux gaming, but they are a known and trusted name. It’s not just about brand recognition but about trusting a name to guide you through something brand new and extremely daunting. For the vast majority of PC gamers, SteamOS offers a guided introduction to something that previously was stereotyped as complex and difficult to learn.
Is it the best distro? Probably not, but then again it’s extremely easy to migrate from SteamOS to something else when someone discovers they want something else. Until they understand enough about Linux to find that they want something else, SteamOS is currently one of the best ways to get them there
Plus, Valve is known for technical things!
Brand recognition. Which apparently is the only thing that matters these days.
For the average technology user yes. Software needs to come packaged in a way people recognise and can use without much setting up needed. I know there are many distros out there that do this. The average person using a computer however does not.
not going to be a steam OS user, but its less what you can’t, and more that any changes that valve patches in via their efforts on AMD drivers, users would get it first and without any fuss.
One example is HDR support. various distros and DEs kinda sat on HDR for the longest time, with mixed results on implementation. Valve just walks in and implements it.
Yeah but Valve also made that open source at the same time.
and even while open source, its implementation on various DE is still spotty, which is kinda the point.
It needs to be at least as easy as Windows to install and have good support.
Extra bonus points if they preinstall/bundle it on gaming PCs.
Both of these are possible with many other distros.
I would probably use it over bazzite for my HTPC, but yeah, I don’t recommend either for a daily driver PC.
A plug and play system.
I don’t think it’s about having extra functionality to no one else has.
SteamOS is more restrictive than other distros out of the box. A user with no experience whatsoever would have a harder time messing things up because rootfs is RO and gets wiped on every update. Kinda forces the average user into using flatpak/Discover to mimic Windows and Apple app stores. In other words, it’s all about the psychology, not the distro itself.
Not to mention there is an actual company with an incentive to maintain the distro, with a massive focus on gaming. They have a ton of testing resources that a lot of distro maintainers do not have in that regard.
Having said all that, installing a distro other SteamOS on my Steam Deck was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve been using Linux for 32 years, I do not like SteamOS because they are trying to make it dumb for general consumption. Similar reasons why I despise Windows, besides the whole being owned by Microsoft thing.
Easy, streamlined support