UPDATE: Despite saying they were using SteamOS on the homepage, they’ve since clarified that it’s actually “an optimized version based on HoloISO”. HoloISO seems to be a community compiled version of SteamOS. It’s very similar but it’s not officially SteamOS.
Now the handheld market gets really good.
Yes! I’ve been waiting for more devices to ship with SteamOS. I am tired of these unpolished handheld experiences on Windows. It always ends up being a mishmash of random vendor apps and lengthy Windows updates.
Windows is a sinking ship, it just makes less and less sense to let the person controlling your operating system be microsoft when Linux keeps getting better.
Linux people are hilarious.
Windows is going to continue to own the PC market. It’s not sinking anywhere.
Linux is what, 1% of PC OSs and never really changing?
But totally man, this is the year of Linux. Microsoft is totally gonna fall over and die and finally for once all the never ending predictions about Linux being the most popular will finally come true this year!
Linux is great, but it’s going to stay irrelevant and nerdy. Don’t go pretending that’s gonna change any time soon.
While I get your point, Linux has improved to almost 4% this year. In addition, all these people using Steam decks are on Linux, they just might not even know it. I think that’s a great thing, but Windows isn’t going anywhere. Office suite runs too many businesses and makes Microsoft too much money.
Also user friendliness. I tried Linux once at the behest of a programmer mate and just couldn’t get into it. I’m fairly confident with tech but going in cold scared me off whereas windows (and to a lesser extent back then, Mac OS) was safer.
Office 365 are the champs for the working world. Google are growing and Apple are…there but Office364 reigns supreme, in the UK at least.
I would have agreed with you here if it wasn’t for me having to reinstall my server because of a faulty harddrive. A couple of years ago I just remember headaches and silently screaming on Linux while fixing my server but this time, just a couple of months ago I tried another distro and it was awesome. Everything just works, just like windows. I am actually considering switching my gaming desktop to dual boot Linux because of this. Maybe one day…
I remember when I had to use my Steam Deck connected with USBC as a “desktop” for a while. It couldn’t remember to put my taskbar on my preferred monitor no matter what I tried doing.
I am tired of these unpolished handheld experiences on Windows
Given how many handhelds Aya Neo has been releasing lately, I have my doubts they’ll be able to offer a polished Steam OS experience.
I run a dual boot on my Deck and have managed to make the experience alright. There are some good debloating scripts online. It’s nice to have access to GP games.
Gotta love that Valve is using their influence to improve the handheld PC market, rather than trying to monopolize it.
Don’t see much of that anymore.
I love what I’m seeing but I’m too blind to use a handheld. I’ve been gaming for 44 years and I’ll probably never get to experience it, at least not well. Still glad to see it though!
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What does you having calloused hands have to do with Valve’s influence on the handheld PC market? Did steamOS damage your hands or something?
This is huge. I wonder if they saw poor sales for their previous windows devices and were like… well what if we put linux on it? I am tempted to preorder…
Judging from their history of rapid releases, I’d say this is more a matter of just throwing it out there to see if it sticks because “why not?”
Worst case, it fails, they’re out a little bit of capital, but can just as easily swap it over to Windows and keep selling it that way. Best case, they’ve opened the market up that little bit more for themselves.
Ayaneo (and GPD) have been doing pretty well for the past few years. Well before Valve dipped their toe into the PC handheld market.
It is mostly that Valve have demonstrated the viability of linux for gaming (in large part to preserve their de facto monopoly on PC gaming as MS find ways to convince people to put up with GFWL…). Which means Ayaneo (and GPD) potentially have a way to not have to factor in windows licenses with all of their SKUs.
Games for Windows Live hasn’t been a thing in years. You talking about Xbox Game Pass?
I think of Valve’s Linux efforts as more opening up the PC market than anything else. A ton of their efforts end up being upstreamed, which gives other vendors a chance to develop their own OSes based on Linux and have it actually be viable. More Linux and less Windows is a plus in my book.
Say it with me everyone: Companies aren’t your friends.
I think Valve’s work on proton and the like have gone a long way toward making linux viable for “normal” users. But they are very much doing this because they don’t want to give up their giant slice of the pie to MS.
Yeah they aren’t your friends, but they can be the enemy of your enemy, and that’s exactly what’s happening now. Plus you have to look at the end results of their actions. Yes Valve’s Linux efforts may be self-serving, but it also benefits the community as a whole. You can’t say the same about Microsoft. That’s a big difference IMHO.
That’s true. Valve isn’t a “good” companie. But honestly, just because a corporation made it, and open sourced it, it isn’t bad. Also you still have to honor them for doing what they did. It doesn’t matter why they did it, but more what they did.
That makes more sense actually. Well, either way it is good news for Linux, hopefully.
Moreover, AYANEO NEXT LITE will debut with unexpected and exciting surprises for players. The all-new cost-effective choice with flagship experiences, AYANEO NEXT LITE, subscriptions open at 9:30 PM 1/11/2014 EST
I’m not familiar with these devices. Do the existing models have subscriptions?
Ayaneo has a pretty good track record making portable gaming devices, mostly running Windows. I’m guessing “subscriptions” here is a mistranslation for pre-orders.
Yeah. I was looking into a handheld well before the steam deck was announced. GPD probably have the best hardware, but ayaneo the best overall “package” and form factor. My issue was always that they require their proprietary software to be run on top and… I don’t trust them with shit like steam credentials.
But yeah. The company is REALLY Chinese and tend to (presumably) run most of their stuff through a translator. You get used to it.
I love that tech companies were willing to invest hundreds of billions into VR with no clear understanding of where the huge adoption of users is going to come from and what even the killer experience is going to be using them and yet here we clearly have the future of gaming just waiting for other companies to invest further into the relatively assured long term and short term success of it.
The usecases are clear for the steam deck, the user base is clear, the focus effect on indie games prioritizing working well on the steam deck is clear and is a sign of how much momentum is really shifting even though it isn’t reflected in big numbers yet. This is the most obvious tectonic shift in electronics and entertainment that has come along probably in my lifetime.
In the future you know what gaming computer kids are going to get first (if it isn’t a console)? It is super obvious to me is going to be something like a steam deck. Parents are going to figure a steamdeck device is far more portable, practical and cheap and they will think ok they can get a pc down the road and play the same games I buy them if they want.
Ok now this is exciting news
Really nice news, both from the perspective of making new non-SteamDeck portable devices more appealing as well as from the perspective of standardizing Linux-based gaming setups further
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The article doesn’t contradict the headline, Ayaneo officially announced that their handheld will use SteamOS. The comment is saying that Valve hasn’t made any announcements regarding partnerships or allowing other companies to use it.
Yeah I deleted my comment as I realize the error was mine.
Oh chinese spycrap.
