I just think they're neat!
The Duff CEO with a Windows-Logo on his forehead: "Gamers use Windows because of its' user experience not our de facto monopoly."
Next Image: Duff CEO with Windows-Logo in front of a "Out of Business" sign. Subtitle: "30 minutes after SteamOS is released"
Edit: Yo, I'm not saying this is gonna happen. I just want to say that Windew's UX sucks ass.
What kind of apostrophe use is
its'
?!
I don't really understand this buzz about Steam OS displacing Windows.
Windows is a general purpose computer OS; whereas Steam OS is a game-platform OS designed for the Steam Deck and similar devices. It doesn't seem to be the same use case. Obviously Steam OS could be used as a general purpose OS, if you just switch modes and install this and that software... but then what are you waiting for? There are already heaps of high quality general purpose Linux OSs already designed for that purpose. Linux Mint is a drop-in replacement for Windows, and has no problems whatsoever with games.
I mean, if you want to use Steam OS on your main computer, then that's fine - but I just don't really see a reason to use that rather than something that is already available, and already a desktop OS rather than a console OS.
Unfortunately the biggest issue now is the anticheats that only function on windows. My friends refuse to switch to Linux because you cannot play:
They'll play other games but because they mainline one of these they refuse to leave. As long as SteamOS has no answer to these anti cheats windows will maintain a dominance.
Source: https://areweanticheatyet.com/
I'm sure it's on the roadmap, but not a current priority. First get it to work decently and iron all the kinks out of steamos, then they can look at anti-cheating.
Its not because steam doesnt support it. Some of the games on that list have banned players from connecting online from linux. Apex legends put out a newsletter about how they couldn't keep up with cheating using linux OSes and so they had to just cut it off entirely.
Don't make me tap the post title.
"Who here wants a bathtub Mint distro?"
Finally a comment that I expect from a simpsons shitpost community. Here's your reward: A scented candle!
Requisite "you don't need to wait for SteamOS" post.
Gamed on Linux for over 2 years. The time is now. Shit just works (mostly).
Edit: and yes, you can often get better performance on the same games with the same hardware.
My whole family largely uses Linux as our daily driver - ages - 40, 38, 18, 9, 7
The only one not running Linux is my 38 year old wife.
HOWEVER - my 9 year old got an occulus for Xmas, and suddenly we are dual booting and that's a real shame.
Anti cheats 😭 Only reason why I keep windows around
you can often get better performance on the same games with the same hardware.
Because there's a reason why Linux does not randomly use the disk like Windows does
I mean no because even if all of the gamers in the world instantaneously switched away from windows, everybody else in the world - specifically the masses of idiots out there and businesses, not that there's that much difference - would still keep on using Windows because they don't give a fuck.
If SteamOS is ever launched for non-valve hardware, I would probably stop whatever I'm doing at work to get it installed
Copying my own comment from yesterday:
There was a comment thread in one of the Linux communities the other day talking about this mindset. Obviously the comments got a bit rude and unconstructive, but the point is that you can switch to something like bazzite now and most things will work pretty well, but if you're holding out until it's perfect then you'll be waiting forever!
It was already launched for non-Valve hardware. Not for any hardware though, just a Lenovo handheld.
My old desktop has been demoted to console, and some time before Windows 10 goes EOL, I'm planning to try Bazzite on it. Seems like the closest we'll get to SteamOS on any hardware in the near future.
Recall is the final straw for me. If there really is no way to permanently disable it then I'm going to have to get used to Linux/SteamOS. Which sucks because I really do seriously value things just working and not have to dig for hours to fix random issues with every little program I want to use. :/
You will like Linux then because on Linux, unlike Windows, you can figure out why stuff goes wrong and then fix it for good instead of randomly having reappearances of the same problem (barring hardware issues like overheating of course but that affects all systems equally).
Honestly, as someone comfortable with Linux already, but running Windows because of games, it was the last straw for me in a bigger way. A bunch of people up and down the chain at Microsoft thought recall was a good idea, and didn't need really basic safety features at launch. Not only is that very poor judgement, but what they think I want and need is so far disconnected from reality that following their upgrade path is a huge risk.
Maybe they'll put switches in to disable Recall, but maybe they'll want to take them away for my own good at some point in the future. Maybe they'll do so silently. I know there'll be an adjustment curve, but I'd rather be in control of it rather than let the people who thought Recall was a good idea updating my OS internals. I'll never install Windows 11 on a device I own, and I'm not holding my breath on future versions at this rate.