I don’t think they even can manufacture at a scale anywhere close to the big three. Like with the Steam Deck, it’ll be a great product for a niche audience, but the numbers will be limited in comparison. No chance of taking over the industry.
It definitely seems to me like they’re trying a similar strategy to Microsoft’s Surface line or Google’s Pixel line where the main goal isn’t really to outcompete directly, but rather to influence the market by a) proving that the platform is viable and b) providing a blueprint/setting expectations for third-party manufacturers considering getting in on it. I swear I remember valve saying they were open to licensing steam os to third party devices (granted, I dunno if anyone’s taken them up on it), and they obviously want as many people on steam as they can pull off.
They don’t have to manufacture them all. That little SteamOS Compatible sticker is gonna kick Windows out of the gaming throne and push steam machines as the default livingroom gaming solution. One of the big things about this announcement is that it isn’t addressed only to customers, it is aimed at developers. The store page even has sections to announce that development kits are available. They want the software and hardware developers onboard, that’s how they are going to push out competition.
I want to see The Year of the Linux Desktop™ as much as anyone else on this platform, but I think you’re living in a bubble if you believe there’s any universe in which this could suddenly dethrone Windows.
It’ll carve out a good niche for itself, but that’s really all it will be.
Here’s the thing. Since November 2022 Valve’s Steam OS has carved out almost a 5% share of the market for Linux (if we include Linux users who don’t use Steam OS). Windows has something like a 25-30 year head start on steam in this respect.
Something like 35% of PC gamers are still using Windows 10 after the EOL BS MS pulled in October. There is something to be said for those users being more willing to jump ship to steam than there is for them to buy exhorbitantly priced hardware to stay on windows when their hardware inevitably begins to show its age.
I think it’s fairly likely that Steam OS will continue to take chunks of user base out of MS for the foreseeable future.
It may not be the year of the Linux desktop, but it’s not nothing either.
Valve’s devices are more hamstrung (as someone else in one of these threads said) by where you can source their hardware than they are by the MS dominated market share.
It can’t hurt to support this, despite the popular games it /may/ not be compatible with over time, because users are also becoming increasingly disillusioned with MS in general.
Lots of things remain to be seen but nobody (MS included) was expecting Steam to be successful as a platform for game sales, nor were they expecting them to be successful with physical hardware and yet here we are. Is that success limited? Sure. But it has become less limited over time.
“it’s the year of Linux! This year is really it guys!!” lol
No cod, no battlefield, no gta, no apex, no any of the biggest games that the majority of the money-spenders buy. No chance of kicking windows out of the gaming throne whatsoever.
I don’t think they even can manufacture at a scale anywhere close to the big three. Like with the Steam Deck, it’ll be a great product for a niche audience, but the numbers will be limited in comparison. No chance of taking over the industry.
It definitely seems to me like they’re trying a similar strategy to Microsoft’s Surface line or Google’s Pixel line where the main goal isn’t really to outcompete directly, but rather to influence the market by a) proving that the platform is viable and b) providing a blueprint/setting expectations for third-party manufacturers considering getting in on it. I swear I remember valve saying they were open to licensing steam os to third party devices (granted, I dunno if anyone’s taken them up on it), and they obviously want as many people on steam as they can pull off.
There are currently 2 third party handhelds that are officially supported by SteamOS, so at least 2 manufacterers have taken them up on it so far.
They don’t have to manufacture them all. That little SteamOS Compatible sticker is gonna kick Windows out of the gaming throne and push steam machines as the default livingroom gaming solution. One of the big things about this announcement is that it isn’t addressed only to customers, it is aimed at developers. The store page even has sections to announce that development kits are available. They want the software and hardware developers onboard, that’s how they are going to push out competition.
I want to see The Year of the Linux Desktop™ as much as anyone else on this platform, but I think you’re living in a bubble if you believe there’s any universe in which this could suddenly dethrone Windows.
It’ll carve out a good niche for itself, but that’s really all it will be.
Here’s the thing. Since November 2022 Valve’s Steam OS has carved out almost a 5% share of the market for Linux (if we include Linux users who don’t use Steam OS). Windows has something like a 25-30 year head start on steam in this respect.
Something like 35% of PC gamers are still using Windows 10 after the EOL BS MS pulled in October. There is something to be said for those users being more willing to jump ship to steam than there is for them to buy exhorbitantly priced hardware to stay on windows when their hardware inevitably begins to show its age.
I think it’s fairly likely that Steam OS will continue to take chunks of user base out of MS for the foreseeable future.
It may not be the year of the Linux desktop, but it’s not nothing either. Valve’s devices are more hamstrung (as someone else in one of these threads said) by where you can source their hardware than they are by the MS dominated market share.
It can’t hurt to support this, despite the popular games it /may/ not be compatible with over time, because users are also becoming increasingly disillusioned with MS in general.
Lots of things remain to be seen but nobody (MS included) was expecting Steam to be successful as a platform for game sales, nor were they expecting them to be successful with physical hardware and yet here we are. Is that success limited? Sure. But it has become less limited over time.
“it’s the year of Linux! This year is really it guys!!” lol
No cod, no battlefield, no gta, no apex, no any of the biggest games that the majority of the money-spenders buy. No chance of kicking windows out of the gaming throne whatsoever.