My initial thought is definitely yes for the Steam Machine, and maybe yes for the Steam Frame.
All devices are Valve made hardware running steamOS, so I would think a lot of the discussions/content would apply to Steam Deck. This also isn’t a super busy community, so I wouldn’t be that worried about Steam Deck specific content getting buried.
The Steam Frame is a bit more iffy than the Steam Machine though, there’s a lot of experience differences between the Deck/Machine and a VR device, so there will be larger differences. Also the Frame has ARM hardware and has to use an additional x86 to ARM compatibility layer for games running on it, so we’ll probably see some unique compatibility bugs for it.
Overall though I just want to hear everyone else’s opinions on it.
I am completely fine with having this community for steam hardware. At the moment I don’t think it would be beneficial to have 10 smaller communities instead of one big. Lemmy is not a huge platform at the moment
Yes. We don’t need even more fragmentation on the fediverse.
Yes, altho I wouldve liked the name of this community to then changed to steam hardware (I dont know if thats even possible) but it works like this too…
Yes. If this were a more heavily trafficked sub I’d consider separating out the Frame and GabeCube. But it’s not.
I think yes since biggest steam deck discord has channels for other steam hardware
I can’t wait for the steam frame. I own a second hand meta quest 2 but never installed the software on PC and I never bought a gape on it since it is facebook. But a Linux VR headset, that amazing !
I’m also cautiously enthusiastic. I’m curious about the gaming experience, but i’m especially interested in a desktop experience, having as many virtual screens as i like. I’d be very curious to see how that works in day to day.
Yes, Assuming that renaming a community without creating a new one isn’t possible.
The best way would be to just rename to “steamhardware”, but losing everyone in the process is certainly not worth the rename for clarity.
Yes; it makes no sense to have multiple communities when the Steam Machine and Steam Frame are so similar to the Steam Deck. It may be that in the future it makes sense to split out topics if their isn’t overlap, but I’d say the community isn’t flooded with content and there is a lot of overlap between these topics that will benefit everyone.
yes
Yes. Anything to grow communities. The fediverse is not in the restrictive limiting of communities time in its evolution. The fediverse is in the we need more numbers phase. You need a lot more people to be worried about this kind of thing. Right now you just need more people making more post and making more comments.
Personally, I like the idea of becoming more of a “Steam Hardwares” community, as them being all kinda niche but close in scope, they shouldn’t conflict with each other nor turn the community into a too generalist one.
Yeah, community being split up might just lead to inactivity for certain hardware if it isn’t popular enough. There’s enough overlap with SteamOS that I think being all in one is the best route. Maybe if lemmy gets way more users in the future then splitting up discussion to dedicated hardware communities might be an option, but for now better to be one.
gabeware
FTFY
All hail the Gabecube.
I’d say yes. If the volume becomes overwhelming new communities can easily be created.
Agreed, the fediverse is small enough now that living aggregate communities are preferable to dead specific ones. Especially because everyone hates posting something, getting their post removed and being told to go post in another very similar community they didn’t know existed. As you said, if it becomes a problem you can just spin off
Fragmented communities is such an annoying problem in the fediverse.
The problem can also be a positive, so that communities for more specific niches can be created, or to have alternatives for already existing ones with different management philosophies.
User numbers are still far too low for this to be a practical positive imo.
Absolutely. I would rather have one great community instead of 3 hyper specific communities. It just needs to have flags like [steamdeck] [ steammachine] [steamframe] Or even shorthand sd, sm, sf.
I don’t know why you would, except in relation to how they work with the steam deck.
I wouldn’t be opposed. New community name could be SteamHardware. They share an OS and ecosystem and people interested in one would likely be interested in the others.
