Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

phoronix.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 62 posts

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#31

Post by marcus_holmes »

OscarCunningham wrote: post #23

I haven't run Arch Linux, but what I've heard is that you have to know what you're doing in order to run it. So I'm surprised it's the most popular Linux OS after SteamOS. Is it actually less difficult than I heard?

I absolutely do not know what I am doing, and managed to get an Arch Linux setup working on a laptop.

It's complicated, but the Arch Linux docs are fantastic.

Didn't try gaming on it, though - I have a Steam Deck for that ;) Though I can plug in a keyboard, mouse and monitor and switch to desktop mode on the deck if I need to work, so maybe I'll just use that as my laptop now

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#32

Post by gs17 »

shp0ngle wrote: post #20

Why isn't the Steam Deck selling more? It seems like a strictly better version of Switch

The people I know with Switches want specific games that are exclusive to them and are only interested in buying those games legitimately.

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#33

Post by rafram »

smith7018 wrote: post #24
shp0ngle wrote: post #20

Why isn't the Steam Deck selling more? It seems like a strictly better version of Switch

As a SD owner, it's only a "better" version of the Switch through the eyes of Gamers. It's heftier, more expensive, has worse battery life, a worse screen, doesn't have the dock included, and doesn't have Nintendo's back catalog. The average person buying the Switch isn't looking to buy a Linux PC that may or may not support PC games; they want simplicity.

Yeah, it's hard to emphasize this enough - the Deck is absolutely huge. Photos and videos do not do justice to how huge it is. It takes up as much vertical space in a backpack as a small laptop does, and (with its case) it's much thicker than a laptop. I bought one and ended up returning it because I simply couldn't see myself ever taking it out of the house.

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#34

Post by pigsty »

smith7018 wrote: post #24
shp0ngle wrote: post #20

Why isn't the Steam Deck selling more? It seems like a strictly better version of Switch

As a SD owner, it's only a "better" version of the Switch through the eyes of Gamers. It's heftier, more expensive, has worse battery life, a worse screen, doesn't have the dock included, and doesn't have Nintendo's back catalog. The average person buying the Switch isn't looking to buy a Linux PC that may or may not support PC games; they want simplicity.

And the average person buying a Deck is a little more technologically inclined and thinks “But the Deck does have Nintendo’s entire back catalog.”

Valve even showed off Nintendo emulators in press material “accidentally”. Basically every Steam Deck owner I know uses it as an emulation powerhouse.

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#35

Post by Retr0id »

OscarCunningham wrote: post #23

I haven't run Arch Linux, but what I've heard is that you have to know what you're doing in order to run it. So I'm surprised it's the most popular Linux OS after SteamOS. Is it actually less difficult than I heard?

You have to know what you're doing to install it, which is a moot point if it comes pre-installed.

That's even less true these days, now that there's an official installer, and variants like Manjaro exist.

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#36

Post by Jnr »

smith7018 wrote: post #24
shp0ngle wrote: post #20

Why isn't the Steam Deck selling more? It seems like a strictly better version of Switch

As a SD owner, it's only a "better" version of the Switch through the eyes of Gamers. It's heftier, more expensive, has worse battery life, a worse screen, doesn't have the dock included, and doesn't have Nintendo's back catalog. The average person buying the Switch isn't looking to buy a Linux PC that may or may not support PC games; they want simplicity.

Steam Deck is great device but it saddens me that it has a very poor game catalogue for kids (~5 years). Either the games are not there or it is very hard to find them on Steam. I wish they introduced some separate section, similarly as Netflix or Youtube Kids to solve this issue.

Obviously Nintendo and mobile phones have that sorted.

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#37

Post by hotpathdev »

OscarCunningham wrote: post #23

I haven't run Arch Linux, but what I've heard is that you have to know what you're doing in order to run it. So I'm surprised it's the most popular Linux OS after SteamOS. Is it actually less difficult than I heard?

My hot-take is that people trying Arch derivatives as their first linux has and will continue to hinder linux desktop uptake.

That being said I believe the Steam Deck OS is an arch derivative. I will allow this one to be the exception to the rule.

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#38

Post by Hamuko »

Jnr wrote: post #36
smith7018 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a SD owner, it's only a "better" version of the Switch through the eyes of Gamers. It's heftier, more expensive, has worse battery life, a worse screen, doesn't have the dock included, and doesn't have Nintendo's back catalog. The average person buying the Switch isn't looking to buy a Linux PC that may or may not support PC games; they want simplicity.

Steam Deck is great device but it saddens me that it has a very poor game catalogue for kids (~5 years). Either the games are not there or it is very hard to find them on Steam. I wish they introduced some separate section, similarly as Netflix or Youtube Kids to solve this issue. Obviously Nintendo and mobile phones have that sorted.

The Steam Deck seems like too hefty of a device for little kids.

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#39

Post by pjmlp »

pigsty wrote: post #34
smith7018 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a SD owner, it's only a "better" version of the Switch through the eyes of Gamers. It's heftier, more expensive, has worse battery life, a worse screen, doesn't have the dock included, and doesn't have Nintendo's back catalog. The average person buying the Switch isn't looking to buy a Linux PC that may or may not support PC games; they want simplicity.

And the average person buying a Deck is a little more technologically inclined and thinks “But the Deck does have Nintendo’s entire back catalog.” Valve even showed off Nintendo emulators in press material “accidentally”. Basically every Steam Deck owner I know uses it as an emulation powerhouse.

And that is why Linux games hardly grow their market relevance, it is either emulating Windows, emulating game consoles, or retrogaming.

Re: Valve shows a drop in Linux gamers for march, but the numbers are questionable

#40

Post by Macha »

OscarCunningham wrote: post #23

I haven't run Arch Linux, but what I've heard is that you have to know what you're doing in order to run it. So I'm surprised it's the most popular Linux OS after SteamOS. Is it actually less difficult than I heard?

There is once again a TUI installer, but also a lot of the standardisation of hardware platforms (UEFI), GPU landscape (Intel and AMD graphics "just work"), printers (IPP/AirPrint), the desktop Linux foundational layers (systemd), have combined to make Arch much easier than when it earned that reputation a decade ago.
Post reply on HN