I just hope a 10' user-interface for the popular streaming services for Linux might come out of this. I switched away from Kodi as my STB exclusively because of how much a PITA it was to use streaming services from it.
Valve is about to win the console generation
431–440 of 556 posts
Re: Valve is about to win the console generation
#432Win the console generation in what sense? In outselling the PS5? The Switch 2? I have trouble picturing it being cheaper than either.
It's the PC games library that will be the catalyst for winning. On a PC, for $15 a month you can get a HumbleBundle subscription and get 5-6 Steam games to keep yours forever (unlike Playstation Plus "free" games). Plus 3-4 free games/month from Epic (an option, since Valve said they won't lock the hardware). Plus 3-4 games from Amazon Prime Gaming if you are a subscriber. Plus a ton of other discount websites. Comp…
> It's the PC games library that will be the catalyst for winning.
How does the Steam Machine affect this at all, then?
Re: Valve is about to win the console generation
#433Re: Valve is about to win the console generation
#434Earlier quoted context omitted.
Nix support is built-in to SteamOS already btw, I used that to set up Ship of Harkinian for example.
Could you elaborate? Does steamOS ship the nix binary & mountpoints?
IIRC, the nix package manager can run entirely user-level on any distro. It doesn't ship on the Deck, but it's the same process there as anywhere else.
Re: Valve is about to win the console generation
#435Earlier quoted context omitted.
If it can play all games on Steam _today_ at 4k60fps (even with FSR) it means I have about 570 games on my Steam library it can play in perpetuity. Even if I play 2 hours of each game, it's still a bargain =) And because this is Valve and I've had a stellar experience with my Steam Deck, I'm pretty confident that future games will run on it too. Most likely gamedevs will add special "Steam Machine" performance profil…
> I have about 570 games on my Steam library it can play in perpetuity. You presumably have other hardware that can also play the 570 games too? You’re spending more money on hardware that can do the same job your current hardware can do.
Not OP but I happily throw money at companies that help Linux adoption and more open hardware grow. I bought the steam deck, used it for a while and gave it to a nephew (I'm not big on mobile gaming), I've bougt the Pinebook, Librem 5, and will happily throw Valve more of my hard earned cash for enabling a more open ecosystem. We need to vote with our wallets or Microsoft, Apple, Meta, et al will gladly remove your ability to own your hardware.
Re: Valve is about to win the console generation
#436Earlier quoted context omitted.
This depends heavily on how customised the linux is. Back in the day Amazon had to fork Android to add kernel-level support for DRM, otherwise the studios weren't going to permit streaming video on Fire tablets. One could imagine Valve adding an optional kernel DRM module to solve the same problem.
But you can still stream video on normal Android devices, no? My Motorola phone supports Disney+. Why did studios object to streaming on Fire tablets unless it had kernel DRM but they're fine with streaming on easily-rootable phones?
FWIW rooting the phone is not enough to get you the widevine keys.
Also some services will just downgrade you to a lower quality stream if your device doesn’t have the appropriate keys.
Re: Valve is about to win the console generation
#437Earlier quoted context omitted.
SteamOS isn't perfect, but it's "open" to mods like a PS5 or XBOX will never be. As an avid console gamer it's time to go back to my roots.
I don't know -- per Microsoft's recent announcement.. the Xbox will basically be a Windows PC in a tiny package. So, no more Xbox Live needed to play online and you can install other marketplaces on there (such as Epic and GOG).
Microsoft hasn't announced the next Xbox yet. They've been promoting the Xbox-branded ROG Ally this cycle, which is just a Windows PC in a tiny package, but that's not the next console, just a current generation SteamDeck competitor.
They've been implying there will be a greater convergence in which Windows devices feel (play) like an Xbox, but they've been saying the same things since initiatives like Xbox Play Anywhere originally launched in 2016 (almost a decade ago!), which didn't result in the Xbox Series X being a PC in 2020 (despite similar speculation that it might be at the time).
It will be interesting to see where Xbox is planning to go, but so far most of the speculation is just reading (decade old) tea leaves.
Re: Valve is about to win the console generation
#438Personally, I am very much over paying Sony and X-Box a monthly fee to "play games online" in 2025. I bowed out of the last console generation, but I would be up for a small form factor multimedia PC that made may Steam library accessible on my TV.
Re: Valve is about to win the console generation
#439Earlier quoted context omitted.
If it can play all games on Steam _today_ at 4k60fps (even with FSR) it means I have about 570 games on my Steam library it can play in perpetuity. Even if I play 2 hours of each game, it's still a bargain =) And because this is Valve and I've had a stellar experience with my Steam Deck, I'm pretty confident that future games will run on it too. Most likely gamedevs will add special "Steam Machine" performance profil…
> I have about 570 games on my Steam library it can play in perpetuity. You presumably have other hardware that can also play the 570 games too? You’re spending more money on hardware that can do the same job your current hardware can do.
Yes and no. I have a Steam Deck and a Macbook M1 Pro, my previous Windows PC is from 2010, it ran Overwatch 1 at about 30fps on a good day and managed through multiplayer Valheim games during covid lockdowns =)
I _can_ play something like CP2077 on the Deck, but it's not exactly a worthy experience, it's better suited for stuff like Citizen Sleeper or Rogue Trader
Re: Valve is about to win the console generation
#440Earlier quoted context omitted.
Risking pedantry here, but there are some windows-only games that could be considered PC exclusive (and by extension, steam machine exclusive)
None at the AAA-tier which sell consoles.
The sale success of the Steam Deck proves you wrong. The PC is the strongest platform for exclusives because most of everything ends up there eventually. The Xbox has no exclusives anymore, Sony is publishing everything on PC eventually. Only Nintendo remains as never publishing on PC. If you are flexible about your choice of multiplayer-only titles (if you're even interested in that type of things) then the Steam Machine is the best console.
Sony's in trouble; their crown jewels are all on PC right now! You can buy a Steam Machine next year and play all the Spider-Mensch, the Lost Hose, the Ghouls of Yo-Kai!