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Steam Machine

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Re: Steam Machine

#451

Post by wiredpancake »

Yokolos wrote: post #274
hs86 wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure how heavy SteamOS is, but wouldn't modern games actually prefer a flipped memory configuration? So, 8 GB RAM and 16 GB VRAM would make this a more 'balanced' gaming appliance. But it is advertised as a general purpose PC, so 8 GB RAM wouldn't be enough.

8GB just isn't enough for modern AAA games. Battlefield 6, probably the most highly optimized AAA game to have come out in the past few years, still has a 16GB RAM minimum and Arc Raiders, which is also incredibly optimized, still has a 12GB minimum. Games are only going to become more resource hungry from here, so 8GB in early 2026 would be a terrible idea.

Battlefield 6 being "highly optimized" is a joke.

Runs pretty poorly on a RTX 4080 with 5800X3D @ 1440p.

It also legitimately looks worse than the Battlefields that predate it, even up to Battlefield 1, which is over a decade old now.

A better example is Arc Raiders.

Re: Steam Machine

#452

Post by npteljes »

mcdow wrote: post #181

Why does Steam/Valve care so much about Linux? I know as devs we all would prefer to use Linux/Unix. But developer experience isn’t a good business justification.

>I know as devs we all would prefer to use Linux/Unix.

That's not true. In the 2025 SO survey, both Windows is the most used OS for developers, for both professional and for personal use.

https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/technology#1-operating-...

Re: Steam Machine

#453

Post by yndoendo »

GeekyBear wrote: post #396
CobrastanJorji wrote: post #367

> Install your own apps, or even another operating system. Who are we to tell you how to use your computer? From your mouth to Tim Cook's ear, friend.

Macs do allow both of those things. Valve is even borrowing some of the work done for the Mac version of Linux to add support for Proton on ARM hardware. > Gaming on Linux on M1 is here! We’re thrilled to release our Asahi game playing toolkit, which integrates our Vulkan 1.3 drivers with x86 emulation and Windows compatibility. https://rosenzweig.io/blog/aaa-gaming-on-m1.html

That is not 100% correct. Apple is slowing closing in the walls on a general purpose computer and preventing the bypassing of Gatekeeper with the execution of unsigned applications to _protect the children._ [0] [1] [2] [3]

[0] https://support.apple.com/guide/security/rosetta-2-on-a-mac-...

[1] https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256079635?sortBy=rank

[2] https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/issues/20755

[3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45907259

Re: Steam Machine

#455

Post by ZeWaka »

ginko wrote: post #449

I find it weird that a new device in 2025 still comes with only one USB-C port and otherwise only USB-A. Is USB-C that much more expensive? Is it about power delivery?

I would imagine because most peripherals you'd connect to this are still mostly USB-A. Controllers, mice, keyboards, USB sticks, ...

Re: Steam Machine

#456

Post by SchemaLoad »

stetrain wrote: post #98
TheCoreh wrote: post #48

Very weird USB-C port placement choices... - 2 USB3-A on the front - 2 USB2-A on the back - 1 USB-C on the back If you want to plug an external USB hard drive or SSD at full speed, you'll need to plug it at the front? Or use up the only USB-C port... I suspect most joysticks sold today come with a USB-C to USB-C cable, so if you want to charge your controller you either need to plug on the back, use an adapter, or ge…

Most gaming peripherals still seem to use USB-A on the computer end for cables and dongles. Current Xbox and PS5 controllers charge with a USB-C port on the controller end but a USB-A port where the plug into the console.

For controllers you can use any cable you want. The Xbox controller will charge just fine on a C-C cable. I don't think they should have gone all in on USB-C like laptops have, but there should have been more than one USB-C and one should have been on the front. Pretty much the only thing you need USB-A for these days is mice/keyboard with non removable cables. Which are becoming increasingly rare.

Re: Steam Machine

#457

Post by Klaus23 »

redfloatplane wrote: post #51

Very interesting! The one killer issue that jumps to mind is anti-cheat. I switched away from gaming on Linux via Proton to gaming on Windows because Battlefield 6's anti-cheat won't work under Proton. Many games are like this, particularly some of the most popular (Rainbow 6 Siege for instance). And BF6 made this decision only recently despite the growing number of Steam Deck players (and other players on linux - in…

Perhaps a trusted execution environment based anti-cheat system could be possible.

I think Valve said something about working with anti-cheat developers to find a solution for the Steam Deck, but nothing happened. Perhaps they will do something this time.

With a TEE, you could scan the system or even completely isolate your game, preventing even the OS from manipulating it. As a last resort, you could simply blacklist the machine if cheats are detected.

There would probably still be some cheaters, but the numbers would be so low as to not be a problem.

Re: Steam Machine

#459

Post by 63stack »

GeekyBear wrote: post #396
CobrastanJorji wrote: post #367

> Install your own apps, or even another operating system. Who are we to tell you how to use your computer? From your mouth to Tim Cook's ear, friend.

Macs do allow both of those things. Valve is even borrowing some of the work done for the Mac version of Linux to add support for Proton on ARM hardware. > Gaming on Linux on M1 is here! We’re thrilled to release our Asahi game playing toolkit, which integrates our Vulkan 1.3 drivers with x86 emulation and Windows compatibility. https://rosenzweig.io/blog/aaa-gaming-on-m1.html

There is no "Mac version of Linux"

Re: Steam Machine

#460

Post by AceJohnny2 »

redfloatplane wrote: post #51

Very interesting! The one killer issue that jumps to mind is anti-cheat. I switched away from gaming on Linux via Proton to gaming on Windows because Battlefield 6's anti-cheat won't work under Proton. Many games are like this, particularly some of the most popular (Rainbow 6 Siege for instance). And BF6 made this decision only recently despite the growing number of Steam Deck players (and other players on linux - in…

Same. I mainline Destiny2 (well, a bit less these days), and Bungie won't support Linux/Steam Deck because they depend on BattlEye kernel anti-cheat.

(and yet still have a problem with cheaters, see all the bans following the Desert Perpetual raid race)

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