SteamOS download available on December 13
When was the last time you got excited about an operating system? SteamOS, Valve's Linux-based experiment, will be available to download this Friday.
When was the last time you got excited about an operating system? SteamOS, Valve's Linux-based experiment, will be available to download this Friday. While it's unclear how many games SteamOS will support at launch, Valve has promised that they will not make any games exclusive to the platform.
The SteamOS announcement was sneakily hidden in Valve's message regarding Steam Machines. Beta units will be shipped to selected testers this Friday, and that's when the public en masse will be able to try out the new operating system. "SteamOS will be made available when the prototype hardware ships," Valve said. "It will be downloadable by individual users and commercial OEMs."
However, Valve advises to "wait until later in 2014" to try the OS "unless you're an intrepid Linux hacker already," suggesting the initial release of SteamOS won't necessarily be mainstream-friendly. Still, if you're eager to test a new OS, you may want to start partitioning your hard drive now.
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replyAndrew Yoon posted a new article, SteamOS download available on December 13.
When was the last time you got excited about an operating system? SteamOS, Valve's Linux-based experiment, will be available to download this Friday.-
yeeeeaaaahhh! I have a spare HDD I'm going to throw this on. I hope AMD has better linux drivers now.
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I don't think they've put any out yet. It'll be a surprise for everyone.
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What most people don't realise (and will be disappointed about) is that SteamOS is basically big picture mode. That's all there is to it. There is no normal OS structure. It's just a UI identical to big picture mode (or maybe they will modify it slightly?) and is simply used for selecting a game to play.
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If true, that's disappointing, in terms of keyboard and mouse at a monitor.
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Yes, but you're forgetting that the whole SteamOS and Steam Machine thing is designed to be used as a console on your TV. SteamOS is not supposed to be a replacement of Windows. Think of SteamOS as the OS/interface on an Xbox or PS.
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I highly doubt this. Steam built their empire on consumer-friendliness.
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http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/04/valve-steam-machine-hands-on/
"Anyone who uses Steam's Big Picture Mode is already intimately acquainted with SteamOS, as they're very similar. SteamOS looks and acts like Big Picture Mode, except it's the basis for the entire hardware system. It's controller-friendly and easy to navigate. The same Steam splash page washes across the screen when it launches, and the same tile-based layout of games and the Steam store are visible at launch. As promised, the OS is built on Linux (not based on Ubuntu, we're told, but entirely custom), though you'd never know it as the only interactive layer is all Steam.
That means it also has the limitations of Steam: SteamOS is not the replacement for Windows 8 you've been waiting for. Beyond basics like browsing the web, there's little in the way of standard OS functions. While Valve reps showed off slides of the box's vanity shots using a Windows PC, I asked how I'd view such shots from within SteamOS -- the answer is that there's no real way to do so, as there's no file browsing system or image viewing application. While these limitations may not affect the vast majority of Steam Machine buyers (who are essentially buying a game console), it certainly impacts folks who are looking at Steam Machines as a replacement for their standard PC. Make no mistake: Steam Machines are PCs posing as game consoles, which comes with both positives and negatives."
I understand wanting to lock it down for ease of use. Plug & play like a console/tablet/smartphone seems to be a priority. Maybe more flexibility will be added as the product matures. I get wanting lockdown at first since they're stuck with supporting the hardware if the user bricks it.
The only real reason I'd want it opened up isn't for desktop apps, its for other services like Battlenet or Origin if other companies decide to jump on the Linux bandwagon. That's years away though, lots of time for flexibility to be added if that's part of the plan.
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If that's all there is to it, there's no reason for anyone with an established steam library and valid windows license to use it. Unless maybe there's a significant performance increase without all the overhead. Otherwise you're just limiting what games you can play, or introducing lag by playing those games over a network.
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I don't think most people want or expect full desktop OS functionality, just something a bit more robust than an front end that only plays games, like any other console out there. You can argue that those exist so this doesn't need that stuff, but for some people this could be the one and only living box they use or want to use.
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I think the expectation (one which is not that widely held) comes from Steam being primarily a desktop OS tool. It's only recently that Valve has really started playing around with the simplified console approach. For most people, when you say "Steam" they immediately think "Desktop" or "PC".
Personally, I am hoping that SteamOS eventually becomes capable of functioning as a desktop OS. The only reason I haven't switched to some build of Linux ages ago is because of how difficult desktop gaming can be using it. A linux-based OS that is literally built for gaming would fix that, but I do more on my PC than game. Even though gaming is my primary motivating factor, I still need to be able to create word/openoffice documents, browse the internet, listen to music, chat with friends via IM services, watch downloaded video files, and a few other things for me to consider switching OSes. And I really, really want to switch OSes.
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BTW, source - http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/04/valve-steam-machine-hands-on/
"Anyone who uses Steam's Big Picture Mode is already intimately acquainted with SteamOS, as they're very similar. SteamOS looks and acts like Big Picture Mode, except it's the basis for the entire hardware system. It's controller-friendly and easy to navigate. The same Steam splash page washes across the screen when it launches, and the same tile-based layout of games and the Steam store are visible at launch." -
I think most people understand that, what else would it be? It's basically a PC which only boots to Steam. I think people are just excited to get it running and check it out and see how it runs. It is kind of exciting what you can do with the hardware when there is no bulky Windows underneath to tie up memory and CPU cycles. If it's done right, I'd imagine you could squeeze a lot more power out of the hardware you have... similar to a console.
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I think that will be the starting point yes, and over time other functionality with arrive, like a steam browser and so on. Simple file management etc.
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1) All type of games hopefully. Right now a lot of indies and a few AAA like Valve games and others?
http://store.steampowered.com/search/?os=linux&category1=998
2) Not yet
3) None I think -
The Trine games are on linux
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I'd like to try Kerbal Space Program on SteamOS and see if there is a difference.
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A big feature of SteamOS is the ability to stream Windows games from a desktop PC over your home network. Which is nice if you already have a decent gaming PC in another room, but that's only viable if the experience doesn't suffer at all.
If it works it could mean some cheaper steam machines that don't have expensive hardware and just act a a hub so you can skip having to hook your main PC up to the HDTV. I'm not sure how many that would benefit either. And if you're buying a steam box full of proper PC hardware, I'm not sure why you wouldn't just wipe it and put windows on there so all your games were playable, or dual boot at the very least if Linux games show remarkable performance gains on their custom OS. Which remains to be seen, I'm kind of doubtful about that.
Anyway, Valve is in this for the long haul (think 10-20+ years), they want all PC gaming to move away from Windows and onto their platform eventually. SteamOS and this other junk is the first baby step. It may not work at all, or it could slowly grow to be successful in a decade or two. Impossible to know what's going to happen.-
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Here are some possible profile of Steambox Buyers:
Buyer 1: He is a young professional with a passing interest in games. He may have an xbox 360 or PS3 but still haven’t bought the new consoles. He reads Reddit and find the premise of great graphics, more diverse games and mods on PC interesting but won't buy a gaming pc. He might buy a steambox to try it out.
Buyer 2: He is a PC gamer. He wants to be able to play games on his couch. He might get a low end streaming Steambox or a powerful one.
Buyer 3: He is a Linux gamer. He wants to support Linux gaming even if SteamOS is a closed OS.
I think it will do alright.
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I'm a #2. I have a macmini in the living room, but a powerful gaming machine in the office. So I will be remote playing. I've been waiting for SteamOS expressly for this reason.
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I don't think it's really a class thing, but right now, I think it's it's a niche use of a niche market. As the PC market continues to shrink in the face of tablets, the PC-as-media-appliance market will grow relative to that, but until something comes around that makes the general public say "here is a box you want to hook to your TV", it's not going to be a thing people do.
I think RIGHT NOW the ChromeCast has a more palatable angle to "media on TV" than the PC; you've cut the cord, you've probably got a tablet, now hit this button and BOOM it's on your TV, as opposed to "hook TV to computer...and....?"
I think SteamBox is going to end up pushing PCs to the TV the same way TiVo did, but it took five, six years for cable companies to start doing that.-
The PC market (for games) is not shrinking, in fact, accounting for MMOs and F2P games it's the single largest gaming market. Just as an example, WoW was pulling in $204 million a month at the beginning of this year (Superdata Research).
New PC sales are falling, but that's partially explained by there being no use for new PCs right now. They are already overwhelmingly powerful. I'm still running one from 2009. So no, it's not a niche market. It's the primary market for the two largest segments of gaming. It's just we don't hear a lot about it because the games' media focuses on the AAA titles, which are heavily console focused.-
I don't think the PC market for games is shrinking, I think relative to the market, PCs are shrinking overall. People aren't buying PCs to have in their house for word processing and Internet anymore, that's what tablets are for (or Ultrabook/Yoga-types). As that section of the market shrinks, the media-center and gaming-PC portions will grow, and it'll get to a point where most of the PCs are used for that purpose. (nitpicking "everything's a PC!" aside).
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Oh yes, that's true. Tablets and phones are winning on the hardware end, no question.
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In case you're wondering where I'm getting the MMO figures from: http://www.globalcollect.com/online-payments/news/2013-Press-Releases/GlobalCollect-Releases-Global-MMO-Games-Market-Report-on-Payments-Intelligence-and-Trends/
- MMO games will account for $14.9 billion, or 21.2%, of global gaming revenues in 2013.
- The Asia Pacific region (APAC), which is now the largest games market in the world, generates 36% of global game revenues, but accounts for an unprecedented 64% of MMO revenues.
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Yeah all the people shitting on SteamOS right now are the same kinds of people who were shitting on Steam when it was released.
"Wait, I have to install another program and run that program and then have that program run Half-Life 2? Why can't I just run Half-Life 2?"
And true, when it launched it was nothing more than an additional program between you and the games from one particular developer, at a time when one more program on your system could make it noticeably slower.
And it's true that a Steam Machine running Linux can only run a subset of games.
The point is Valve makes the long bet. They made the long bet that digital distribution would be a thing. Now they're making the long bet that Linux gaming is going to be a thing and that they can own their own destiny outside of whatever happens to Windows or OS X.
It makes perfect sense that if your bread and butter is a program running on someone else's OS, that the next step is to do your own OS. I bet the next thing they do is make their own hardware - they want to not do their own hardware right now but if they have issues with these third parties they might change their mind - same thing Google did (which is why they bought Motorola Mobile).
Anyway the bottom line is that if you don't "get" what they're doing with SteamOS then it's not for you. Move along. Nothing to see here yet.
And if you think SteamOS is delaying HL3 you're beyond delusional.
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Look at how simple-minded wrong you are.
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Not to sackride valve or anything, but i've taken the stance of not shitting down people's throats who want to try something new.
Trying something new is the cornerstone of human achievement. And most of the things we take for granted sounded fucking stupid to some people when they were first suggested. A NEW OS for pc games just might be the thing that helps pc gaming get the power of modability with the ease of use of a console.
