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[massoluk]

I guess it should be big news, but doesn't look like it will affect me. Why not just install Win 7?

 

[Bel_Air_Jeff]

I love john steamos

 

[Hawkian]

Sounds like they've made some really impressive kernel-level optimizations for gaming. Want.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

I think the game streaming sounds cool, but whenever topics like this surface my fear is thus:

I do not want anything that will eventually lead to "fragmentation" of the PC gaming market. In other words, I don't want to have to run multiple OS's just to play all the latest major games in a few years.

 

[Saint Gregory]

Wow, what perfect timing. I built a new PC a few months ago and I was just wondering what I was going to do with my older system. Now Valve has given me the answer

 

[Ferrio]

The question now probably is how many devs would actually develop Or do a linux port of their games. I mean, thats added dev costs right?

I think it's less to get devs to do linux ports, and more to have devs switch to OpenGL.

 

[EatChildren]

Reposting for the sake of clearing it up for those confused.

I'm seeing some confusion here. You do not need two PCs to play games using SteamOS.

You know how some games support MacOS, and some games only support Windows? SteamOS will be exactly the same. Some games will support SteamOS natively. Some games will not.

If your game does support SteamOS, you can install it directly to the device, just as you do with Steam now, just as you download games to your gaming consoles, and just as you install games to your smartphones. SteamOS supported games will be purchasable, downloadable, installable, and playable right from the source.

If your game does not support SteamOS, you can install it to a Windows or Mac device as we currently do, and stream the game over a local network to a SteamOS device. So if I had a SteamOS box in my lounge room, but a game that does not support SteamOS, I could turn on my Windows 7 PC in my bedroom, turn on Steam, install the game there, and play it in the lounge room on my SteamOS device by streaming data over the network from my PC.

Though this will obviously be problematic for games that don't support SteamOS, Valve has made a point that they're working closely with developers to ensure games do work with SteamOS. And if a game is native to SteamOS, it can be installed directly to a SteamOS device. Absolutely zero streaming required. Examples, going by the SteamOS home page: Total War: Rome II and Metro: Last Light.

Bleh, those FPS numbers are already huge that the FPS gain is somewhat masking. % change would be a more valid metric for me, which in this case seems to be 10-20%. Not trivial, no, but would also like to see this optimization on a non-Valve title for a variety of reasons.

Completely agree. To be fair though, that report was from August 2012. Who knows what strides they've made in 12+ months.

What about other games not running on source engine?

We don't know. The report was from over a year ago, and just to show Valve was experimenting with OpenGL performance under Linux, at the time assumed to show the benefits of running Linux Steam (which has been around for awhile now) versus Windows and Mac.

Unless the SteamBox is as good as your PC why would you play Metro on it? And if it is, how much are you spending to have two equally powerful PCs?

This is like an extremely expensive HDMI cable.

You wouldn't. SteamOS is not for people who already have high end gaming machines they're happy with. SteamOS is for integrating a gaming operating system into lounge room devices. Metro: Last Light is simply an example from Valve of a game that will support native SteamOS, and thus be purchasable without streaming for anybody running a SteamOS device.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Heh, my friend just commented that now we'll have an OS that needs to be updated daily.

 

[Syf]

Kinda funny too, ex-MS employee making his own OS. I think he's got very big long-term plans. All hail gaben.

 

[MBR]

Wait, I may have spoke to soon.

Couldn't Valve possibly make sort of a "Steam Stick", that plugs into your TV, and let's you stream games wirelessly from your PC?

That could gain some mainstream interest, even if it's basically like wireless HDMI/WiDi with a special GUI and low latency.

 

[Prophet Steve]

XBMC will still probably be better for a HTPC usage than Steam OS. I'm sure you'll be able to run XBMC from Steam OS, but if HTPC is more of your interest, you may as well install many of the easy Linux distributions that is lightweight and boots directly into XBMC. I don't see this as a replacement for that area.

Sorry, you are right, I worded that wrong. I see this similar as how a HTPC can be used instead of a normal PC, but then for gaming.

Wait, I may have spoke to soon.

Couldn't Valve possibly make sort of a "Steam Stick", that plugs into your TV, and let's you stream games wirelessly from your PC?

That could gain some mainstream interest, even if it's basically like wireless HDMI/WiDi with a special GUI and low latency.

I think it could, but I think there are already devices that can do that and most of the focus is on playing games natively.

 

[walking fiend]

This will be a such a disaster; Linux is simply dead.

 

[Ledsen]

Except this isn't anything like that analogy because Windows already exists.

I get why Valve is doing this, like 95% of the people who use Steam are on Windows. If the idea of a SteamOS is to somehow lower that number then they are insane.

It makes more sense to me thanks to the point Opiate brought up. That this isn't even really a thing built for the PC - or as a Windows replacement - in the first place.

I don't really know what you're saying with the Windows thing. All I meant was that no one knew what Windows would become when it was just an embryo in some computer at Microsoft. Now it's the dominating product in its category. In 10 years, SteamOS might be the dominating gaming platform (competing with PS5 and Xbox Two, not Windows). This is the kind of time horizon Valve can work with, because they have no investors to answer to, no short term to consider. They think far ahead in the future.

 

[RealMeat]

I'd like to see if gaming engines such as Unity, Unreal, CryEngine, etc will soon announce support for SteamOS.

Unity and Unreal already support Linux and it looks like CryEngine is getting ported, so that will come for free. Anything that runs on Linux should run on this.

 

[Dario ff]

I think it's less to get devs to do linux ports, and more to have devs switch to OpenGL.

Aren't all PS3/PS4 games done in OpenGL already?

 

[Dragon]

Holy shit, I almost dont need Windows anymore. "Thousands" of games? Which games, please be a good list!

Keep your current windows PC and use it to stream games to it while Valve works on support on the Linux side of things. I think it's a good balance. Between this and VitaTV I can have all the games I need in any room of my house (assuming I ever buy another one!).

 

[phazedplasma]

Oh my Gaben. I would be so happy if Valve allows me to ditch windows.

 

[cdkee]

I think the game streaming sounds cool, but whenever topics like this surface my fear is thus:

I do not want anything that will eventually lead to "fragmentation" of the PC gaming market. In other words, I don't want to have to run multiple OS's just to play all the latest major games in a few years.

"Exclusive to SteamOS!"

"Exclusive to OriginOS!"

Shudder

 

[soulassssns]

Obviously there are a lot of our fellow Gaffers that didn't actually read what Steam OS is.

 

[TheDarkKnight774]

the stream of games is the one thing that intrigues me. If i could get a VitaTV like device for my PC Games? That'd be VERY compelling for me

 

[Hari Seldon]

Man I want a legit tech site to write an article or something. There are more questions than answers at this point. I need more info god damnit!

 

[conman]

As long as they make it easy for me to play my current library and other core media apps (iTunes, etc), I'm stoked. Windows is a pile of dog mud.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

I don't understand the appeal of this. If you hook up a PC to your TV you might as well have Windows instead of a gaming only OS.

Other than this costs $100 less.

EDIT:

no.

errr... yes?

 

[c0de]

Aren't all PS3/PS4 games done in OpenGL?

no.

 

[Willectro]

If Valve can either develop or support a decent browser, I have barely any need for Windows anymore.

 

[doctorcdcs]

Well, this sounds exciting. I'm especially looking forward to the streaming features

 

[Anticitizen One]

The more they get into this frivolous crap nobody is going to support the less likely it is we will get Half-Life 3, etc. How about focusing on making games Valve?

 

[Ferrio]

This will be a such a disaster; Linux is simply dead.

....that's just plain false by a wide margin.

 

[chupon]

does streaming a game affect your bandwith cap? because if so, then i'll just put the SteamOS right next to Netflix in my "looks cool but I can't use it" pile

Do you mean with your ISP? No, because it's on your internal network.

 

[Raven77]

So can I run steam os on my Windows surface pro and use that to stream to the tv?

 

[JWong]

Why don't I just hook up my PC to the TV? Seems pretty useless until they announce a box.

It's like a console OS without the console lol

 

[TouchMyBox]

Holy shit, I almost dont need Windows anymore. "Thousands" of games? Which games, please be a good list!

You still need windows for now if you want to play your entire library. You can play hundreds of games natively, and stream thousands from a windows PC.

If there are as many AAA games coming to linux as valve hints, then going linux-only might be alright if you're not trudging through a backlog.

Why don't I just hook up my PC to the TV? Seems pretty useless until they announce a box.

It's like a console OS without the console lol

It will be announced tomorrow or the day after.

 

[Wiktor]

Not interested, as it seems very limited compared to Windows gaming-wise. I'm glad the market might have a fall back plan if Microsoft ever gets dumb enough to close off Windows though.

 

[Syf]

The more they get into this frivolous crap nobody is going to support the less likely it is we will get Half-Life 3, etc. How about focusing on making games Valve?

They aren't going to launch a gaming OS without games. Guaranteed they've got big reveals coming.

 

[Metrotab]

You can install it on any computers with a monitor.

It's just another option for people who would like a dedicated gaming OS, you don't really have to use it though, as I think games will continue being multiplatforms, and the OS is free so that's cool.

If I wanted to play games, why wouldn't I use Windows? Larger supported library, both Steam and non-Steam, old and new games run fine, large collection of hardware drivers. Tons of great emulators. For dedicated gaming, how will Steam OS hope to be any better than Windows?

 

[sn00zer]

Doesnt this cut out a lot of games because it is Linux based?

 

[Felix Lighter]

Just out of pure curiosity, I will be dual booting SteamOS on my machine when it becomes available. It's already connected to my office monitor and my living room television.

 

[heelo]

It's just matter of time before MS announces that it won't let install anything on Windows if its not bought or downloaded from their app store.

Valve is just being proactive in that aspect. Gaben know that.

LOL, MS can't even make IE the default browser in Windows without receiving billion-dollar fines from the EU.

Valve just sees the consumer PC market becoming increasingly marginalized by CE devices, and this is their Android-like CE play.

 

[RealMeat]

The more they get into this frivolous crap nobody is going to support the less likely it is we will get Half-Life 3, etc. How about focusing on making games Valve?

Making games hasn't been their focus in years. They make far more money from selling other people's games. Dota and TF2 mostly exist to get people to sign up for steam.

 

[infinityBCRT]

The question now probably is how many devs would actually develop Or do a linux port of their games. I mean, thats added dev costs right?

The way this catches on is if Valve can make it so that you just develop the game for Steam using Steam specific APIs, and it just works on Steam on Windows, Mac or Linux, and Steam OS.

 

[kingslunk]

This will be a such a disaster; Linux is simply dead.

Not sure if serious...

 

[Derpstar]

So this is a PC operating system specifically for gaming?
Not a bad idea. Hope this means better performance.

 

[Bel_Air_Jeff]

I think the game streaming sounds cool, but whenever topics like this surface my fear is thus:

I do not want anything that will eventually lead to "fragmentation" of the PC gaming market. In other words, I don't want to have to run multiple OS's just to play all the latest major games in a few years.

The point is to make all games work on John steamos, making the PC market less fragmented

 

[pixlexic]

I'm not a PC gamer, so feel free to completely dismiss this, but this feels like a misstep to me.

But hell, they can probably afford to take a gamble every now and then without taking too big a hit. I just don't know how big a splash all this Steam Box stuff is going to have.

Think of it this way..as a console player... Say this year you buy a $200 asus steam box that plays games at settings that consoles are getting . In three years Samsung puts out another steam box that triples the specs you currently have for $200 that is not only backwards compatible but now allows you to up the settings on those games you couldn't before.

 

[Levyne]

Since I play at my desk I won't be getting much use out of it (would rather just stick to windows) but the announcement is still exciting.

 

[CecilRousso]

Good news. Great news even.

Games are the only reason I'm still on Windows. And I don't want Win8.

 

[Ricker]

I am excited but I don't know why.

lol,there you go,please be excited...

 

[yogloo]

I will move to steam OS eventually but not now. MS is so under threat. Landscape is totally changing and they are being left behind.

 

[keakster]

Definitely going to be Steam OS + Wii U this gen for me (after Wii60 last gen)

... SteamU? WiiOS? Steamii U?

 

[JonnyKtyler]

HTPC software killer. I'm replacing my XBMC boxs with this first chance I get. No looking back.

This. Especially if we can install XBMC on a steamOS box