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Linux surpasses the Mac among Steam gamers

(arstechnica.com)
433 points Sporktacular | 2 comments | 04 Aug 23 00:36 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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015a ◴[04 Aug 23 05:12 UTC] No.36995730[source]▶
> But before you declare this a triumphant moment for desktop Linux, it's important to note that some of these Linux users are not, in fact, using Steam on a desktop. The Linux version "SteamOS Holo" 64-bit is the most popular reported, at just over 42 percent of the Linux slice of pie. That indicates that a huge portion of these Linux users are actually playing on Valve's Steam Deck portable, which runs Linux.

There's such a deep seeded, systemic bias against linux that it actually can never win, to any degree or magnitude, because the moment it starts winning we just move the goal-posts for the flimsiest of reasons to ensure it can't quite claim that victory.

Linux is obviously and clearly the most popular operating system kernel on the planet. Oh, no, that's no good a measure, servers are messy, let's refine it to most popular consumer operating system kernel? Oh... it, could also reasonably claim that title? No no, no Android, that doesn't count. Nope, No Chrome OS either, you can't have that, that's, well, that is linux, but its not. Just nice, pure, desktop linux, yes, perfect, arch linux, kde desktop, that'll never trend up and thus is the perfect new-new definition of desktop linu--wait hold up, I'm getting word this is, not possible, its actually SteamOS? Nope, kill it, that's not desktop linux either, kill it.

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johnnyanmac ◴[04 Aug 23 05:26 UTC] No.36995802[source]▶
I guess it really depends on what you expect out of a "user". I think servers and Android count but I think SteamOS is a bit tricky, because it's relying on a compatibility layers running Windows to run most games. This may not matter to the end user, but it isn't quite the developer revelation many imagine where suddenly tons of games and apps have a proper linux port.
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crote ◴[04 Aug 23 08:27 UTC] No.36997085[source]▶
So? Even Windows itself has adopted some of those exact same compatibility layers to make games run properly. The Intel Arc driver on Windows uses DXVK to translate from DirectX 9 to Vulkan - which was originally developed by Valve for use in the Steam Deck.

SteamOS solved the chicken-and-egg problem and is demonstrating that Linux-based gaming is viable. 2% isn't a massive number, but it might just be enough for a game developer to justify compiling a Linux-native version too.

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1. johnnyanmac ◴[04 Aug 23 08:42 UTC] No.36997193{3}[source]▶
>Even Windows itself has adopted some of those exact same compatibility layers to make games run properly.

sure, Microsoft used a compatability layer to translate microsoft's API to an API Microsoft also maintains to an open source API. As far as I see it, it doesn't introduce any further points of failure that I don't already have by relying on Microsoft.

an open source compatibility layer relying on Microsoft's API... It unfortunately isn't a communicative property here.

>SteamOS solved the chicken-and-egg problem and is demonstrating that Linux-based gaming is viable.

Sure, just not in a way I feel is productive for the long term. But again, to each their own.

>2% isn't a massive number, but it might just be enough for a game developer to justify compiling a Linux-native version too.

In my mind, it reduces the need because why not just rely on Valve to do the hard "porting" work for you? It's a win-win for a dev who simply wants to launch a game. I hope your vision is the correct one, but I'm not so optimistic.

Not a personal win for someone who wants less leverage from large corporations.

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2. mcv ◴[04 Aug 23 22:43 UTC] No.37006855[source]▶
For now, it's probably better for developers to focus on Windows in such a way that Wine/Proton can easily run it on Linux. But once the percentage of Linux users grows big enough, it may become more attractive for developers to focus on a native Linux version.

That won't be for a while, though. But im the mean time, Wine/Proton/DXVK means that the Linux experience is excellent even without explicit developer support, so the Linux user base can grow beyond just the handful of die hards. Anyone can easily game on Linux now.

That is how Steam solves the chicken/egg problem.