Support us on Patreon to keep GamingOnLinux alive. This ensures all of our main content remains free for everyone. Just good, fresh content! Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal. You can also buy games using our partner links for GOG and Humble Store.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

Game devs don't seem convinced on the Steam Deck from the GDC 2022 survey

By - | Views: 36,311

The annual game developer survey from GDC is out now for 2022 and it has some interesting insights as usual. That includes thoughts on the upcoming Steam Deck, with it clearly not selling everyone.

Having a little browse through it today and here's a few things to stuck out to me. For starters, of the ~2,700 developers surveyed about 7% said they are currently developing for Linux. Interestingly, 8% said their next project would be developed for Linux. When it comes to what platform developers are most interested in, Linux sat at 7%. As expected all three of those saw "PC" as the top platform, which by that they of course mean specifically Windows.

Stadia, Google's once promising cloud gaming solution doesn't seem to be really getting any love with it seeing 3-5% in those same questions. Streaming just doesn't seem all that popular with developers, with even Xbox Project xCloud (now just called Xbox Cloud Gaming) also seeing pretty low percentage interest from developers.

Browser-based gaming is here to stay though, as according to the survey it seems 9-11% of developers are currently doing it or planning to do it.

What about the Steam Deck though? The question posed was "Do you think Valve Software’s Steam Deck will be a viable game platform in the long term?" and only 36% said yes with 17% saying no and the rest unsure. Some of the developer comments were interesting on the Steam Deck ranging from excitement about "a product gamers have wanted for a long time" to saying they "don’t think it will deliver anything revolutionary that isn’t currently being delivered by the Switch".

The Steam Deck is interesting, as any developer / publisher we've seen actually receive a devkit unit has been practically universally praising the device. Seeing is truly believing then.

How about VR? Well, the majority (40%) are currently developing for Oculus devices. Interest seems reasonable for the Valve Index and HTC Vive, which support Linux, as 20% said they were currently developing for those. The VR market does not sound healthy from the responses though, with an increasing amount of developers who previously worked on VR now not working on any games.

A divisive one is NFTs and the (good) news there is that 70% of developers said they were not interested, with only 21% being "somewhat interested" and 7% being "very interested" and 1% already using them. Some of the responses there made me laugh ranging from it's "the wave of the future" to the blunt "How this hasn’t been identified as a pyramid scheme is beyond me".

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
33 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
69 comments
Page: «6/7»
  Go to:

Purple Library Guy Jan 21, 2022
Quoting: CyborgZetaThe poll reads like developers are just unsure of how the Steam Deck will play out, rather than being negative towards it.
Which is fair enough, really. Still early days to be declaring it a success, much less an enduring one.
Beamboom Jan 21, 2022
Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: Beamboom
QuoteWhen it comes to what platform developers are most interested in, Linux sat at 7%.

So not just interested in, but most interested in? As in, rating it above the other platforms? Really?
It's so I wonder if this either is misquoted or the question misunderstood...!

But if not, that's... pretty darn great!
Yes, most interested in but not above all others.
Well, one implies the other, doesn't it? If you are most interested in Linux that means you're not most interested in Windows or Mac. Else you would be most interested in one of those, and not Linux.


Last edited by Beamboom on 21 January 2022 at 8:35 pm UTC
Purple Library Guy Jan 21, 2022
Quoting: Beamboom
Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: Beamboom
QuoteWhen it comes to what platform developers are most interested in, Linux sat at 7%.

So not just interested in, but most interested in? As in, rating it above the other platforms? Really?
It's so I wonder if this either is misquoted or the question misunderstood...!

But if not, that's... pretty darn great!
Yes, most interested in but not above all others.
Well, one implies the other, doesn't it? If you are most interested in Linux that means you're not most interested in Windows or Mac. Else you would be most interested in one of those, and not Linux.
You would think so, but you missed the key bit of that quote:
Quoting: Liam DaweThe full question was "Which platform(s) most interest you as a developer right now? (Choose all that apply)" and Linux got 7% for that.
So, like, someone actually could have checked off Windows, Mac and Linux as platforms that "most" interest them. And, shockingly, many would not be held back by the niceties of grammar! I know, the thought depresses me too.
Beamboom Jan 21, 2022
Quoting: Purple Library GuyYou would think so, but you missed the key bit of that quote:

Ah! You are right, I missed that last part. Thanks for not being snarky about it.


Last edited by Beamboom on 21 January 2022 at 9:30 pm UTC
TheRiddick Jan 22, 2022
Linux is what's not selling to dev's not the Steam Deck itself. There is a general resistance and hostility towards releasing or supporting games on Linux, uphill battle!
pleasereadthemanual Jan 22, 2022
I still don't really get what the audience for the Steam Deck is. I kind of want to buy one, but then I remember I have no use for it. I can play games in bed with my laptop. I have 4 GNU/Linux computers already. If I'm outside, I don't want to play games, otherwise I wouldn't have gone outside.

I guess I don't really understand the portable gaming idea to begin with. I did play Pokemon a lot as a kid, but those days are long gone. I played a lot of mobile games when I was younger, too, but that was mostly the novelty of it rather than them being any good. I don't think that phase lasted very long.

I guess it doesn't help that a lot of the games I play involve using Textractor, copying text to the clipboard, looking it up in a J-J dictionary, and creating an Anki card. Not really the type of gaming suited for a small, portable device without a keyboard.

I just have no idea what to think, because I am clearly not the target audience for this.
Freya Jan 22, 2022
NFT's are definitely scams but their not pyramid scams. I've heard some people say there Ponzi scams
ChiKin Jan 22, 2022
Quoting: JpxsonYou wouldn't steal a car, you wouldn't right click on a NFT jpeg an save as

Reminds me of this: https://youtu.be/ALZZx1xmAzg
Eike Jan 22, 2022
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
Quoting: pleasereadthemanualI still don't really get what the audience for the Steam Deck is. I kind of want to buy one, but then I remember I have no use for it. I can play games in bed with my laptop. I have 4 GNU/Linux computers already. If I'm outside, I don't want to play games, otherwise I wouldn't have gone outside.

I guess I don't really understand the portable gaming idea to begin with. I did play Pokemon a lot as a kid, but those days are long gone. I played a lot of mobile games when I was younger, too, but that was mostly the novelty of it rather than them being any good. I don't think that phase lasted very long.

I guess it doesn't help that a lot of the games I play involve using Textractor, copying text to the clipboard, looking it up in a J-J dictionary, and creating an Anki card. Not really the type of gaming suited for a small, portable device without a keyboard.

I just have no idea what to think, because I am clearly not the target audience for this.

Well, there's obviously a target audience for mobile gaming. The target audience for Steam Deck is mainly the intersection of these with the Steam users. They already own (often lots of) games running on Steam Deck, and they can play games bought for mobile on their PC as well.

The appeal of mobile gaming? Well, I'm not into it either, but I can understand that a laptop is too big for bed for many. And back in the days, before Covid, I was using public transports for a 3/4 hour to work and a 3/4 hour back. Time for gaming, maybe?
Beamboom Jan 22, 2022
Well, I've always been a sceptic on this but was and still am sincerely hoping to be wrong.
Not because of the handheld itself - who I quite frankly don't really care about at all - but for what it will mean for Linux gaming.


Last edited by Beamboom on 22 January 2022 at 12:56 pm UTC
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.