We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

Celebrating one year of existence, the impressive Linux distribution 'GamerOS' has a brand new release out for this updated SteamOS-like experience.

With the idea of giving you a decent out-of-the-box experience when gaming from a big screen, say on your big TV in your living room to game from your sofa, GamerOS can take away some hassle of the setup. Building upon the idea of SteamOS, it includes a bunch of extra enhancements to make Linux gaming on the big screen better while still using Steam and the Big Picture Mode.

GamerOS 19 went out this week on July 22, updating a bunch of the core components. This include the Linux Kernel 5.7.7 for new hardware support, Mesa 20.1.3 drivers for improved AMD/Intel GPU support, NVIDIA 450.57 drivers, RetroArch 1.8.9 and updates to their own steam-buddy and steam-tweaks tools.


If you've used Steam Big Picture, you'll get along fine.

With this release GamerOS can also now resume partially downloaded system updates, the steam-tweaks tools can now apply fixes during the first-time setup of games run with Proton and they're also certifying a bunch more games to work nicely including Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Jurassic World Evolution, Into the Breach and more. You can see the release announcement here.

Since SteamOS development has seemingly halted for now (although Valve may get back to it one day), GamerOS is the next best thing for ease of use on a big screen for some dedicated Linux gaming. I still think they could have gone with a better name, as GamerOS sounds like some of the terrible "gamer" brands we see hardware vendors like to throw-up into the market. Name issues aside, we've had quite a few reports from readers very happy with GamerOS so it sounds like they're onto something.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
20 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.
19 comments
Page: 1/2»
  Go to:

Nanobang Jul 23, 2020
View PC info
  • Supporter
I'd love to be able to try using this as an alternative Steam client, would that it were possible to try GamerOS out in a VM. At the end of the day, I use my couch computer as so much more than a game machine, to wit, I'm using it right now to write this. GamerOS looks really nice, though!
Solarwing Jul 23, 2020
I've got GamerOS and it feels good. The central idea is great. It's a bit sad that SteamOS is in frozen Solid when it comes to development. But GameOS is a good substitute for it at the moment.Hopefully Valve some day will begin to develop SteamOS properly. But is it then too late?I don't know the future! I've no crystal ball so the future remains smoggy.However the most important thing for me is that Linux gaming shall rule tomorrow - and it don't matter what distribution I use as a gaming platform after all.
Ludological Jul 23, 2020
I've been using it for a few months, I agree it could do with a rename. GamerOS is a bit cringe.
Perkeleen_Vittupää Jul 23, 2020
Valve could start to fund this project, even just enough to make it a thing. Take all the usable parts (mainly the name, brand) of their abandoned one and we'd have good combined effort to start with.

How can this year old project, Gamer OS with one developer do THIS well compared to what a multi-billion company (they have more than a billion users alone for Steam) achieved with SteamOS? The corporate realm often surely is mind boggling isn't it?

What kind of a risk would that scenario even be to Valve ... Obviously they have abandoned Steam OS, yet many people still think it's a "thing", which is a bad misconception in itself, bad for Linux, as Valve has come out as friends of Linux. Steam OS is their product with a known logo and this product (that is of Linux) is out dated.

Or only hire this guy to Valve damn it!
Mohandevir Jul 23, 2020
I'm really amazed by what these guys have been able to do with the now "unsupported" SteamOS-Compositor. Looking forward to what's to come when Valve's Gamescope will be out in the wild... Plagman is still very active on Gamescope's github repo, but no fresh news...

https://github.com/Plagman/gamescope


Last edited by Mohandevir on 23 July 2020 at 4:58 pm UTC
Linuxer Jul 23, 2020
Quoting: Perkeleen_VittupääValve could start to fund this project, even just enough to make it a thing. Take all the usable parts (mainly the name, brand) of their abandoned one and we'd have good combined effort to start with.

How can this year old project, Gamer OS with one developer do THIS well compared to what a multi-billion company (they have more than a billion users alone for Steam) achieved with SteamOS? The corporate realm often surely is mind boggling isn't it?

What kind of a risk would that scenario even be to Valve ... Obviously they have abandoned Steam OS, yet many people still think it's a "thing", which is a bad misconception in itself, bad for Linux, as Valve has come out as friends of Linux. Steam OS is their product with a known logo and this product (that is of Linux) is out dated.

Or only hire this guy to Valve damn it!

I like that vision. Toomany developors talent go to idk to waste in the end!?
seanbutnotheard Jul 23, 2020
I remember some recent discussion in the GamerOS Discord about branding. I got the sense that the devs feel somewhat the same way as some of the comments above and they're open to name suggestions...
Mohandevir Jul 23, 2020
BeeePOS!

Like in "Beep! OS"? Or in "Bee Positive OS"? or in "Biiig Picture OS"?

Nevermind!

Seriously, finding a name for that OS, that is not SteamOS, considering what it does, is not an easy task, if you want a significant name. It does some retro gaming, else it is dedicated to Steam...


Last edited by Mohandevir on 24 July 2020 at 12:36 pm UTC
Stupendous Man Jul 23, 2020
Quoting: MohandevirBeeePOS!

Like in "Beep! OS"? Or in "Bee Positive OS"? or in "Biiig Picture OS"?

Nevermind!
Or like in Beee Piece of Sh*t XD

Kidding aside, I've been using GamerOS for more than a month now and it works very well. I use it mostly for Kodi but often play games too. So far it's been rock stable and quick to start/shutdown for a quick game.
Purple Library Guy Jul 23, 2020
Quoting: Linuxeridk
Quoting: MohandevirBeeePOS!

Like in "Beep! OS"? Or in "Bee Positive OS"? or in "Biiig Picture OS"?

Nevermind!

Sériously, finding a name for that OS, that is not SteamOS, considering what it does, is not an easy task, if you want a significant name. It does some retro gaming, else it is dedicated to Steam...
Hmmm . . . something kind of like SteamOS . . . I know!!!
I give you: VaporOS!
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.