SteamOS is still alive with a new Beta, although it's a rather uninteresting one

Quoting: AnxiousInfusion

Quoting: liamdawe

Quoting: killyouGuys, to be honest this is it. We already had the best out of the "linux gaming" movement, now it's loosing momentum. There will be some more games but it will not get any better than it is right now. It might get worse though. We will not exit the artificial life support phase unless something happens on the Microsoft - Valve front.

I think you're being incredibly pessimistic. Nothing about Linux gaming is losing momentum. SteamOS is not the start and end of Linux gaming. I've found the experience of Linux gaming to get better year on year.

Do you find that there is more to report on year over year? If it is increasing or decreasing are we looking at a linear change or a curve? I suspect many of us are caught up counting volume of big name releases without paying much attention to the growth of development framework or even attention returning to old projects.

My inbox is always full of developers wanting some attention, this year more than ever.

The problem is the same as always, hyped up expectations that Linux gaming would have exploded. It's a slow, steady improvement every year.

The biggest thing holding steamOS back is its outdated library and repository source (I'm told). They should also just make it FULL experimental route and push 4.14 or 4.15RC1 (when its out) along with AMDGPU DC drivers since you can get them now from the development branches & most updates to them don't break anything serious.

We are getting to the stage where AMD drivers are reaching towards windows level performance (sometimes better). I think once that's mainstream linux will become a much better environment for newbies looking to experience it. Also hopefully wayland is sorted out fully soon.


Last edited by TheRiddick on 9 November 2017 at 10:58 pm UTC

TL;DR
Sorry for lengthy post. I wanted to describe shortly my idea about what Valve could do and before I knew it this whole thing splashed out from under my fingers.

The way I see it...
Valve should release Steam Machines as an open project, i.e. a list of widely available hardware that works well together so that people could look at reference with model numbers and simply order all the necessary bits from whatever on-line shops, then pack it in whatever case, then install SteamOS and put a sticker on. With zero hassle, out of the box support for all listed hardware. Just 3 to 4 models each year, my proposition for 2018:

• low end (~60fps 720p, ~30 fps 1080p)


• medium (~60fps 1080p, ~30fps 2160p)


• high end (60fps 2160p or "VR ready" ;) )


• and maybe omgwtffullVR with headset and whatnot (120+fps 2160p)

All with Vulkan support, all with list of games that are proven to work on each of those platforms with given fps out of the box and with given in-game settings (console games come with prefixed settings any way, don't they?). If any manufacturer, producer or distributor (be it Amazon, eBuy, AlienWare, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA - you name it) wants to bundle those lists of hardware into ready to buy products, great for them and for the market. If someone wants to get on the list, just make your hardware run with SteamOS, pay some minor fee and send a ready to go unit to Valve for certification. You sell gaming laptops? No problem - just go through the same procedure. If people want to buy those, easy peasy, go to one of the above mentioned distributors and click "add to basket". If they want to make their own Steam Machine, go to any retailer and buy everything from the list to get a guaranteed smooth experience, or even show them the list and ask if they can make it for you.

The way it was done up to now seems to me like a very high level decision of someone who doesn't understand the market but heard you can make good money selling consoles. Steam Machines are not consoles. And you know what? I think they'd win the freaking race to "VR headset in every home" era because, lets face it, no console ever will run Metro: Last Light Redux in 4k 120fps with current prices and profit margin. Then Valve could focus on SteamOS for real and actually keep it up to date polishing standards and pushing them onto hardware producers.


Last edited by cprn on 13 November 2017 at 2:19 pm UTC

VR is 75-120fps, most sit at around 85-90hz btw. Which is achievable with a single 1080ti if the game is tweaked to run at that, the issue is most people put VR on in these games that added VR as a afterthought and dial it up to UTLRA and get low FPS. THAT is not how VR is meant to work, its mean to have a dynamic detail dialing setting system to keep FPS as high as possible.

Debian Stretch as a base the only thing I really want. Gcc 4.9 is ancient...

Quoting: TheRiddickVR is 75-120fps, most sit at around 85-90hz btw. Which is achievable with a single 1080ti if the game is tweaked to run at that, the issue is most people put VR on in these games that added VR as a afterthought and dial it up to UTLRA and get low FPS. THAT is not how VR is meant to work, its mean to have a dynamic detail dialing setting system to keep FPS as high as possible.

True, that's always been a problem even in non VR.

Realistically How many people have a computer fitted with a 1080ti and decent CPU ? Not only that what about the 20 - 30% overhead on a Linux ports or the current driver short-falling in VR ? Every frame counts at 90fps 4k and not only the max frames but the minimum and the frame time too. I think this is why Valve are directly working on MESA and helping AMD get their VR frame latency down. Also With all the talk of WINE ports and flatpack's how are they going to deliver 100% or even 90% performance required for VR titles ? Can WINE games work in VR.

I think it will get better of course for VR on Linux, but if it wasn't already a game of catchup in the flat space for Linux just wait until you scroll through the ever increasing list of ( admittedly mostly shovelware ) 3D titles on Windows VR for VIVE / Oculus.. that said there are some real gems and they are mostly using Unreal engine ...

Then there is the new Windows MR headset. Samsung odyssey headsets and in the not too distant future 8k pimax headsets..are they compatible with Linux ? Even if they should support the steam-vr API that's not always how things pan out without headset driver support.

The NVIDIA driver performs fine under Linux, AMD however, perhaps not so much because they have not even got a 4k@60fps capable card on the market atm (1080ti can run 4k@60fps at ultra). We will just need to wait until Navi for team red to catch up with newer gen VR tech coming out (pimax 8k rings a bell).


Last edited by TheRiddick on 10 November 2017 at 12:04 am UTC

Let's see...

* Valve basically did nothing to market "Steam Machines" in Australia and if I'm not too much mistaken, they were never even "officially" released in Australia (though we do have the "Steam" controllers in EB Games/GameStop);
* Steam Machine manufacturers - including Alienware - almost universally pushed "regular" computers over Steam Machines, even in markets where Steam Machines WERE actively sold;
* Much of the functionality in Steam (such as Steam VR) is still not officially supported by SteamOS.
* Too few "AAA" titles are still being brought to Steam/SteamOS - and Valve is not pushing hard enough to change this.

Yep, clearly there wasn't much effort behind this... In fact, I almost wonder why Valve even bothered at all.

Quoting: Cyba.CowboyI almost wonder why Valve even bothered at all.

I think it really was a parting shot at Microsoft to show them that they were not happy with the MS Store front. And what have Microsoft done ?? Doubled down on the store front and brought xboxone games & the service to Windows.

Valve really ought to have a better game plan, Microsoft are not as dependent on Steam as
Valve might think.


Last edited by on 10 November 2017 at 12:42 am UTC

We've seen sinking work on mesa / Hakzsam too, sadly.