Wow, this is something I did not expect.

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Quoting: TheRiddickAlso sad how they HARD push windows on these devices, like are you paying $100 on top for the windows license? how that work? I don't think MS give out free copies to companies!

This is a mutually beneficial agreement, I’m sure. MS is almost certainly giving them incentives for promoting Windows at every step, like almost free MS products for their own business. They have been very good at convincing companies they absolutely need MS software to keep running their business, so the vision of losing those benefits and suddenly having to pay full price for all the software is enough to keep everyone in line.

Now that there’s some sort of competition in the form of SteamOS, MS may become a lot more aggressive in their attempts to maintain the status quo. Like, reducing the price of Windows licenses for the devices which can then be passed onto consumers. Or, more likely, which can then not be passed onto consumers.

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Having thought about this for a bit, allow me to translate:

Valve contacted us about cooperation proposal

Valve publicly stated they’ll release SteamOS for anyone to use and for free, the morons.

Valve needs to match the appropriate Steam OS system for our 6800U handheld

Our device is so much better than the Steam Deck, it has a higher number! And SteamOS is no good for it. Since Valve are such morons, they’ll fix it up for us for free.

we will agree to this cooperation, we think this cooperation will be the best.

Hey, Microsoft, hello? So, what are you now going to do for us to keep pushing Windows for you?

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Yeah, 1440x900 on a 14” screen is fine. Enabling fractional is just making your life miserable.

It’s the fault of 13-15” 1080p screens that have become so prevalent in laptops in recent years. Everyone is used to stuff being tiny. It’s not a good direction.

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Yeah, fractional scaling is still less than desirable in Linux. Blurry windows, performance problems, shorter battery life.

The 14” is designed for 200% scaling and that is fine. The 16” however, is not and will require it as far as I can tell.

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As in like Valve would be paying people to put SteamOS on their devices? Yeah.

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A 16” 16:10 screen, huh. That’s pretty cool. Shame about the res, I wonder what type of fractional scaling it needs to be useable.

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Is it possible Iron Source are so wealthy they’re actually buying Unity?

Edit: I’ve now read the press release a bit and clearly it’s supposedly the other way around. It’s evidently written by someone who is very happy ad-fuelled mobile gaming is where the wealth is.

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I’d be very surprised if Valve actually reached out to them.

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Quoting: PublicNuisanceI'll never understand the logic of Linux gamers. GOG gets criticized for not having a Linux version of their client by the same people who, a majority of, run out in droves to buy Windows games to play in Wine/Proton. It's ok for them to support those who don't support Linux but not for GOG to not offer a Linux version of their client, even though they sell Linux versions of games. The hypocrisy is mind blowing.

But without Galaxy, some games end up missing features for Linux

Some Linux ports on Steam also have this issue such as Feral ports that don't have cross platform multiplayer.

There is no comparison between Valve's and GOG's support of Linux.

GOG reluctantly provide Linux versions of some games. They don't provide Galaxy which means there are missing features in many of those games, like multiplayer or leaderboards. They basically tell people: look, you can game on Windows and get everything, or, yeah, you can game on Linux if you're insane and are OK with missing features and a lesser experience.

Valve provide everything for Linux, from a full-featured client up to enabling Windows-only games to run on Linux with full features. Feral ports are Feral's fault, not Valve's. You can always install the Windows version, which Valve directly allow and enable you to do, to get cross platform multiplayer.

When you buy from GOG, you support the game's creators and GOG, who do nothing to make Linux a more attractive gaming platform. When you buy from Steam, you support the game's creators and Valve, who spend huge amounts of money to make Linux gaming viable (the reason why they do it is debatable, but irrelevant here).

So, yeah. No hypocrisy there.

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