# Introducing SteamOS **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 23, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530 "2013-09-23T18:24:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/41 "2013-09-26T04:29:52Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > It’s a linux OS. It should run on x86 architecture. Right answer, wrong reasoning. Linux runs on many different processor types. In fact, it’s been specifically designed to be as processor agnostic as possible. Android is a Linux OS designed primarily to run on ARM, for example. The reason we know this will run on x86(-64) architecture is because Linux games on Steam are generally compiled to that architecture. What would be the point in encouraging that if your new OS was going to run on ARM? Well, that and the fact that this is supposed to compete with Windows, and, as good as ARM is, it does not compete with even the upper-lower range of x86-64 processors. Even Atom usually kicks ARM’s butt, performance-wise. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/42 "2013-09-26T06:47:59Z")
Yes but a computer powerful enough for gaming will cost at least $1000. Why wouldn’t you spend a bit more for Windows? It’s like buying a sportscar and not buying hubcaps. Does SteamOS have any other advantages besides being free? Are these enough to sustain a market? If not, it’s going to become another Phantom. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/43 "2013-09-26T07:19:03Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Yes but a computer powerful enough for gaming will cost at least $1000. … according to you, only one of the computers I’ve ever used for gaming exists. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/44 "2013-09-26T08:57:17Z")
I didn’t say what currency, but my point still stands. Why would people skimp on OS - to get one that can only play games, and has unknown support? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/45 "2013-09-26T09:05:41Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Why wouldn’t you spend a bit more for Windows? It’s like buying a sportscar and not buying hubcaps. More like spending a bit more and being forced to hire a half-blind, deaf, querulous, elderly chauffeur who considers the machine as his. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/46 "2013-09-26T10:01:28Z")
You don’t HAVE to install Windows 8. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/47 "2013-09-26T11:47:24Z")
I don’t think Valve is worried about core PC gaming going away any time soon. If you look at the numbers, global mainstream PC sales are declining, but PC GAMING hardware continues to rise, up to 26 billion by 2016 according to AMD. Not to mention, that even if PC gaming lived and dies by mainstream desktop sales, even with the steep decline, we’re talking about more desktops being shipped in a QUARTER than Microsoft shipped Xbox 360’s in 7 YEARS. Wake me when PC’s are selling as bad as consoles, and then I’ll worry. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/48 "2013-09-26T11:53:05Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > You don’t HAVE to install Windows 8. First off, gaming PC’s can be had for around $500. If you want next gen like performance - $600. If you want considerably better perfromance - $800-900. If you want to game at 1080p or 1440p and max out games, yeah $1,000 or more is necessary. That’s just an option though. Secondly Windows is famous for hiding graphics based improvements behind paywalls. Now, some of these thigns are necessary as trhey require changes at the OS level that only exist in later windows versions, but other things are plainly arbitrary, and a way to get you to buy their new Windows “X”. Getting rid of windows brings down the price of a gaming PC by $50-$100, and with things like Mantle and OpenGL should hopefully allow parity to GPU access regardless of what OS you are using. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/49 "2013-09-26T13:54:15Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > So… > > SteamOS, Mantle, SteamMachines, Linux - It looks like PC gaming is handing Microsoft Divorce papers. About time! > > It looks like Frostbite 3 is going to support AMD’s new mantle API. As I mentioned, it gives console like/CPU like access to the GPU bypassing the overhead of traditional graphics API’s like DX and OpenGL. > > The new API is open, so it should be usable by Nvidia, and if more and more developers/engine makers sign up for this, it could mean liberation from the windows OS, and Micro$oft’s: Pony up for DX11.1 .2 .3 .4 etc. > > Linux, Mac OSx, older versions of windows, they would support ALL features of modern GPU’s, and would get to utilize those features as effectively as a console. > > A friggin, mazing. This is really a new direction for PC gaming, I’m really, really hyped for the future of the platform, like I haven’t been in a long while. BS. 99.99% of PC gamers still run windows. And probably ALL of those will CONTINUE to have to run windows for YEARS even if SteamOS is a far greater success than I imagine. Divorce Papers? They haven’t even agreed to live seperately. At best, we can hope that this spurs Microsoft to respect this space a little bit more, but I think even that is going to be somewhat wishful thinking. WRT to “closed systems” okay guys. Your turn. YOU offer a definition of “closed system” that Mr. Newell is so offended by on the Microsoft side but which also doesn’t apply to Steam. Also, the whole “you can install any application in steam” is functionally meaningless. Steam isn’t an OS. It’s not even a very good launcher (I kinda hate it, actually). It’s a distribution platform. The fact that you can take something you’ve acquired elsewhere and get it to show up in Steam’s arbitrary list is irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/50 "2013-09-26T14:44:51Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > BS. 99.99% of PC gamers still run windows. And probably ALL of those will CONTINUE to have to run windows for YEARS even if SteamOS is a far greater success than I imagine. > > Divorce Papers? They haven’t even agreed to live separately. At best, we can hope that this spurs Microsoft to respect this space a little bit more, but I think even that is going to be somewhat wishful thinking. This opens a REALISTIC option for those who do not want to game on windows for whatever reason, or for those who would prefer a more gaming optimized OS because it fits their use case better than windows. It’s still not there yet, obviously, all we hear so far are announcements. Once next gen engines begin to use Mantle, support SteamOs, etc, then the announcement will hopefully become reality. Basically, Valve wants you to extend your PC gaming into the living room. Right now, the options to do that are limited. Even if you hook up your entire PC to the TV via HDMI, you’re still logging into windows, which is not exactly couch friendly. You’re still hobbled by windows API’s that lock you out of getting everything out of your gaming hardware. If you build a small form factor PC specifically for your TV (like I did), not only do you still have all of the above issues, but do I really need a printer driver running in the background? SteamOS gets rid of the superflous, optimizes for entertainment, it basically gets out of the way of you enjoying your Pc gaming library/movies/etc where as windows only gets in the way fo those things - at least when you’re talking about the living room experience. Whether you stream your games from a main PC to a small form factor device or directly to your TV, or whether you build or purchase an HTPC - the whole prospect now becomes easier and your experience is taylored for that environment. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/51 "2013-09-26T15:02:12Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > This opens a REALISTIC option for those who do not want to game on windows for whatever reason, or for those who would prefer a more gaming optimized OS because it fits their use case better than windows. That’s great but I think we’re talking about a very niche market. Even people I know who build “gaming” rigs still want the flexibility of the rest of the Windows platform software ecosystem as they need it. I’m not against companies trying new things and see nothing here to be “against” but, again, I don’t see anything to get really excited about. I’ll have a “super” Linux box that can directly access the graphics card for indie games with tablet-level graphics and it can stream “real” major title games from my PC (with all its supposed Windows clunkiness). Yay? That’s the other thing: maybe moving forward we’ll see more major Linux releases but the idea of trading in my PC with its bajillion game titles for a Linux SteamOS box with a very limited catalog is a complete nonstarter. So we’re back to me really using the Windows box for my gaming and the SteamOS box basically being a PC peripheral. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/52 "2013-09-26T17:36:18Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > So we’re back to me really using the Windows box for my gaming and the SteamOS box basically being a PC peripheral. This exactly. And the most problematic thing about it being a PC peripheral is that it will therefore require and be limited by the PC. And Windows. It remains to be seen why THIS is a “realistic” option when Linux beforehand was not. Things have to change radically before that can happen, and inertia is a super powerful force. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/53 "2013-09-26T18:15:14Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > That’s the other thing: maybe moving forward we’ll see more major Linux releases but the idea of trading in my PC with its bajillion game titles for a Linux SteamOS box with a very limited catalog is a complete nonstarter. So we’re back to me really using the Windows box for my gaming and the SteamOS box basically being a PC peripheral. And that’s absolutely a valid option. The seam OS, thin client as the peripherla to your main PC gaming box. It’s incredibly likely that you’ll see machines dual booting OS’s coming from hardware manufacturers as well. hit alt+F12 and boom, your windows. Hit it again, and boom, your in SteamOS. Best of both worlds. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/54 "2013-09-26T18:21:19Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > This exactly. And the most problematic thing about it being a PC peripheral is that it will therefore require and be limited by the PC. And Windows. > > It remains to be seen why THIS is a “realistic” option when Linux beforehand was not. Things have to change radically before that can happen, and inertia is a super powerful force. Lol. Have you use dlinux lately? There are a ton of different distros, it’s NOT user friendly, it is NOT optimized for modern gaming. It’s definitely not couch friendly. This is an OS with Valve behind it. Optimized for gaming, optimized for the big screen. That’s not something that has ever been available. Even discarding gaming, building something like a Linux based little HTPC box was a huge hassle. IT was cool, once everything worked, but talk about not for everyone. If Steam can manage to combine the pluses from PC gaming (open platform, upgradeable hardware, options up the wazoo), with the pluses of consoles (built in features that enhance the gaming experience, easy maintenance), they would have built the purest gaming platform on the planet. Whether or not that platform is for you, well that’s going to depend. I’m fairly certain it would be for great for millions, even if it’s not great for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/55 "2013-09-26T18:34:25Z")
Once Steam OS comes out I’m probably going to replace my Mint install with it. I mostly use Mint for graphics-heavy research and such, and if there’s one thing I expect a gaming OS to do right, it’s graphics. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/56 "2013-09-26T18:43:31Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Lol. Have you use dlinux lately? There are a ton of different distros, it’s NOT user friendly, it is NOT optimized for modern gaming. It’s definitely not couch friendly. Yes, and I HATE it, but I always assumed that people who liked it well enough to actually use it for something that’s not work would have beaten those issues. > [@](#): > > This is an OS with Valve behind it. Optimized for gaming, optimized for the big screen. What does that even mean? > [@](#): > > Whether or not that platform is for you, well that’s going to depend. I’m fairly certain it would be for great for millions, even if it’s not great for everyone. I still don’t know who you think these millions are, but we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/57 "2013-09-26T19:12:05Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > What does that even mean? It means it would feature a 10 foot UI. It will be easy to navigate with a remote control/touch control from mobile devices/gamepad. It means it won’t be running a printer buffer in the background, or quicktime update. It means optimizations at the OS/kernel level will be made to improve latency and performance between the game and the GPU/CPU and between you and the game. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/58 "2013-09-26T19:46:45Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > It means it would feature a 10 foot UI. It will be easy to navigate with a remote control/touch control from mobile devices/gamepad. Fair enough; This is definitely one of the obstacles to running a PC in the living room. > [@](#): > > It means it won’t be running a printer buffer in the background, or quicktime update. OTOH, if your living room PC is doing this, it’s kinda your own fault. 😉 > [@](#): > > It means optimizations at the OS/kernel level will be made to improve latency and performance between the game and the GPU/CPU and between you and the game. “will be” made? ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/59 "2013-09-26T20:38:27Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > Fair enough; This is definitely one of the obstacles to running a PC in the living room. > > OTOH, if your living room PC is doing this, it’s kinda your own fault. 😉 > > “will be” made? Well, even if you’re not printing there’s still a print spooler service running on your PC, as are several other services/OS related programs that are unnecessary for a device that isn’t needed to do standard computing tasks. Well, ARE being made, have been made (they showed some comparisons on Left 4 dead for example, something like 50 more FPS), and I’m sure will continue to be made. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530/60 "2013-09-26T20:42:43Z")
I don’t think spoolers and all that random nonsense running in the background of windows really matter, not more than like 5% at most in performance, it’s way overblown. Bypassing directx and using a direct to gpu sort of language may offer significantly increased performance if it’s coded for. What would really give SteamOS a boost is a low overhead software emulator/translator/whatever that lets it run windows games on Linux. That’d be a pretty big game changer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introducing-steamos/669530.md?page=4)