- cross-posted to:
- linux_gaming@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- linux_gaming@lemmy.world
One of the lesser known Fedora spins under the “Fedora Labs” initiative is the Fedora Games Lab that showcases some open-source games and can serve as an easy demonstrator for Linux gaming. Looking forward to 2026 with Fedora 44, there is a proposal to revitalize Fedora Games Lab to become a better showcase for the modern potential of Linux gaming.
Fedora Games Lab as it is right now just is a showcase of Fedora with the Xfce desktop and installing a few open-source games by default. They include classic titles such as BZFlag and Freeciv to games popular among Linux die-hards like Extreme Tux Racer as well as some more well known open-source game efforts like Battle for Wesnoth and Warzone 2100.
Steam made Linux gaming more well known. People tried SteamOS, but switched to Bazzite. Since Bazzite is based on Fedora, it could have resulted in Fedora getting more attention. Is that what’s really happening here?
People used Bazzite because SteamOS had extremely limited hardware compatibility.
Yup, I would have switched to SteamOS instead if it had easier installation process and proper device support. Then again Bazzite works tremendously well.
Apparently Valve thinks it’s still too early to have it under public spotlight.
I honestly don’t know what they’re thinking. They’ve been selling hardware with it pre-installed by the millions for years, so I’d call that very public spotlight. They’re about to release 2 more new devices. And yet they still have dedicated seemingly no time to improving hardware compatibility or even using their own giant platform to advocate or advertise installing it anywhere else.
And it’s only really been released on 2 specific hardware configurations.
If you try to install SteamOS onto a custom built computer, you can get it to mostly work on an all-AMD build, assuming you’re fine with not having printer drivers. But if you have an Nvidia GPU you’ll be lucky if it gets past the bootloader.
That’s why Valve hasn’t released SteamOS fully
Okay, but that doesn’t answer anything, because the question is: why doesn’t it work? It’s been that way since the beginning. The vast majority of Linux distros can be installed on just about any hardware, including the SteamOS simulators that are functionally indifferent, like Bazzite, Cachy, Chimera, Nobara, etc.
@Ulrich @mnemonicmonkeys
Imho: It’s a question of support … all the named distribution are a community effort in support.
Valve can’t and probably won’t try to put themself in a situation where they “must” deliver support outside of well know hardware combinations.
Improving hardware support does not in any way suddenly make them liable for providing support more than they already are. If I go and install SteamOS on my PC right now (lots of systems do work already), that doesn’t suddenly obligate Valve to provide me with software support on my hardware.
@Ulrich
I totally agree but not all users will see it the same way ;) You see how often people feel entitled to get some help :)
I would go even further -> if valve supports more hardware and opens up steamos for none business partners ( aka end users ) … the press might pressure them into things they don’t want.
I don’t blame them. Optimising for a very specific HW is already enough work, providing “general” optimisations for a big variety of HW would result in basically what any other distribution can offer right now.
Yes, lots of distributions are already offering that. What’s stopping Valve?
I’m trying to say… why should they bother to offer what other distributions already offer?
Because those other distributions aren’t Valve. It’s called brand recognition.
No it’s called excessive costs and labor in the form of customer service and a degraded support experience for the end user.
So they should do just another distro for the sake of making another distro instead of focusing on something that will put them above rest for gaming?
The way they do things now benefit all of Linux. The optimisations they do now are focused on very specific HW and with the amount of employees they have now I doubt they can focus on broad support while providing these kinds of specific optimisations. There is basically no need to install Steam OS on your machine… just get Bazzite.
Also what brand recognition? If you game on PC, you install Steam anyways.
As long as their software is compatible with their hardware, Valve likely doesn’t see much value in improving SteamOS at this point. Dev time is expensive, so it’s understandable they prioritise other things. However, I still hope SteamOS receives the resources it needs to become a serious competitor to Windows in gaming PCs.
The value is called money. More people running SteamOS = more money. That’s why they made it.
Are people paying for SteamOS? I thought the only revenue streams around it was the Steam Deck and soon the Steam Machine and the VR thing.
Largely it’s a risk reduction thing for them. Otherwise their dependent on a monopolistic OS and their largely uninterested in collaboration competitor.
Yes, but what’s the reason why SteamOS was designed to be that picky? My guess is, Valve wants everyone to buy their hardware. Making your OS run on anything isn’t really helping with that.
Valve does not care if you buy their hardware or not. They only care that you buy games on Steam. They’re not making much (if any) money on the hardware. They made it to improve the gaming experience, to sell more games. They made it to deliver a console living room controller experience, and to deliver the best possible scenario for Steam OS.
Of course, they also made it to protect themselves from Microsoft.
Making your OS run on anything absolutely helps with that.
That would help with selling games, for sure. If that really is the main goal, SteamOS should receive some compatibility updates soon. We’ll see if that’s how they really operate.
They have been saying the contrary themselves. They don’t care that much about selling hardware.
They have a massive problem named NVIDIA. I would bet the world they are dragging their feet.
Doesn’t seem to be a problem for Bazzite
Bazzite is a non-commercial product unaffiliated with any of the additional programs they install (such as the steam client and Nvidia drivers), and has no expectation of having support workers to assist users who will perform actions that would break their operating system. Additionally, Bazzite is not the face of the Valve brand (unlike SteamOS).
Because it’s a community project without corporate backing or the expectations of an official product, they can get away with more risky implementations that Valve simply cannot. The Steam Deck had to be as idiot proof as possible, and one way that was made possible was through AMD’s willingness to collaborate. NVIDIA, at least currently, does not appear willing to play ball.
SteamOS includes dozens of programs they’re not affiliated with. What is that supposed to mean?
And Valve does? If you install SteamOS on your PC right now, do you think they’re going to offer you support?
such as?
Okay? AMD collaborates with the developers of the Linux kernel as well. The Steam Deck is no more “idiot-proof” than any other piece of AMD hardware.
So what?
Whole lot of nonsense there.