SteamOS updated, Valve drops AMDGPU-PRO for Mesa

Please forgive my ignorance;

Will this update be coming to the Steam desktop client? And if so, will I be able to use the non proprietary drivers which are not the Mesa ones?

Please forgive my ignorance;

Will this update be coming to the Steam desktop client? And if so, will I be able to use the non proprietary drivers which are not the Mesa ones?

No, this is only for SteamOS. It is possible for you to get this update through whatever distro you use, however. :)

MS Store games are growing day-by-day and usually they have Play Anywhere feature. This means you can play your purchased games on Windows and Xbox. So that is not killing Xbox ; instead strenghtening that.

Let's think. You bought bunch of games when you're on Windows and after years you decided to become a console ( couch) player. If you choose Sony's Playstation you will start with zero games. But if you choose Xbox , you can immediately start enjoying your pre purchased games on Xbox.

The UWP idea is pretty enticing, and honestly it's a pro-consumer move. I have an Xbox One (got it for free when my wife purchased a Surface Pro 4), and considered getting a few games from the Microsoft Store for that option. They're only going to add more games to their catalog.

MS has the power for doing that GOG Connect solution on a much bigger basis. When MS Store was big enough to get provide much desired games to players with zero pay ; gamers will move to their store automaticially. That is at least 2-3 years job but it will eventually come to this.

I think you're really onto something here. The option to play my entire Steam library either on my PC or on my Xbox is something that Valve wouldn't be able to match unless Linux gaming really takes off. As a PC gamer, that's a really enticing option. However, as a FOSS-Linux-free-speech-philosopher, that's terrifying. Hopefully, in the time it would take to achieve this, Valve (and other AAA devs) begin to see the proverbial light.

On a side note, while I know that SteamOS is based on Debian, I'd actually be curious how well a Solus based SteamOS would work. The core of the Solus philosophy is a solid desktop experience based on performance, that could only translate positively for SteamOS.

You are the perfect example of what I was referring too... Xbox + Surface ecosystem where Microsoft controls every aspects from hardware to software. It seems to be Microsoft's long term goal.

Will we ever find a Windows Store version of say Dota2? Microsoft may create Steam exclusives on it's own. :)

Edit: Will gamers still be prone to transfer to the Windows Store when they realize that they still need Steam for games that will never make it to the Windows store? Personnally I wouldn't be ready to give up my older titles that I still play to this day.

Let's wait and see, the upcoming battle promises to be really interresting.

Actually we're all depending on Gaben's attitude. I spoke based on " he will never cut a deal with MS" guess.

If MS approaches him like a solution like that ; Windows 10S is our future and this will not let anything outside of our store and Steam is a piece of software that needs to be installed outside of store. So what're you saying that Steam in Windows Store? If you're saying no ; then you can't sell games anymore on Windows.

If Gaben says yes to that , you can consider that Linux gaming will be dead. But this also means that MS will get their share from Gaben , because they exist on store and it has a price.

We're all depending on Gaben's attitude.

In fact, at this point, it's much more plausible that Microsoft would try to buy Steam and include it, and it's gaming library, into the Windows store... Isn't it how Microsoft eliminates competition, usually? :)

Heck, Valve could create momentum with some collectible cards and hats alone. I don't understand it, but people seem to care about collectibles in steam a lot.
Regularly annoncing to drop some in this or that game on linux on a regular basis might just generate enough interest once the ecosystem is ready.

That's silly--nay, ridiculous--and yet probably true.
Heck, setting up a Linux dual boot and installing some games is probably way less effort than a lot of stuff people do just to get an achievement in a single game.

Let's say Shadow of Mordor... "Tame the Tux" achievement. Awesome! Lol!

In fact, at this point, it's much more plausible that Microsoft would try to buy Steam and include it, and it's gaming library, into the Windows store... Isn't it how Microsoft eliminates competition, usually? :)

This is why it's a very good thing that Valve is a private company so you can't just "buy" them. Considering that most PC games are bought through Steam, it would probably cost far too much for even Microsoft at this point.


Last edited by natewardawg on 24 May 2017 at 1:02 pm UTC

[quote=ghem]

Awesome news <3
I sense an AMD APU based Steam Machine in a not so distant future

Aww thats cute you think Steam machines are still a thing

People fail to realize that Valve is in for the long term (I know, not a popular notion these days with shareholders impatient to get their 300% ROI in 6 months).
People also fail to realize Steam machines are not only there to protect Valve's market against microsoft, it's equally a tool to grab market share from consoles.

No I get the plan but Valve dont if they did they would not of said fuck and all about steam machines once they were out they would of pushed and spent whatever it took to get Steam OS ready to go day one on all Steam machines with Windows being a separate purchase. However they left oems to market the machines which was a huge mistake which means steam machines are dead failing a rebranding and a major push


Last edited by Whitewolfe80 on 24 May 2017 at 4:24 pm UTC

Please forgive my ignorance;

Will this update be coming to the Steam desktop client? And if so, will I be able to use the non proprietary drivers which are not the Mesa ones?

No, this is only for SteamOS. It is possible for you to get this update through whatever distro you use, however. :)

This update is not about the steam client. the steam client on steamos is the same as other distros and and not updated via steamos updates like this, but via the client self updating.

Some of the updates here like the new kernel (but maybe without all the patches including their own that valve put in) new nvidia driver, mesa and other packages, mostly security updates will come to other distributions too at their own schedule, or they already have them.

I find the name steamos is confusing, it indicates like their is steam in the OS, but they do not consider steam to be part of the os, just bundled with it, and it is set to autostart in big picture mode.
Then there is also the steam runtime, and the steam shop. No wonder people can mix things up if so many different things are called something with steam.

ValveOS would be a better name I think, but I am not a marketing person:-)

Have a look at the FAQ: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamuniverse/discussions/1/648814395741989999/
especially:

Q: What is SteamOS?
SteamOS is a fork (derivative) of Debian[www.debian.org] GNU/Linux. The current version (SteamOS 2.0) is called 'brewmaster' and it is based on the Debian 'jessie' (stable 8.x) distribution. ...

and

Q: What software runs on SteamOS?
SteamOS is designed to run Steam and Steam games. ...

So they consider SteamOS their Linux distribution, which does include steam, but steam is not part of the OS as I read it.
It definitely is not part of steamos updates, since it has its own update mechanism.

Heck, Valve could create momentum with some collectible cards and hats alone. I don't understand it, but people seem to care about collectibles in steam a lot.
Regularly annoncing to drop some in this or that game on linux on a regular basis might just generate enough interest once the ecosystem is ready.

A long time ago I suggested hidden steam achievements for playing the game on Linux, so the legion of obsessed achievement hunters will install a linux distro and play the game on it just for the sake of to get that steam achievement.

A long time ago I suggested hidden steam achievements for playing the game on Linux, so the legion of obsessed achievement hunters will install a linux distro and play the game on it just for the sake of to get that steam achievement.

I'm not sure how well that would work, but I definitely like that idea. I suppose only Valve and Linux enthusiast developers would add such an achievement.


Last edited by natewardawg on 24 May 2017 at 10:08 pm UTC

Next Steam Machine Generation... An alliance with Sony? The Steam Station?

http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/the-ps4-has-been-hacked-to-run-linux-and-even-better-linux-games-1321921

Nothing solid there, just an unusual hack. Is this really SteamOS or just Steam client on BPM?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB6iuJQTIN4

Edit: Just my two cents, but to me Steam Machines seems more like a proof of concept that helped Valve and partners to identify the possible flaws in the Linux ecosystems regarding gaming. It looked like an open Beta and in the last 2 to 3 years they have been working on correcting those flaws (AMD drivers, Vulkan over OpenGL, SteamVR Linux, etc, etc...). I might be too optimistic, but I really hope for a second "Steam Machine offensive" when all these "flaws" will be corrected.


Last edited by Mohandevir on 25 May 2017 at 2:51 pm UTC

Oh good i been busy for awhile and i not useing steamOS cuz they did lack updates :)

I think that there will be a second generation of the Steambox but it will be focused on VR (though it will also play games). Valve has focused a lot of time on VR and ultimately if all VR games are designed to support SteamOS (which appears to be what's happening) a future SteamVR hardware bundle makes a lot of sense.