[Update: We have new information see here.]
In a move that's not exactly surprising, Valve has quietly removed the Steam Machine section from Steam.
Previously on Steam, if you hovered over the Hardware category there was a Steam Machines link in the drop-down, which is now gone while the links to the Steam Controller, Steam Link and Vive remain. In fact, the entire Hardware page on Steam is now gone and anyone using the link (http://store.steampowered.com/hardware/) is redirected to a basic search page. Looking back on it and doing a bit of quick research, it seems the change came this month.
I'm not surprised they did this, since currently no one is announcing new machines and the whole Steam Machine idea from Valve never really gained any steam. While it didn't really do the big splash many were hoping, it has done quite a lot of good for Linux gaming overall. As a result of the initial push from Valve, many developers and game engines have moved into doing regular Linux support. This is important, because many of the barriers involved in getting games on Linux have been removed.
We know for a fact that porting companies like Aspyr Media (original interview) and Feral Interactive (original interview) started doing Linux versions thanks to SteamOS and Steam Machines, with them both still continuing the effort. It's also likely what pushed GOG to support Linux on their store too, since they didn't want to miss out on the possibility of more Linux gamers to buy games.
Realistically and looking back on it all, the time just wasn't right. There were long delays, not enough "big" games to make people truly interested in the platform (especially when the likes of The Witcher 3 was confirmed and then never happened—still hurts) and various other reasons.
We now have over four thousand Linux games on Steam, with more releasing every day. Of course, that's just a number and there's a fair amount of rubbish, but that's only natural to see. The good news, is that we get a lot of decent games arrive on Linux too and there's no signs of it slowing down.
It will be interesting to see if Valve do another SteamOS/Steam Machine push, with SteamOS still seeing updates this year it's entirely possible. Either way, Valve has done a lot of good and continues to do so. They're not a perfect company, not all their ideas work out and that's fine.
Linux gaming still faces an uphill battle—a large one at that. Thankfully, no one company "owns" Linux and so it can essentially go on forever, keep improving and gradually get better over a long time. We will still be here no matter what, we love Linux and we have so many good games already we don't know what to play half the time.
Thanks for the tip, kreativt. Article text was updated to be clearer after publishing.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: 1xokBut the page is still there:Liam doing fake news!?? :O :P
http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steam_machines
I also get the Hardware tab on my end, just the Steam Machines are missing from the menu. Still seeing the Controller, Link and Vive.
Last edited by Salvatos on 30 March 2018 at 5:04 pm UTC
no_information_here Mar 30, 2018
Quoting: scaineHey. Don't blow a valve!Quotethe whole Steam Machine idea from Valve never really gained any steamReally, Liam? Really?? :D
:)
Quoting: NeverthelessLinux wasn't ready at the time Valve announced Steam Machines and SteamOS. It stll isn't quite ready. AMD drivers need time, VR needs time, Vulkan still needs time.
I don't know why Valve came out with it prematurely, but I guess something had to be done at that time, to push Linux development and to slow down Microsoft closing down Windows.
My opinion:
[TLDR: Officially SteamOS it's about Steam Machines and now about VR, but I don't think that's the real reason.]
I think the people at Valve have to motivate themselves somehow. To say: Okay, let's work on it for 10 years and then see what we do with it is not very motivating. So they came up with Steam Machines and now it's VR. But with VR you can really count the Linux users on one hand. Economically, VR and Linux do not make any sense. Except Valve wants to sell a complete VR console, which I think is even less likely than Steam Machines. This is an absolute niche. At GDC GabeN praised Valve for now being strong in creating hardware and software at the same time. He compared it to Nintendo. But I don't think that's what that's all about in the end. Valve won't become a second Nintendo for VR. The real plan is a completely different one and much less specific.
Valve is currently building large computing clusters to detect cheaters in CSGO and Dota2 using deep learning. At the moment they still use normal CPUs. The whole thing isn't very big yet either. But they also want to offer it to others as a service. So this will grow and maybe they will use graphics units at some point. Of course, this is officially about anti-cheating, but I think Valve has also other reasons to invest in this technology.
I think that Valve and especially GabeN are aware that the PC era is coming to an end in the next two decades. Maybe much sooner. The cloud is becoming increasingly important. PC and console sales are stagnating, while mobile sales have surpassed them already. PubG and Fortnite switch to the mobiles. Steam machines did not fail because they were bad, but simply because the market is completely saturated. This market is no longer growing.
In the cloud, however, things are very different. Apart from Sonys Now, there are currently no major offers for games. The network must continue to grow. But when the train starts rolling it would be too late to develop something like SteamOS. Such a development takes many years. That's why Valve is working on it now.
Anything else makes little sense. Windows is the absolutely dominant OS for desktop computers and gaming. SteamOS or another Linux system will not change this. GabeN must have known that from the beginning. Steam Machines and VR are just nice stories. The truth will happen in large data centers. And Valve has no interest in running it on Windows and having to give Microsoft billions in license payments for it. For a system they don't even control!
Last edited by 1xok on 30 March 2018 at 5:42 pm UTC
It is a bit more ready now, but still lots to improve.
Nevertheless Mar 30, 2018
Quoting: 1xokQuoting: NeverthelessLinux wasn't ready at the time Valve announced Steam Machines and SteamOS. It stll isn't quite ready. AMD drivers need time, VR needs time, Vulkan still needs time.
I don't know why Valve came out with it prematurely, but I guess something had to be done at that time, to push Linux development and to slow down Microsoft closing down Windows.
My opinion:
[TLDR: Officially SteamOS it's about Steam Machines and now about VR, but I don't think that's the real reason.]
I think the people at Valve have to motivate themselves somehow. To say: Okay, let's work on it for 10 years and then see what we do with it is not very motivating. So they came up with Steam Machines and now it's VR. But with VR you can really count the Linux users on one hand. Economically, VR and Linux do not make any sense. Except Valve wants to sell a complete VR console, which I think is even less likely than Steam Machines. This is an absolute niche. At GDC GabeN praised Valve for now being strong in creating hardware and software at the same time. He compared it to Nintendo. But I don't think that's what that's all about in the end. Valve won't become a second Nintendo for VR. The real plan is a completely different one and much less specific.
Valve is currently building large computing clusters to detect cheaters in CSGO and Dota2 using deep learning. At the moment they still use normal CPUs. The whole thing isn't very big yet either. But they also want to offer it to others as a service. So this will grow and maybe they will use graphics units at some point. Of course, this is officially about anti-cheating, but I think Valve has also other reasons to invest in this technology.
I think that Valve and especially GabeN are aware that the PC era is coming to an end in the next two decades. Maybe much sooner. The cloud is becoming increasingly important. PC and console sales are stagnating, while mobile sales have surpassed them already. PubG and Fortnite switch to the mobiles. Steam machines did not fail because they were bad, but simply because the market is completely saturated. This market is no longer growing.
In the cloud, however, things are very different. Apart from Sonys Now, there are currently no major offers for games. The network must continue to grow. But when the train starts rolling it would be too late to develop something like SteamOS. Such a development takes many years. That's why Valve is working on it now.
Anything else makes little sense. Windows is the absolutely dominant OS for desktop computers and gaming. SteamOS or another Linux system will not change this. GabeN must have known that from the beginning. Steam Machines and VR are just nice stories. The truth will happen in large data centers. And Valve has no interest in running it on Windows and having to give Microsoft billions in license payments for it. For a system they don't even control!
Yes, there are lots of things going on. There is VR, Khronos's attempt to unify development around Vulkan (with api conversion tools between Vulkan and Metal / DX12), there is Wine, game streaming (which will not work well with VR for a foreseeable timeframe I guess), consoles ... Who can say what the outcome will be?
One thing seems clear to me: Valve is better off with Linux, and we're too!
Quoting: SalvatosI never said the hardware tab was gone, I said the hardware page was gone. The Steam Machine page also might as well not exist, since the links to it were removed.Quoting: 1xokBut the page is still there:Liam doing fake news!?? :O :P
http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steam_machines
I also get the Hardware tab on my end, just the Steam Machines are missing from the menu. Still seeing the Controller, Link and Vive.
Quoting: liamdaweI never said the hardware tab was gone, I said the hardware page was gone. The Steam Machine page also might as well not exist, since the links to it were removed.Ah, I thought you meant the drop-down was gone.
Quoting: liamdaweQuoting: SalvatosI never said the hardware tab was gone, I said the hardware page was gone. The Steam Machine page also might as well not exist, since the links to it were removed.Quoting: 1xokBut the page is still there:Liam doing fake news!?? :O :P
http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steam_machines
I also get the Hardware tab on my end, just the Steam Machines are missing from the menu. Still seeing the Controller, Link and Vive.
But it gives us another glimmer of hope. ;)
I just wanted to point out.
Thank you for your report. I wouldn't have noticed about the link.
Last edited by 1xok on 30 March 2018 at 7:03 pm UTC
I need a dozen steam controllers and a backup steam link now!
Mohandevir Mar 30, 2018
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3267074/computers/intel-hades-canyon-nuc-nuc8i7hvk-review.html
From the benchmarks, the vega portion should give performances similar to a GTX 1060, but who knows what Valve has in mind? A game streaming service in the pipeline, maybe?
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