We have Google Stadia (soon), PlayStation Now, Xbox Game Streaming, EA's Project Atlas is coming and more but what about Valve with Steam? Well, sounds like Steam Cloud Gaming is coming.
For those who don't remember or perhaps aren't regular readers, I actually wrote an article back in November 2018 describing how I thought Valve would launch such a service. Well, there's more pointing towards me being right in some way about that.
SteamDB put out a Twitter post today, showing off a code update to the partner site, with new terms developers need to sign which talks about Steam Cloud Gaming.
Everything Valve has been doing over the last few years would add up quite nicely to this. Valve worked on the Steam Link hardware to stream around the home, moving onto the Steam Link application to expand it further to mobile devices, In-Home Streaming was re-branded to Remote Play and started allowing you to stream from your PC to any other outside the home and just recently, Remote Play Together to let you host a local co-op/multiplayer game for others across the world to join in as if they were sat next to you.
The next logical step? Certainly seems like a full streaming service would fit in with where they're going with all this. Now we think about Steam Play Proton, Valve's attempt to get Windows-only games to work and perform well on Linux. If Steam Cloud Gaming turns out to be something you stream from Valve, it's safe to assume it would be from Linux-powered servers so Steam Play would fit in there.
With all these new streaming services coming, Valve did need to do something extra to stay competitive if this is where gaming is going. Like it or not, they're already here and a lot of people already use them. The more that do, the less likely people are to get games from Steam.
This is all speculation though of course, nothing is yet confirmed. For all we know, whatever this Steam Cloud Gaming bit is that developers need to sign could just be the umbrella branding for all of Valve's current and future streaming stuff and not necessarily a brand new thing.
What are you thoughts? What exactly will Steam Cloud Gaming be? Let us know in the comments.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Mohandevir Nov 6, 2019
Quoting: NeverthelessQuoting: michaWould love to have the choice of running games locally or through the cloud.
If Valve servers all run Linux it would mean all games supported in their cloud service should run locally as well. Either with a native build or through SteamPlay/Proton - few exceptions aside. Cloud support would certainly be a great incentive for developers to support at least either one.
... especially when they can use almost the same versions for Steam Cloud Gaming, native Linux on Steam and for Stadia. A Windows version using Vulkan is also not so very different from that.
This all seems a very logical step to me! The question is: Will the streaming service cost extra, or will/can Valve use it as a bonus service to justify their 30% revenue?
Stadia
Last edited by Mohandevir on 6 November 2019 at 7:59 pm UTC
Just in case proton/wine don't always cut it .
Like someone already said , you own the game and can install to your machine any time. Much better than other services.
But time will tell how it goes.
Quoting: razing32I'd like this for some windows games.
Just in case proton/wine don't always cut it .
Like someone already said , you own the game and can install to your machine any time. Much better than other services.
But time will tell how it goes.
If Wine won't cut it, it won't work in the cloud either, since they are going to be using Linux for it. No one is interested in paying MS for licensing. Unless I'm missing something.
Quoting: ShmerlQuoting: EikeQuoting: Shmerla strong incentive to make a proper Linux port like in case of Stadia which requires Linux strictly.
Are we sure about this?
About what exactly, that Stadia requires Linux? Yes, that's a fact.
The "proper port" part, in contrast to WINE/Proton.
Quoting: EikeThe "proper port" part, in contrast to WINE/Proton.
Yes, as far as I know. Stadia SDK requires native Vulkan port.
Nevertheless Nov 6, 2019
Quoting: MohandevirQuoting: NeverthelessQuoting: michaWould love to have the choice of running games locally or through the cloud.
If Valve servers all run Linux it would mean all games supported in their cloud service should run locally as well. Either with a native build or through SteamPlay/Proton - few exceptions aside. Cloud support would certainly be a great incentive for developers to support at least either one.
... especially when they can use almost the same versions for Steam Cloud Gaming, native Linux on Steam and for Stadia. A Windows version using Vulkan is also not so very different from that.
This all seems a very logical step to me! The question is: Will the streaming service cost extra, or will/can Valve use it as a bonus service to justify their 30% revenue?
Stadiaiswill be offering a free subscription plan where you must buy your games (no freebies and limited to 1080p). Wouldn't be too far fetched to think that Valve will do something similar, but who knows...
I think Valve is in the uniqe and perfect position (if they can do it), to let you choose they way you want to play the games you purchased. I can be wrong, but I think this would fit best to all they said in the past about free choice of platforms.
Quoting: ShmerlSorry, but no interest in having this discussion.Quoting: jensPlease speak for yourself and use I instead of we. I'm pretty certain that my reasons for using Linux and the way how I'm using it are not the same as yours.
Usage of we is fine here, that's the majority of Linux users, so for sure more than one. And I don't agree that Linux community has to downplay open source values, just because some don't share them. Quite on the contrary actually.
Last edited by jens on 6 November 2019 at 9:03 pm UTC
Quoting: ShmerlQuoting: EikeThe "proper port" part, in contrast to WINE/Proton.
Yes, as far as I know. Stadia SDK requires native Vulkan port.
Do you have any source for that? Would be interesting to know what the exact requirements are for using the Stadia SDK.
Last edited by jens on 6 November 2019 at 9:00 pm UTC
Quoting: ShmerlQuoting: razing32I'd like this for some windows games.
Just in case proton/wine don't always cut it .
Like someone already said , you own the game and can install to your machine any time. Much better than other services.
But time will tell how it goes.
If Wine won't cut it, it won't work in the cloud either, since they are going to be using Linux for it. No one is interested in paying MS for licensing. Unless I'm missing something.
Hmmm . Good point.
Did not think they would use Linux servers for backend.
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