Don't expect GOG to support the Steam Deck

CDPR GOG still upset with Linux user base I see. They NEVER did recover from those Witcher2 threats certain extremists made...

If they really judge a whole community and the Steam Deck customers by the misbehavior of a few toxic people, that would be really weird, wouldn't it?

So I think that is more like a pure business decision mixed with rudeness (...just install Windows)

Technically, GOG is completely correct. Their native Linux builds don't officially support Arch Linux or the new SteamOS, which is a derivative of that distribution. They support Ubuntu. They can't guarantee support for an OS they've never tested their games for.

Is there really enough of a difference between an Arch derivative and an ubuntu one to worry about? I mean, obviously their client isn't going to need the package manager.

Technically, GOG is completely correct. Their native Linux builds don't officially support Arch Linux or the new SteamOS, which is a derivative of that distribution. They support Ubuntu. They can't guarantee support for an OS they've never tested their games for.

Is there really enough of a difference between an Arch derivative and an ubuntu one to worry about? I mean, obviously their client isn't going to need the package manager.

Yes, the builds will probably work, but without testing it, there's no way to tell for sure. If they guarantee it works and it doesn't, they'll get backlash, too. Never guarantee things you can't know for sure.

As for the differences, core library versions are different for one. If you look at the games on the GOG store, you'll see them tested against specific versions of Ubuntu (12.04 or higher), but Arch doesn't have any versions. They'd have to say something like "glibc 2.34 or newer".

I'm afraid I don't know much more about the innards of these GNU/Linux distributions than that. Older builds of games have been known to stop working after some time, for reasons I'm not entirely sure about. Something about newer glibc versions deprecating older features, maybe (the kernel famously doesn't break userspace; it's the userspace software like glibc that causes breakage). I don't think they do that as much anymore.

For the record, I haven't had any issue with the Linux builds on my Arch laptop.

!Tux in front of two buttons : Steam who treats you as premium citizen and support Linux growth but is a closed platform, or GOG who sells DRM-free games but don’t care about you.

quoting this because it's too good to only see twice in this thread. Agree with the general sentiment of most of y'all above me.

Water still wet, bachelors still single, and GOG still totally indifferent to us.

Surprise, surprise. The company that does not give two shits about Linux won't support Steam Deck.

Literally the only reason I would buy games from GOG is if they weren't available elsewhere, which is the case with some older games.

Ironically more and more games require GOGG2.0 for multiplayer DRM. So DRM-free; most stuff, not all.

So, yes, GOG is correct, one will be able to play GOG's amazing library on Steam Deck. Even if the solution is not for said one's taste.

Of course you will be able to play your GOG Games on Steam Deck (who had a doubt about that anyway)... if you don't mind fiddling around in Desktop Mode on a tiny screen, with no regular mouse, no dynamic cloud sync, limited controller support (unless you add your games to Steam). No thanks, that's not the OOTB experience I'm looking for.

Just as planned.

1. A user goes through a process of installing Windows on Deck (driver issues?).
2. The user goes through a process of running GOG games on Deck (DOSBox + Deck's gamepads?).
3. The user records this convoluted mess and releases a YouTube video, stating Steam Deck is unusable.
4. ???????
5. PROFIT!!

If GOG wants to profit from the Steam Deck, I would expect them to offer at least some basic integration tools. Installing GOG in its current state on the Steam Deck is like buying a Ferrari and installing a two-stroke engine in it.

GOG does not want to profit from Steam Deck. It wants to topple it. At the very least, a Steam Deck is another platform, adding a headache to GOG's "tech support" (imagine what troubles will arise when the support will be flooded with numerous "Deck+Windows" GOG users' support requests due to issues with controllers for DOSBox-wrapped games). And at the worst case scenario, Steam Deck will divert users from GOG towards Steam. So, the quicker Steam Deck flops the better (for GOG).

Technically, GOG is completely correct. Their native Linux builds don't officially support Arch Linux or the new SteamOS, which is a derivative of that distribution. They support Ubuntu. They can't guarantee support for an OS they've never tested their games for.

Whether this PR spokesperson understands this or not, I couldn't say. Clearly the diplomatic response would have been, "these games have been tested for Ubuntu officially, but they may work on the Steam Deck. We don't know; we haven't tried it."

I would agree with you, but I think they are making assumption here too, I bet they didn't test any GOG game on the Steam Deck. So they cannot guarantee something which they have not tested imho.

At the bare minimum the proper response here would be, "we tested this X numbers of GOG games and they work". "On this other ones the joystick is not detected or has X trouble".

I mean there's a couple of Linux games builds flagged as unsupported on the Steam deck too. They really expect that all of their windows GOG games to work on Steam Deck?

In that case, if in the future they get lots of refunds from Steam Deck users, it will be well deserved.

But anyway, I think that this was not a "techinical" response and they are not "guaranteeing" anything here this is just a PR bot response.

Their games don't support the Steam Deck's distro, but installing Ubuntu on the deck should still be easier than installing Windows.

They went straight for the nuclear option, that they can't even guarantee will work either.

What an embarrassing reply by them. Aren't they even aware of Lutris etc? Like how detached can they be?

It seriously seems like they have one or two people working for them that package installers for Linux. They probably work out of some sub-basement area and have red staplers, and actually are just forgotten that they still get a paycheck...

But yeah, for them to just say 'just install windows and you can play' is kind of an ignorant response.

Their games don't support the Steam Deck's distro, but installing Ubuntu on the deck should still be easier than installing Windows.

They went straight for the nuclear option, that they can't even guarantee will work either.

couldn't agree more. As a matter of fact I'm installing windows 10 on a relative's laptop, right now, I know exactly what you mean. Seems that creating a USB windows install drive from Linux is not possible anymore. That statement makes a lot of assumptions.

Seriously... pisses me off SO much, why can't I just download an ISO and use dd (or other raw image to device transfer program) like real people do? Instead you have to download their shit creation tool and even then it's iffy during install a lot of times.

well... the steamdeck's main purpose is to run steam.. not gog or EGS. Although being possible, that doesn't mean those companies want to support or give any light to a direct competitor, and all of these compagnies are still convinced the steamdeck will not be a success.


Last edited by sigz on 22 Feb 2022 at 11:30 pm UTC

What an embarrassing reply by them. Aren't they even aware of Lutris etc? Like how detached can they be?

It seriously seems like they have one or two people working for them that package installers for Linux. They probably work out of some sub-basement area and have red staplers, and actually are just forgotten that they still get a paycheck...

But yeah, for them to just say 'just install windows and you can play' is kind of an ignorant response.

They should at least be aware of something like Minigalaxy if they aren't doing the work themselves.

The only appeal they have now is to offer DRM free games

I think GOG kinda lost it's way when DRM-free stopped being a thing customers cared about.

When they started, it was a good play. There were a lot more stores and the number of stores was decreasing, so people could be concerned about losing their library if a store closed.

Today, I think people are not worried that a store like Steam will close, or are that worried about DRM in general asuch as they were in the past. I think GOG as a store didn't really figure out how to react to that in a meaningful way and still haven't.

I never stopped caring about DRM, but I sure stopped caring about GOG right around the same time they stopped caring about Linux users.

GOG does not want to profit from Steam Deck. It wants to topple it. At the very least, a Steam Deck is another platform, adding a headache to GOG's "tech support" (imagine what troubles will arise when the support will be flooded with numerous "Deck+Windows" GOG users' support requests due to issues with controllers for DOSBox-wrapped games). And at the worst case scenario, Steam Deck will divert users from GOG towards Steam. So, the quicker Steam Deck flops the better (for GOG).

If GOG doesn't care about Deck they could have just said: "we don't support it, just like we don't support [insert any other console name]". You're making a lot of assumptions in order to justify a shitty answer when the most simple answer is that they don't give a fuck about the Linux support anymore.

So, let's stop playing the fanboy's here while trying to bury your head in the sand. GOG is an utterly POS store for Linux users, the only value you can get is the "DRM Free" promise they make. Take it for what it is, don't waste keyboard with a fantasy tale of their market strategy.