Linux share on Steam hits highest peak in years thanks to Steam Deck

It's a shame that Valve hasn't released the SteamOS desktop distribution yet.
And even the new Big Picture is missing in the beta version of Steam.

We need a Steam Controller 2 to properly use the Deck's UI on the desktop... we are missing, at the very least, tge Steam button and the one that brings up tge overlay.

There is a way to use the DeckUI on the desktop now, with just normal Steam.

I would be all in for an update of the Steam Controller. Will it happen, though? Apparently the original Steam Controller didn't sell enough for Valve to bother keeping it on the market, so I don't know how eager they are to bring it back.

Great for Valve and the Steam Deck, but what does it really mean for Linux? It reminds me of the Android situation, where everybody who has an Android phone in their pocket is technically using Linux, but that in and of itself does nothing to advance the cause for Linux.

I think there is a pretty simple, key distinction here: Programs written to run on Android will not run on desktop Linux. But programs written to run on SteamOS, or for that matter programs SteamOS arranges to run even though they were written for Windows, do.
So. Improving the software ecosystem for Android does not improve it for Linux, but improving the software ecosystem for SteamOS does.

How many people buying a Steam Deck but have never used Linux are going to bother trying to install Linux on their desktop based on their experience with the Steam Deck? My guess is very few because it's a console that does everything it can to hide the operating system from the average user (although it does give "power users" more freedom than a typical console).

We already have community OSes like Chimera OS....

Somethin' I really don't need. All these systems "from the community" had decades to gain a foothold. None of them met expectations. We need a good system that is popular and trusted by the developer (Valve). Valve has it all.

Said that, I don't think that releasing SteamOS for PCs will happen or if it happens, it may not be a good thing

No need to overestimate. This is the same Linux as other distributions. It's just that SteamOS and its components are not finished, which proves the postponement of the Steam Deck release and large-scale patches for SteamOS and Big Picture.

Valve should provide SteamOS to users. It will be an amazing experience and will give a big boost to Linux.

It's a shame that Valve hasn't released the SteamOS desktop distribution yet.
And even the new Big Picture is missing in the beta version of Steam.

We need a Steam Controller 2 to properly use the Deck's UI on the desktop... we are missing, at the very least, tge Steam button and the one that brings up tge overlay.

There is a way to use the DeckUI on the desktop now, with just normal Steam.

I would be all in for an update of the Steam Controller. Will it happen, though? Apparently the original Steam Controller didn't sell enough for Valve to bother keeping it on the market, so I don't know how eager they are to bring it back.

My thoughts on the cancelation of the Steam Controller... was not based on sales (or lack of) but so they could focus solely on the Deck. If you look at earlt prototypes of the SC, it almost looked exactly like the Steam Deck. Touch screen and all. I think essentially what happened was when they were first designing the controller they wanted a sort of controller / streaming system that could connect to your PC to play games.

Look at all the things they have done toward this, the Steam Link, Controller and now Deck. If they could have combined the Link and Controller together, it could have been a semi-portable system, not unlike what the Deck became. The Steam Deck just happens to have been able to be developed because AMD is now capable of making very small form factor systems, due to all of their experience from years of designing consoles.

How many people buying a Steam Deck but have never used Linux are going to bother trying to install Linux on their desktop based on their experience with the Steam Deck? My guess is very few because it's a console that does everything it can to hide the operating system from the average user (although it does give "power users" more freedom than a typical console).

More than would without it. We knew how great Linux is, but Windows users didn't believe it. Now they can see for themselves without having to go through the trouble and learning curve of installing it first.

We already have community OSes like Chimera OS....

Somethin' I really don't need. All these systems "from the community" had decades to gain a foothold. None of them met expectations.

SteamOS isn't growing fast because it "meets expectations", it's growing fast because it "has a hardware platform it comes preinstalled on". Much like Pop!OS. It's big-selling hardware with Linux preinstalled that we've been really needing, not Linux distros with some sort of corporate "royal jelly".

Plenty of "community" type distros are very good. I personally am very fond of Mint. As to Chimera, previously known as GamerOS, I haven't tried it but lots of people speak highly of it, and as far as I can tell there are nifty things it does that SteamOS doesn't. Well, and things SteamOS does that GamerOS doesn't, to be sure--but if neither of them had their own hardware platform, I'm not convinced that there would be huge grounds to prefer one over the other.


Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 3 July 2022 at 10:02 pm UTC

Valve should provide SteamOS to users. It will be an amazing experience and will give a big boost to Linux.

Just like SteamOS v1 and v2 did?

Great for Valve and the Steam Deck, but what does it really mean for Linux? It reminds me of the Android situation, where everybody who has an Android phone in their pocket is technically using Linux, but that in and of itself does nothing to advance the cause for Linux.

I think there is a pretty simple, key distinction here: Programs written to run on Android will not run on desktop Linux. But programs written to run on SteamOS, or for that matter programs SteamOS arranges to run even though they were written for Windows, do.
So. Improving the software ecosystem for Android does not improve it for Linux, but improving the software ecosystem for SteamOS does.

How many people buying a Steam Deck but have never used Linux are going to bother trying to install Linux on their desktop based on their experience with the Steam Deck? My guess is very few because it's a console that does everything it can to hide the operating system from the average user (although it does give "power users" more freedom than a typical console).

I tend to agree with this sentiment. Yes a few may try out Linux from their Steam Deck experience, and even fewer will stick with it. I worry It may even have the opposite effect. The default deck experience is highly currated, polished and very nice. Half of those advanced options we've seen demo'd on this site and others, I don't know how to do on my desktop without looking it up. People trying Linux for the first, expecting a Deck like experience, might be highly disappointed (why won't Steam update my system?!? Packages?!? Command line!?!? 🤪)

The nice thing is that most main line distros are highly polished, and some come with Steam. If that's all you want, that's cool, but then there's no reason to move away from SteamOS (when released, ofc). I hope it causes more people to be interested in Linux, but I'm not expecting it.


Last edited by denyasis on 3 July 2022 at 10:42 pm UTC

How many people buying a Steam Deck but have never used Linux are going to bother trying to install Linux on their desktop based on their experience with the Steam Deck? My guess is very few because it's a console that does everything it can to hide the operating system from the average user (although it does give "power users" more freedom than a typical console).

More than would without it. We knew how great Linux is, but Windows users didn't believe it. Now they can see for themselves without having to go through the trouble and learning curve of installing it first.

I'll admit to a certain degree of cynicism. I've been using Linux for probably two decades and have heard that "The Year of Linux" is just around the corner for about as long, but in all that time, we have seen no significant gains on the desktop. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that I can play just about any game I want on my preferred operating system, and I'm glad that Valve seems to be in it for the long haul, but while we will no doubt see an increase in people playing games on Linux/Steam thanks to the Steam Deck, I don't expect to see the Linux desktop market share grow by any appreciable amount.

Right now, I'm not sure what the future holds with SteamOS 3.0 myself. The experience as it is now is highly tailored to the Deck, perhaps even handheld PCs in general, and I'm not sure how Valve could/would adjust it for general desktop usage with wildly varying hardware.

At a minimum, I don't expect SteamOS to cause desktop Linux to gain any significant ground. However, I do think SteamOS will become a popular option for pre-built gaming PCs, whatever form they might take. We might even see the return of Steam Machines in some fashion, although that might be optimistic.

while we will no doubt see an increase in people playing games on Linux/Steam thanks to the Steam Deck, I don't expect to see the Linux desktop market share grow by any appreciable amount.

Some of the people who switched to Linux in the last year have deliberately left some of their games behind because most of them worked. So we don't need every single game. IMO the only game we need is Fortnite, which will IMO come to Linux in 2024. If that single game runs on Linux reliably with higher performance compared to Windows then gamers will flock to Linux.

Just like SteamOS v1 and v2 did?

Yes. With a small contribution to these systems, Valve achieved its goal - SteamOS became the minimum that developers focused on.

As someone famous said:"Steam Deck is trash. Why? Because if you buy it your wife/girlfriend will you leave for good when she sees Valve's logo smouldering in your eyes. From it She knows what is coming and will end your relationship. So If you wanna end your marriage/relationship buy Steam Deck!" Wow what a commercial speech! Don't blame me. I didn't invent this speech.I'm innocent But future looks good for Steam Deck.The next months will be very intresting.I hope for the best.

As someone famous said:"Steam Deck is trash. Why? Because if you buy it your wife/girlfriend will you leave for good when she sees Valve's logo smouldering in your eyes. From it She knows what is coming and will end your relationship. So If you wanna end your marriage/relationship buy Steam Deck!" Wow what a commercial speech! Don't blame me. I didn't invent this speech.I'm innocent But future looks good for Steam Deck.The next months will be very intresting.I hope for the best.

Now we just need a song by Shirley Bassey - "Steam-Decks are Forever"

Steam-Decks are Foreverrrrr,
They are all I need to please me,
They can stimulate and tease me,
They won't leave in the night,
I've no fear that they might desert me.


Last edited by g000h on 4 July 2022 at 11:15 am UTC

So that's about 118,000 Deck Users. I guess that's a good number for sales, but I guess I was expecting the over all Linux % to be more positively affected by the Deck. I guess it'll take more time. Hopefully it translates into more mainstream Linux use as well.

I'm wondering if Valve wasn't also using Q1 and Q2 shipments for beta testing. They might have voluntarily reduced the quantity of units shipped to avoid being overwhelmend by support tickets. Probably they feel more confident now, because the first batch of Q3 emails is like a tidal wave compared to what it was before, in terms of units shipped. Looking forward for next months Linux market share.


Last edited by Mohandevir on 4 July 2022 at 1:31 pm UTC

I think you are mixing up SteamOS with Steam SDK.

No. Runtime did not appear immediately and a lot depended on the distribution itself.

I think you are mixing up SteamOS with Steam SDK.

No. Runtime did not appear immediately and a lot depended on the distribution itself.

I do agree with you about this--SteamOS provided a sort of reference for game developers, and indeed other distros, a target that said "If I target this, most people should be able to run my games" or, on the distro side, "If I do it like this, games should run."

But you perceive that this did not in any way depend on the quality of SteamOS as a distro. It just had to exist. And I've never really heard that SteamOS 1&2 were all that great to actually use.

So that's about 118,000 Deck Users. I guess that's a good number for sales, but I guess I was expecting the over all Linux % to be more positively affected by the Deck. I guess it'll take more time. Hopefully it translates into more mainstream Linux use as well.

I'm wondering if Valve wasn't also using Q1 and Q2 shipments for beta testing. They might have voluntarily reduced the quantity of units shipped to avoid being overwhelmend by support tickets. Probably they feel more confident now, because the first batch of Q3 emails is like a tidal wave compared to what it was before, in terms of units shipped. Looking forward for next months Linux market share.

I am reminded of the Librem 5 phone. Years later, people are still receiving them, but it sure feels like they ship them out 5 a month...

So that's about 118,000 Deck Users. I guess that's a good number for sales, but I guess I was expecting the over all Linux % to be more positively affected by the Deck. I guess it'll take more time. Hopefully it translates into more mainstream Linux use as well.

I'm wondering if Valve wasn't also using Q1 and Q2 shipments for beta testing. They might have voluntarily reduced the quantity of units shipped to avoid being overwhelmend by support tickets. Probably they feel more confident now, because the first batch of Q3 emails is like a tidal wave compared to what it was before, in terms of units shipped. Looking forward for next months Linux market share.

I am reminded of the Librem 5 phone. Years later, people are still receiving them, but it sure feels like they are sending out like 5 peer month...