Update 13:34 UTC, 19/03/24: One of the videos Playtron supplied to The Verge, showcasing some tech used on mobile in the article linked below, wasn't even their own and was taken uncredited from another person on YouTube, who hit them with a copyright claim and had it taken down. It seems this was some kind of "misunderstanding", and was just supposed to showcase what the tech they use could do.
Original article below:
Playtron have teased their PlaytronOS, taking aim at the gaming space to compete with SteamOS with a Linux-powered system. Could be exciting times ahead.
They've managed to pull in developers from ChimeraOS, Box64, Heroic Games Launcher and more so they have some people involved who certainly know their stuff when it comes to Linux gaming. Their CEO is also Kirt McMaster, a name some might recognise from Cyanogen. Many others are involved who have developer experience previously from the likes of Google, Amazon, Red Hat, Meta, Samsung, SEGA and more. So they've built up quite an experienced team overall.
Unlike SteamOS, it's not going to be so tied to the Steam store. Although you can install pretty much anything in the SteamOS Desktop Mode, the Steam Deck is obviously a Steam-first device. Playtron saying it's "Locked to the Valveverse" is simply false though. Playtron say PlaytronOS aims to be "compatible with every game store" and to expect "many 3rd party integrations to come".
Pictured - device mock-up from the PLAYTRON website.
PlaytronOS plans to supports both ARM and X86 based PC architectures. And they say to expect "Playtron on Laptops & PCs, TVs, XR and in Car in the coming years", so they're certainly aiming high with it. Potentially impossibly too high? Their current plan is to launch PlaytronOS for Steam Deck and other handheld gaming PCs "later this year" and that "Playtron 1st hand held PCs coming soon" — so we can expect to see some future handhelds launch with PlaytronOS.
Later this year they also plan some sort of "direct publishing" option for game developers.
Sean Hollister of The Verge got an early look for a bit more info, and Hollister also noted Valve actually told them that they're finally working to bring SteamOS to more handhelds.
While exciting, they have a huge uphill battle here and will no doubt have to do a lot of convincing when it comes to hardware vendors to actually use it. So while exciting, right now it doesn't mean too much - especially until we actually see a first initial release (and even better - a hardware vendor actually releasing with it). One to keep a close eye on because it could be a game changer, but it could just as easily fizzle out.
More on the website. They're also at GDC this year.
It's pretty clear at this point that the Steam Deck with SteamOS has really begun to change the gaming world. While there were obviously other handheld gaming PC vendors before, Valve really lit a fire didn't they.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
pleasereadthemanual 19 Mar 2024
I think some people are confused by this announcement. They're not making another handheld. They're making an OS. This is essentially a new Linux distro. But I'm guessing it'll end up being more like ChromeOS (with proprietary bits on top) than your typical distro.
From The Verge interview Liam linked:
“We’re in conversation with numerous OEMs and mobile operators to build and deploy Playtron devices around the world in the 2025 timeframe,” McMaster tells me — adding that Ayaneo plans to ship a native Playtron handheld by the end of 2024.
pleasereadthemanual 19 Mar 2024
Further excerpts from The Verge article:
Playtron will cost companies like Ayaneo a fraction of the price of Windows, he says, around $10 per head instead of the $80 that OEMs tell him they spend today. And he says games like Fortnite and Roblox shouldn’t have to fear hackers reverse engineering their anti-cheat solutions because its Fedora Silverblue base has an immutable file system. (I thought SteamOS was immutable, too, but I’ll let more knowledgeable Linux users argue that one.)
McMaster says he’s hired the developer behind Box86 to bring Windows games to efficient Arm-based silicon, potentially getting us out of the rut where today’s portable PCs max out at two to three hours of AAA gaming battery life.
If you’re wondering how a brand-new startup convinces hardware manufacturers and mobile carriers with what looks like a glorified games launcher and a few big ideas, you’re not alone. Even Playtron’s allies aren’t trying to claim this is a sure bet.
“It’s a game of conditional probabilities; 10 different things need to happen and each of them has a very low probability of success,” says Carlos Castellanos, an investor at Samsung Next who led Playtron’s first round of funding. Game publishers, hardware manufacturers, cellular carriers, and the community would all need to be engaged.
That said, Lagerling also helped broker Google’s short-lived purchase of Motorola, and McMaster probably destroyed CyanogenMod while trying to turn it into CyanogenOS. He tells me he learned that you shouldn’t try to commercialize an open-source project with a significant history because it can lead to culture wars — but says that, this time, everyone’s aligned from the start.
“They all have the open-source ethos, but they’re all gamers... they want to build an open source operating system that allows them to play unencumbered.”
Playtron hasn’t quite decided just how open source it’ll be, though, and how much it will cater to Linux power gamers versus the next hundred million that Playtron hopes to bring into the fold. McMaster tells me Playtron’s definitely skewing more toward the ease of use of a Nintendo Switch, partnering with Perplexity on an AI agent that could keep “core-casual” gamers from ditching games prematurely just because they got stuck on a challenge or puzzle. There’ll be no Linux desktop mode.
And yet, Playtron’s also hoping to get help from Linux power users, releasing a public alpha in the next 60 days so the community can request features, contribute to code repositories if they can, and help improve game compatibility by building launch configs and test scripts.
Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais now tells me the company’s finally working directly with other companies to bring SteamOS to its handhelds
that reminds me of smach z, they promissed make an controler that even valve cant match in an computer with good specs and many other things, initially they said they were going to use linux for some reason, but then, they felt enough pressure to change to windows and...Oh goodness, I haven't heard the Smach Z mentioned in aaaaaaaaaaaages!
where are they again anyway?
took people money then disapear?
The last stuff I heard was by way of this video about the continued lack of a prototype and the company's president being in hiding, and that was five years ago.
The Verge article is very enlightening on many subjects. Please give it a read if you haven't: https://www.theverge.com/24090470/playtron-gaming-os-linux-handhelds-exclusiveHang on a minute, Ayaneo already bailed on a Linux-based machine this year once as it is!
Further excerpts from The Verge article:
Playtron will cost companies like Ayaneo a fraction of the price of Windows, he says, around $10 per head instead of the $80 that OEMs tell him they spend today. And he says games like Fortnite and Roblox shouldn’t have to fear hackers reverse engineering their anti-cheat solutions because its Fedora Silverblue base has an immutable file system. (I thought SteamOS was immutable, too, but I’ll let more knowledgeable Linux users argue that one.)
Last edited by Pengling on 19 Mar 2024 at 1:38 am UTC
It very much sounds like a scam to extract money from venture capitalists.well at least it will be from venture capitalists lol
The Verge article is very enlightening on many subjects. Please give it a read if you haven't: https://www.theverge.com/24090470/playtron-gaming-os-linux-handhelds-exclusive
Further excerpts from The Verge article:
Playtron will cost companies like Ayaneo a fraction of the price of Windows, he says, around $10 per head instead of the $80 that OEMs tell him they spend today. And he says games like Fortnite and Roblox shouldn’t have to fear hackers reverse engineering their anti-cheat solutions because its Fedora Silverblue base has an immutable file system. (I thought SteamOS was immutable, too, but I’ll let more knowledgeable Linux users argue that one.)
what a load of bullshit.
imutable distros arent that hard to break into, at the worst case scenario you fork it and sundely you have an system with anti cheat disabled.
or maybe their anti cheat solution is proprietary but then they enter in a minefield of GPL.
pleasereadthemanual 19 Mar 2024
Hang on a minute, Ayaneo already bailed on a Linux-based machine this year once as it is!They did.
But the quote that makes me laugh and laugh is this:
And he says games like Fortnite and Roblox shouldn’t have to fear hackers reverse engineering their anti-cheat solutions because its Fedora Silverblue base has an immutable file system.
They did.A Linux-user never forgets!
But the quote that makes me laugh and laugh is this:I wonder what their special-sauce is for getting these companies who refuse to support Linux to support Linux?
And he says games like Fortnite and Roblox shouldn’t have to fear hackers reverse engineering their anti-cheat solutions because its Fedora Silverblue base has an immutable file system.
I mean, really, this comes right off of the back of Roblox recently blocking Linux when they didn't before...
Last edited by Pengling on 19 Mar 2024 at 2:04 am UTC
Please don't make fun of them.It very much sounds like a scam to extract money from venture capitalists.. . . Mind you, I don't have a big problem with that. Those folks clearly need money extracted from them.
Just like cows who will be in pain if not milked, venture capitalists are in pain if money is not extracted :(
It very much sounds like a scam to extract money from venture capitalists.well at least it will be from venture capitalists lol
Well, sadly this money isn't their own but from the small people in search of a way to invest a little money to supplement their pension, whom they sell shitty financial products with big promises but no real return.
Last edited by Tevur on 19 Mar 2024 at 8:23 am UTC
yeah you probably is right =\It very much sounds like a scam to extract money from venture capitalists.well at least it will be from venture capitalists lol
Well, sadly this money isn't their own but from the small people in search of a way to invest a little money to supplement their pension, whom they sell shitty financial products with big promises but no real return.
One of the videos used in The Verge's article supplied by Playtron was also hit with a copyright strike, as Playtron took it from someone. Not a good start....
Many others are involved who have developer experience from the likes of Google, Amazon, Red Hat, Meta, Samsung, SEGA and more.
Do any of the people from these companies have actually said they're involved in Playtron and do they work for Playtron?
With the video being stolen this is starting to smell more like a scam that's trying to look legit by throwing around big names.
Do any of the people from these companies have actually said they're involved in Playtron and do they work for Playtron?They work for Playtron, previously at those other companies. Added "previously" to clarify that.
Last edited by Liam Dawe on 19 Mar 2024 at 1:47 pm UTC
And something more interesting for linux gaming than another console.
Oh man, I just realised how problematic this claim is, too - they're literally talking about including a means to cheat!McMaster tells me Playtron’s definitely skewing more toward the ease of use of a Nintendo Switch, partnering with Perplexity on an AI agent that could keep “core-casual” gamers from ditching games prematurely just because they got stuck on a challenge or puzzle. There’ll be no Linux desktop mode.
And that, at the same time as claiming this will allow Fortnite and Roblox when even Valve couldn't make that happen. As an aside, I don't see what including a cheat-engine has got to do with the ease-of-use of a Nintendo Switch - Nintendo might be fine with allowing cheaters on their paid online service, but they don't provide customers with the means to do so.
Now we wait and see if they do more than just a mix of Lutris, Heroic and Linux with a bit of duct tape.
I'd love to see more platforms in OpenSource being supported , MS Gamepass,Rockstar, countless others where the OpenSource community hasn't solved the puzzle yet.
Just getting money out of community projects is lame.
At the moment, what I'm seeing is lots of promises and very little evidence to demonstrate that they can achieve their goals.
Do any of the people from these companies have actually said they're involved in Playtron and do they work for Playtron?They work for Playtron, previously at those other companies. Added "previously" to clarify that.
Fair enough, then it seems it's not a complete sham. But then it's really weird that they have all these experienced people and they make such a stupid decision of grabbing someones elses video.
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