For Linux Enthusiasts Especially, The Steam Deck Is An Incredible & Fun Device
The most fun and promising Linux-powered gaming device for the masses though is launching today: Valve's Steam Deck. I've been fortunate to be testing out this Arch Linux derived handheld game console the past month and it has been working out very well -- both as a portable Steam gaming device but making it even more compelling from the Linux enthusiast angle is its "developer mode" that effectively turns it into a general Linux handheld and also being free to load your own Linux distribution of choice.
[...] [The] much anticipated Valve handheld gaming computer that features a 7-inch 1280 x 800 display, gaming-optimized controls, 16GB of LPDDR5 memory, 64GB to 512GB of storage depending on model, and is powered by a custom AMD APU. The AMD APU is made up of four Zen 2 cores (8 threads) and an AMD RDNA2 GPU with 8 compute units.
[...] On the software side, the Steam Deck is using SteamOS 3.0 that in turn is based on Arch Linux. SteamOS 3.0 is a complete overhaul compared to Valve's prior SteamOS work that is based on Debian GNU/Linux. SteamOS 3.0 with Arch Linux is much more fast-moving and has been seeing near-daily updates in preparation for launch.
See also:
Valve releases Steam Deck handheld PC to select few
Steam Deck review: it's not ready
The Steam Deck is already the emulation system of my dreams
Steam Deck: The comprehensive Ars Technica review
Steam Deck Review: Valve's Handheld Has Big PC Energy
Gabe Newell talks Steam Deck, crypto risks and why the PC industry "won't tolerate" closed platforms
Developers praise the Steam Deck: 'It just works, for real'
Valve Steam Deck Hardware Review & Analysis: Thermals, Noise, Power, & Gaming Benchmarks (Gamers Nexus, 35m30s video)
Steam Deck Tear-Down: Build Quality, Disassembly, & VRM Analysis (Gamers Nexus, 34m24s video)
Steam Deck 1-Month Review: SteamOS Difficulties, Software, & User Experience (Gamers Nexus, 34m28s video)
Related Stories
Steam Deck is Valve's Switch-like portable PC: Starting at $399 this December
Steam Deck is Valve's Switch-like portable PC, starting at $399 this December
On Thursday, Valve took the wraps off its new Switch-like portable PC, now dubbed the Steam Deck, confirming that it is indeed the hardware Ars Technica wrote about earlier this year. The device will begin shipping later this year at a starting price of $399.
The hefty-looking console, which is 11.7 inches long, will launch at three price points, differentiated by built-in storage capacity, SSD speed ratings, and differently tempered glass on its screen. Those particular upgrades will cost $529 (256GB) and $649 (512GB, "anti-glare etched glass"). Both pricier bundles include a carrying case.
Valve Announces the "Steam Deck", a Handheld Gaming PC
Valve has announced a handheld gaming PC, the Steam Deck:
AMD + Valve Working On New Linux CPU Performance Scaling Design
Along with other optimizations to benefit the Steam Deck, AMD and Valve have been jointly working on CPU frequency/power scaling improvements to enhance the Steam Play gaming experience on modern AMD platforms running Linux.
It's no secret that the ACPI CPUFreq driver code has at times been less than ideal on recent AMD processors with delivering less than expected performance/behavior with being slow to ramp up to a higher performance state or otherwise coming up short of disabling the power management functionality outright. AMD hasn't traditionally worked on the Linux CPU frequency scaling code as much as Intel does to their P-State scaling driver and other areas of power management at large.
AMD is ramping up efforts in these areas including around the Linux scheduler given their recent hiring spree while it now looks like thanks to the Steam Deck there is renewed interest in better optimizing the CPU frequency scaling under Linux.
[...] AMD will be presenting more about this effort next month at [the X.Org Developers Conference (XDC)].
X.Org Developer's Conference: XDC2021, Virtual (formerly Gdańsk, Poland), September 15th through September 17th, 2021.
Previously: Steam Deck is Valve's Switch-Like Portable PC: Starting at $399 this December
Valve’s upcoming Steam Deck will be based on Arch Linux:
As Ars Technica confirmed in May, two months ahead of its official reveal, Valve is about to re-enter the hardware space with its first portable PC, the Steam Deck. This custom x86 PC resembles an XL version of the Nintendo Switch and will begin shipping to buyers by the end of 2021, starting at $399.
[...] Shipping on Linux cuts manufacturing costs for Steam, insulates the company from competition with the Microsoft Store on Windows, and avoids exposing Steam Deck players to the world's premiere malware ecosystem—which also runs on Windows.
[...] "The main reason [to switch to Arch] is the rolling updates [that support] more rapid development for SteamOS 3.0," Valve designer Lawrence Yang told PC Gamer. Yang says that Arch is a better choice given the massive number of updates, changes, and customizations Valve needs to make in order to provide the best gaming experience on the Steam Deck.
Valve promises that the Steam Deck will run "the entire Steam library" at 30+ fps, so that means a lot of customizations indeed.
Previously:
AMD + Valve Working on New Linux CPU Performance Scaling Design
Steam Deck is Valve's Switch-Like Portable PC: Starting at $399 this December
Valve Shares New Steam Deck Details, Proton Update Available For Testing
The recording from the livestream is embedded below for those interested, but some of the key takeaways from today's developer-focused Steam Deck event included:
- Steam Deck will use an immutable root file-system, albeit can be changed for developers/enthusiasts wanting more control over the system state. The immutable root file-system approach is similar to the likes of Fedora Silverblue.
- SteamOS 3.0 will be generally available in due course for those wanting to run the Arch-based Linux distribution on other hardware.
- SteamOS 3.0 is making use of PipeWire.
- Flatpak'ed apps will be supported.
- At least initially the Steam Deck is now making use of a global frame limiter but initially is being left up to the individual games to handle. We'll see how quickly such functionality or so is built into Gamescope.
- The AMD SoC powering the Steam Deck is codenamed "Aerith" and as previously reported is a quad-core Zen 2 design with RDNA2 graphics. The TDP range for Aerith is 4 to 15 Watts. The Steam Deck should support up to two 4K screens at 60Hz via the USB3/DP 1.4 DSC interface.
The Steam Link was a little box ahead of its time.
[...] Valve quietly discontinued the Steam Link gear in November 2018, but it didn't give up. These days, a Steam Link app can be found on most platforms, and Valve's sustained effort to move Linux-based (i.e., non-Windows-controlled) gaming forward has paid real dividends.
[...] As detailed in the Raspberry Pi blog, there were previously means of getting Steam Link working on Raspberry Pi devices
[...] Sam Lantinga from Valve worked with the Raspberry Pi team on optimizing for the Raspberry Pi 5 hardware. As of Steam Link 1.3.13 for the little board, Raspberry Pi 5 units could support up to 1080p at 144 frames per second (FPS) on the H.264 protocol and 4k at 60 FPS or 1080p at 240 FPS, presuming your primary gaming computer and network can support that.
[...] I have a documented preference for a Moonlight/Sunshine game streaming setup over Steam Link because I have better luck getting games streaming at their best on it. But it's hard to beat Steam Link for ease of setup
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Arch Linux Announces Collaboration With Valve - 20240930
Getting AAA Games Working in Linux Sometimes Requires Concealing Your GPU - 20230811
Linux Gaming Surges in Popularity - 20220503
Steam Deck Linux-Based Handheld Gaming Computer Launches - 20220227
Valve's Upcoming Steam Deck Will be Based on Arch Linux--Not Debian - 20210812
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(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 28 2022, @11:50PM (1 child)
Sometimes, I really miss aristarchus. The things he would say! Would've had some choice words for this Fine Article.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 01 2022, @05:41AM
Not sure if aristarchus ever admitted this, since he tended to just rely on empirical data over confessions gathered by extortion, but he may have been the one to constantly point out: IT'S JUST A FUCKING GAME! Why is my Tech news feed filled with games? Childish endeavors? Even the wargames are, as we all know, childish. And, if, we could achieve the goal of immersive Meta fuck-my-brains-out incel heaven, well, where does that leave us, technology speaking? It is just games, and advances in games are not necessarily advances in technology. (Unless, could you come up with a way to, you know, count cards at Blackjack? In a way that did not involve FatPhil getting his legs knee-capped?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by stretch611 on Tuesday March 01 2022, @01:01AM (10 children)
Mine is slated to be shipped in Q2. ...And that was getting one within the 1st 4 hours of being able to order. (It would have been first hour if the servers didn't get bogged down.)
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 5, Informative) by stretch611 on Tuesday March 01 2022, @01:14AM (9 children)
Forgot to add...
If you go to here [steampowered.com] (while logged in to steam) steam will tell you the compatibility of all the games it has tested in your library.
For me right now:
93 Deck Verified Games (fully functional on Steam Deck, and work great with the built-in controls and display.)
69 Deck Playable Games (functional on Steam Deck, but might require extra effort to interact with or configure.)
30 Unsupported Deck Games (currently don't function on Steam Deck.)
1,605 games untested by Steam.
Note: my profile shows only 1,544 games... So their testing or lack of testing includes free 2 play games and "profile limited" games
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Tuesday March 01 2022, @02:03AM
Docking can be an option if the control scheme or the screen size/resolution just doesn't cut it.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 01 2022, @02:15AM (5 children)
Thanks for the link!
As steam using linux gamer, I found it interesting to see several games I know to work fine on desktop linux to be in the explicitly unsupported list. I guess it could be performance or control issues, but even some low spec games like visual novels which work fine on linux are listed as unsupported. Infact all 7 explicitly unsupported games are ones I have run on linux without issue (though one did require a specific proton version).
Anyway, my stats for an extra data-point:
Supported: 19
Playable: 13
Unsupported: 7
Untested: 198
(Note that I have played a majority of the games in my library to completion on Linux: these numbers do not reflect actual Linux compatibility)
Early days here for the steam deck. Hopefully the support continues to improve, and they can ship enough units to make linux usage more worth considering for game developers. Valve has already helped drive huge progress for gaming on linux, and the steam deck should only help more.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by stretch611 on Tuesday March 01 2022, @03:03AM (4 children)
Actually are percentages are pretty close... (I too am a only linux gamer... most of my windows games are through bundles.. except for rare bits of nostalgia (20+ year old games), I only buy games with native linux support.)
Roughly 50% of tested games are verified, 35% are playable, and 15% are unplayable.
I did notice that anything VR related is automatically deemed incompatible with Steamdeck... even if there is a non-VR version that is verified. (also accounting for the discrepancy in number of games in my profile vs total games on the steam deck page.)
If the game requires a keyboard it seems to be "playable" as there is a virtual keyboard available... But it likely depends on the game and how well t can be played via controller only.
One game in my library (Insurgency) is listed as unplayable due to an unsupported anti-cheat software... Despite the fact a native linux build exists.
You can hover over a game on the deck-verified page and click on the box "Steam Deck Compatibility" to get the reason why any particular title is supported or not on the deck.
Also, a few games in my library are actually in the process of tweeking their game specifically for the Steam Deck. (progress varies on titles) Oddly one of these is Factorio which is listed as playable, not verified, despite being featured in some of the steamdeck release footage. (others are Rimworld, Terraria, American and Euro Truck Simulator.)
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 01 2022, @06:21AM (3 children)
yes, would be interesting to know if the htc vive works and what "vr ready-ness" the steam-own test program would report? anyone run that yet? *big-eyes-pls*
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday March 01 2022, @04:05PM (2 children)
I have an HTC-Vive, but don't own a Steam Deck. My guess is that SteamVR would "work", but most games would have issues. Even, if the hardware could run it. As my foray into SteamVR + Linux was a very lack luster experience. I may give it another try eventually, but I'm not that interested in spending my free time, doing work.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday March 01 2022, @05:39PM (1 child)
Valve On Steam Deck VR: ‘Technically’ Possible, But Not Optimized [uploadvr.com]
Gabe Newell: Steam Deck A ‘Stepping Stone’ To ‘High Performance’ Standalone VR [uploadvr.com]
Valve talks Steam Deck 2 plans with hints towards VR support [tomsguide.com]
My guess is that a Steam Deck 2 could use Zen 4C + RDNA4 on TSMC N4 (optimized "5nm") around 2024, and that they may consider putting that chip in a standalone x86-based VR headset.
The minor Van Gogh update "Dragon Crest" [notebookcheck.net] will get used in some laptops, if it materializes at all.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 01 2022, @07:37PM
okay ...well ... hmmm... well i guess i am getting old and my opinion on replacing the whole house because one toilet seat cracked is from the history books.
a bit more serious, maybe, i see the capitalistic appeal of throwing away a perfectly good wonder of modern technology just because "the battery fail" 'cause its welded/glued to everything else.
in short: pls.don't attach/glue the vr display to the rest. we want options and competition with vr display hardware (tho prolly until its really manstream, the market has consilidated to three or so lcd vr panels factories behind the scenes with the many available "brands" just being stickers and cost-cutting) :(
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday March 01 2022, @03:59PM
Did the include software/servers/etc in that 1,605 list? I mean, in the event that none of the numbers in your library add-up to the numbers given, then it's likely as you say, "free 2 play" games are included.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by WizardFusion on Tuesday March 01 2022, @04:19PM
I like this version, it's cleaner to read - https://checkmydeck.herokuapp.com [herokuapp.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 01 2022, @05:33AM (3 children)
..or do people need reminding that a Linux commercial device is no different from a Windows commercial device when there's no source and binary blobs?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 01 2022, @06:23AM
i think you need to ask AMD for that (source code for hardware)... tho i think anyone can use/program it. no login, password, cloud account required ...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 01 2022, @07:28AM
> ..or do people need reminding that a Linux commercial device is no different from a Windows commercial device when there's no source and binary blobs?
I see your point, but I'd still rather use closed hardware with Linux/BSD if I had to rather than closed hardware with closed Windows.[1]
[1] Which is what most people use, closed HW/SF because they are fucking stupid.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Mojibake Tengu on Tuesday March 01 2022, @09:54AM
https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/SteamDeck/hardware [gitlab.steamos.cloud]
Rust programming language offends both my Intelligence and my Spirit.