Lenovo are testing the water with one device rather than going all in.
Exactly! I just might buy this one to give Linux a slight boost.
I’m really interested in how a different OEM handles SteamOS. Will the OS be locked down right from Valve? Or will Valve allow some OEM bloat (MyAsus) to be running on the device?
There is one issue where I want Valve to become a bit flexible; easy installation of 3rd party launchers. I know it’s against their interests to do so (even though the community has come up with alternatives and thankfully Valve is not stopping them). However, majority of people get confused and state that it’s not possible to play Epic/GoG games. Maybe Valve will take a small hit in sales because of this but Linux gaming will improve in the long run.
Yeah I agree with you. A steam deck “app store” to more easily add in plugins or third party launchers would be ideal.
It almost seems essential if SteamOS is going to run on other manufacturers platforms. Decky loader and other similar plugins are part of the way there, but a route for installing a curated selection of Linux based tools and apps seems ideal. It’s certainly easily in their power.
I do wonder though if they don’t want Steam Deck to drift too far from the Windows and Linux apps, but I think it would be in their interest to open up the gyroscope interface in this way on steam deck and make it easier for less technically savy people (or just convenient to bypass the desktop mode). Although the Steam Deck app feels like the windows and Linux apps, it is basically the main interface for the whole OS for most people.
Exactly! I just might buy this one to give Linux a slight boost.
I’m really interested in how a different OEM handles SteamOS. Will the OS be locked down right from Valve? Or will Valve allow some OEM bloat (MyAsus) to be running on the device?
There is one issue where I want Valve to become a bit flexible; easy installation of 3rd party launchers. I know it’s against their interests to do so (even though the community has come up with alternatives and thankfully Valve is not stopping them). However, majority of people get confused and state that it’s not possible to play Epic/GoG games. Maybe Valve will take a small hit in sales because of this but Linux gaming will improve in the long run.
Yeah I agree with you. A steam deck “app store” to more easily add in plugins or third party launchers would be ideal.
It almost seems essential if SteamOS is going to run on other manufacturers platforms. Decky loader and other similar plugins are part of the way there, but a route for installing a curated selection of Linux based tools and apps seems ideal. It’s certainly easily in their power.
I do wonder though if they don’t want Steam Deck to drift too far from the Windows and Linux apps, but I think it would be in their interest to open up the gyroscope interface in this way on steam deck and make it easier for less technically savy people (or just convenient to bypass the desktop mode). Although the Steam Deck app feels like the windows and Linux apps, it is basically the main interface for the whole OS for most people.