Steam Deck Runs Arch Linux

Discussion in 'News' started by booman, Jul 15, 2021.

Comments

Discussion in 'News' started by booman, Jul 15, 2021.

  1. Daerandin
    I was not aware that SteamOS 3.0 is Arch-based. The previous versions were based on Debian. I would not say that it "runs" Arch, since it's just a derivative. I am assuming they run their own software repos with well tested software versions. But if it uses pacman as the package manager, well that is cool, since pacman is very fast.

    It makes more sense now why Steam has been pushing so hard to get games running on Linux, because now we get a portable console that runs Linux. I might consider getting one of these in time, would be awesome to have it for travels.
    booman likes this.
  2. booman
    [quote="Daerandin,[/quote]
    Yeah, I'm surprised they went this route after Steam Machines didn't succeed as well as we thought. My biggest concern is the list of Steam games compatible with it. Most of my Steam games run great in Linux with Proton or native ports, but that is on a full desktop with dedicated video card and stable drivers. Hopefully they have nailed the drivers for the embedded GPU chip they are using to make games run smoothly.

    I'm sure there are limitations with certain games, but the list continues to grow with proton.
    Daerandin likes this.
  3. Daerandin
    From what I could read, it's using a c ustom AMD APU, I assume that is with integrated graphics. All newer AMD graphics (roughly 2016 and newer if I remember correctly) use the open source amdgpu driver, which is working perfectly.

    The monitor on the deck is 1280 x 800, this is not a demanding resolution so I expect most games will run smoothly. Even better, if this thing becomes popular then I expect more developers to ensure their games will run on Linux, or at least test their games with Proton to ensure it works. Maybe some developers will even contribute to Proton itself to ensure greater compatibility with games.
    booman likes this.
  4. booman
    I didn't think about the resolution... hopefully it looks nice on that tiny display.
    I'm just surprised about the games Valve is showing that are compatible:
    • Doom Eternal
    • Control
    • Jedi Fallen Order
    Can these game really run on that device and have a smooth frame rate?
  5. Daerandin
    I read a bit more about the graphics on the Deck, it's apparently the same type used on PS5 and XBOX Series X, just scaled down. The lower resolution probably helps to get games running smoothly, and I can't speak for the other games, but you could probably run Doom Eternal smoothly on a computer several years old. Even though the graphics are amazing, it is very easy on your hardware.

    The docking stuff seems interesting too, so you can play it on a larger monitor, and attach keyboard and mouse. And since you have the desktop available too, you can probably set it up to run other games as well, either native Linux games or simply using Wine.
    booman likes this.
  6. booman
    I see a huge opportunity to play my games while travelling. Like at a hotel
    But honestly I'm happy with my Samsung Galaxy A51 and the arcade game on it.
    My Steam library is more for sitting at home with huge 27" screen in 1920x1080 and surround sound.

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