Hyped about the devices we're going to see over the next year or so. Should be just in time to replace my first release Steam Deck as a noticeable upgrade.

[–] thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.works 16 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I know, right?!

I just hope that there’s enough movement in the market to not just push more developers to support Linux as a platform, but to disincentivise them from punishing players through lack of anti-cheat / incompatible DRM.

Also, low-key hyped for the (hopefully) eventual Steam Deck 2 once the market has re-aligned to a ‘new normal’ and Valve can once again push the envelope further!

[–] cRazi_man@lemm.ee 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

I hope so too, but I don't think a shift that big is coming any time soon.

Linux users are still a tiny proportion of the online player base. Steam Deck sales are negligible compared to Switch or console sales.

I hope it happens eventually,but I think it's going to take much longer for AAA gaming corps to take Linux seriously.

[–] thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I know the whole “Year of Linux” is a worn-out meme by now; but things are a joke, until their not - best case in point would be AMD CPUs pre-Ryzen compared to now.

Steam Deck sales may not compare favourably to Switch / Console sales - it’s hard to say as Valve are privately owned and under no obligation to publish numbers. But all of a sudden, we can add a not insignificant portion of Windows handheld users to the mix (not 100%, but not 0% either).

Microsoft clearly sees this as an emerging risk, which is why they’re partnering to create an Xbox-branded handheld.

In terms of online representation - it’s also a case of chicken and egg. Online games don’t support Linux due to anti-cheat implementations, so online gamers don’t use Linux. Plenty of single-player offline experiences exist for us!

[–] cRazi_man@lemm.ee 2 points 3 days ago

Agree with all that. "The year of Linux" will be built up to incrementally; and the fact that gaming is so good on Linux pushes that a long way.

The Steam Deck is what pushed me to change to full-time PC Linux myself. Having hardware with pre-installed Linux that works flawlessly has been great.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 days ago

I only got my deck last year, so it think I can hold off until the Deckard. Kind of okay paying 3 times as much for VR to not have it tied to Meta/Zuck.

[–] Asetru@feddit.org 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Had my deck preordered and am still using it regularly. I'm really happy with it and just recommended the oled to a friend. Just out of curiosity: why would you want to upgrade it already?

[–] cRazi_man@lemm.ee 1 points 4 days ago

Mine was a pre-release preorder as well.

I wouldn't upgrade it now. Knowing me, I'll probably end up waiting till 2027 and buy a secondhand device from 2026.

I mostly play indie 2D games, so games I want still work fine. The revised Deck has a bunch of improvements I would have liked (OLED, WiFi 6, etc). If there are enough improvements in usability (screen, WiFi, size, battery, hardware power), then I'll upgrade and give the old device to my kids (who currently use it for more than 75% of the time anyway).