[MusicallyInspired]

Not all games perform worse on Linux than Windows. It depends on if they're created to support it from the get go, which if SteamOS takes off, more and more will be. But Valve games, for instance, perform a little better on Linux than Windows.

[Duke of Hazzard]

MrBlackCat, on 14 November 2015 - 06:16 PM, said:

Windows PC

SteamOS is a streamlined Linux distro. Therefore, no "Windows PC".

Balls Of Steel Forever, on 14 November 2015 - 08:33 PM, said:

SteamOS gaming performs significantly worse than Windows, Ars analysis shows:

Because God forbid that games primarily written for DirectX API perform better on Windows...

[MrBlackCat]

Duke of Hazzard, on 15 November 2015 - 08:15 AM, said:

SteamOS is a streamlined Linux distro. Therefore, no "Windows PC".

I understand... is more likely Steam OS is a "good thing" for its intended purpose than not. That was part of my point of keeping something "single focus" or at least on a more narrow band. Is why Chic Filet sells primarily chicken. Get good at one thing rather than mediocre at multiple things, or worse at "everything".
This is also why I have concerns with game consoles adding support for other so many other things... it will reduce reliability and take away from their primary function of playing games reliably. I have always welcomed the idea of the "Internet Appliance", but so many web sites rely so heavily on Windows as the target OS, it is challenging/limiting for something like Chrome... but I think with players as big as Google and Sony trying to get a slice of that, there will be sufficient pressure to reduce MS influence enough to allow them to exist and we can have plenty of reliable and functional non-Windows PC based browsing.

Duke of Hazzard said:

Because God forbid that games primarily written for DirectX API perform better on Windows...

Exactly this... comparing systems is a tough one because of the architecture it is developed on/for and how much adaptation there is to each different systems port. In theory, the current gen consoles should handle this better than ever before and be there SHOULD be less distance between them in terms of performance regardless of development machine/system to Port X-Y-Z. I don't have a PS4 or XBox1 or a Modern Windows PC to compare how this might be going. I can tell you this though... I welcome anything like the Steam OS "box" thingy. Having more system options I don't think has ever been a bad thing. I am aware of how subjective this can be due to the complexity increases in modern gaming however.


I hope it works well and fills a nitch for people who like things that "just work", but has a higher degree of age-resistance due to being able to upgrade for a bit.
Complex narrow purpose OS's and Network OS's have been doing this since PC hardware has existed... in the form of hardware compatibility lists and supported hardware. (e.g. Novel Netware) In the 90's our computer support company stocked all the Novel Netware compatible parts on the shelf. Was great. They do this for none other than "reliability". So why not a gaming OS that works this way?

GO STEAM OS!

MrBlackCat