It is about Steam users and by that mostly people who play games.
And beside the small gaulic village, that is still fighting against DRM - Steam IS pc gaming.

There is the opt out (but I think it is opt out and not opt in, so most won't do anything about), but when it comes to numbers about pc gamers - that the best we got.

Mac numbers might be more reliable then Linux numbers, mostly because of the old joke how to find out who is using apple - "They will tell you".
While Windows users might be somewhere in the middle.
Thing is, if memory serves, highest percentage within Linux is the Linux that is used on Steam Deck. Those I would call more the console player type and less the tech savvy Linux pro.

But to be honest. If one of the dozend Linux Distris would be 0,2% higher or if Linux in total would be 1% higher or Mac.
Windows is roughly at 95%. Make that 94 or 93 or even 90
For anyone who is selling on GoG, with a much smaller number of total sales - supporting anything but windows needs to be your passion, because for most it won't pay the bill.


And talking about Steam.
If those 5% doing much for them is questionable too.
Supporting _anything_ beside an Microsoft OS is a passion project of GabN.
If it worth the input - nobody knows, because Steam is privately owned and does make a shitload of money - and GabN doesn't care if his pet project makes money.

If Valve prices the Steam Machine as competitively as they did with the Deck and the linux marketshare keeps increasing, at some point gog will have to consider the penguin as an opportunity for growth (and hopefully in the future, as an opportunity for survival too). But as far as gog's economy is concerned, it seems that such idea should be completely out of the question at the moment and also for the foreseeable future, just like it has been for many many years already.

Would that actually mean Linux is more profitable for other storefronts or only Steam? Because Steam has by far the biggest user base, who will not touch anything but Steam. Linux growing may not mean stores like ZP or GOG will gain much profit from Linux. Just my opinion tho.

Most users don't see Linux when comes to steamOS.

Wasn't the whole Clippy thing about fighting enshittification? For reference, the thread poster's current avatar picture is an MS Clippy.

With all the effort of SteamOS, SteamMachine and so on, Steam managed to increase the Share of Linux from a bit below 2% to nowadays a bit more then 3%.
This does make an increase in total share of 1% over the last decade.

By that rate you and me will be dead, before the marked share of Linux is big enough to care about...

Or in other words, MS would have to fuck up on an epic never seen level, because it won't happend because of Linux strength, but only MS weakness.

And btw, from all the Distributions of Linux, the share of the SteamOS base is the highest - with 0,3% total share.
Yes, all those SteamMachines and whatever make roughly 0,3% of the Steam Userbase (not included the HW that was updated with another OS, Windows for example...)

Now being evil, Valve aims for 0,5%.

You're right. I didn't mean to articulate that Valve's success could equate to gog's; but rather, that the potential increased adoption of a new linux-based OS by gog's target audience (gamers) could open up an opportunity that, if harnessed (to whatever degree it'd be possible for them to do so (especially considering your point)), may lead to increased profits or just to quell possible losses. I don't see that happening any time soon though :S.

Can't wait for them to quicky ditch steam controller support again and drop Steam machine support quickly again as they had dropped both fairly quickly last go around they tried with em from lack of people buying into these products from reports I read .

That still would not get a monthly subscription from me (nothing would), but I would for sure buy the entire contents of my wishlist on the spot.

GOG going back to DRM-free after 10 years pushing in favour of DRM creep would be a surprise, but of the very good kind!

Coulda sworn I just watched a video about a customer service abandonment of RDNA 2 or 3....or both.......this would be hilarious xD

Machines dropped before being sold that is.

They are not available anywhere yet. They are getting released sometime in the beginning of next year. They have not even announced the prices on them yet.

Curious development. Definitely not in the market for any hardware as my aging mid-range rig still works plenty well, and I use my Mac mini for general comp use.

It makes me wonder though if Valve is ever going to release SteamOS to the public for general use. Something I might definitely consider trying along other Linux variants as my Win10 extended lifespan only lasts until next Fall. I'm not interested in Win11 AI-/ad-/bloatware, and I'm not getting my hopes up that the eventual Win12 will be any better. Heh.

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/65B4-2AA3-5F37-4227

You can use the SteamOS image and install it on other devices than the Deck.

True, but the system needs to be an AMD CPU and GPU combo in order to work. The CPU is not a problem for most...but the Steam Hardware Survey shows that the overwhelming majority of Steam users are running an nVidia GPU.

Besides, leave it to the Linux coders to pull a 'fine, I'll do it myself' and release several distros that mimic SteamOS in one or more ways. Bazzite, ChimeraOS, CachyOS Handheld Edition and Nobara are all available. IMHO, Bazzite and CachyOS HE have the best 'feeling' like Steam OS but I recommend researching each OS prior to pulling the trigger.

Edit: Removed 'cannot' before 'recommend researching;' I was thinking of writing something else and somehow left it in.

That’s true, SteamOS doesn’t play well with NVIDIA. I just wanted to point out that SteamOS, as it stands right now, is publicly available. There are guides online showing how to make a bootable USB with the image and install it on a regular PC. Well… a regular PC with AMD chips, that is.

edit: and might as well add that I do not think that is going to change either. After all, the new Steam Machine uses an AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T CPU, and AMD RDNA3 28CUs GPU.