Steam for Linux open beta

By Mathiasdm
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Mentor

Mathiasdm

Posted
Posted

Steam for Linux Beta Now Available to All

The Steam for Linux beta client is now available to all Steam users, so if you've been patiently waiting for an invitation to join us, consider yourself officially invited!

With a growing catalog of Linux-supported games, an active Steam for Linux community group, and a new GitHub bug reporting repository, the timing?s right to jump in and share your feedback.

Source: http://store.steampowered.com/news/9638/

  • Glassed Silver and Reacon
  • Like 2
Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1126866-steam-for-linux-open-beta/
Share on other sites
Grand Master

Aergan

Posted
Posted

They're expanding their market to other platforms and that's a good thing. It's hardly "the end of Windows".

Props to them for having a Github repository.

Grand Master

Pupik

Posted
Posted

So This is the end of Windows.

Yeah, because that's what happened when Steam was released for OSX (What, like two years ago?). Everything was changed and people moved to Mac, after dumping their gaming machines and forgetting about Windows.

And the game developers? They just rushed in and developed their games to support OSX, too.

Grand Master

threetonesun

Posted
Posted

Yeah, because that's what happened when Steam was released for OSX (What, like two years ago?). Everything was changed and people moved to Mac, after dumping their gaming machines and forgetting about Windows.

And the game developers? They just rushed in and developed their games to support OSX, too.

Well, you can't run any video card on a mac, and the ones they do spec are often sadly outdated. Also Apple controls the driver releases.

So... Linux is at least starting out better.

Grand Master

Duffydemon

Posted
Posted

Yeah, because that's what happened when Steam was released for OSX (What, like two years ago?). Everything was changed and people moved to Mac, after dumping their gaming machines and forgetting about Windows.

And the game developers? They just rushed in and developed their games to support OSX, too.

forgot my /FOSSnazi tag.

Grand Master

firey

Posted
Posted

Why?

Windows 8...

Due to Windows 8, and the quality Linux Distros coming out, I think more and more people are taking the plunge. Currently the major hold back is gaming. If my games ran on Linux without issue, I would likely be using it as a daily driver. I don't like/agree with the direction Microsoft is going, and it's unfortunate that the only way to have my computer as I want it, is to stick with an older version of Windows.

That, in my opinion, is why.

  • Glassed Silver and f0rk_b0mb
  • Like 2
Grand Master

threetonesun

Posted
Posted

That, in my opinion, is why.

Opinions are great, and all, but the answer to "why" is because Steam is creating its own console which will be built on Linux, and this is a) a great side benefit for those of us on PCs, and b) a huge QA opportunity.

It's not like Linux gaming hasn't had a chance in the past. Back when the choice was the relatively crap Windows ME, and Red Hat was making a real push and was still free, ID and a few other companies released Linux versions of games, that you could actually find at the store and buy in a box. It's never been a Windows vs. Linux thing.

Grand Master

+Majesticmerc MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

Why?

Two reasons.

First, the Linux gaming market is basically untapped. There aren't many of us, but that's probably because there aren't many games (chicken/egg scenario). There is money to be made however, since the Humble Indie Bundles consistently show that Linux users pay more for their bundles than Windows and Mac, so that's got to mean something.

Second, the Steam console is coming, and it will run Linux. Releasing the Steam Linux beta is basically a sly beta test for the Steam client that will be used in the console. Getting developers to write games for Linux will also give them a bigger collection of launch games when they finally release the Steam box.

Community Regular

ingramator

Posted
Posted

Opinions are great, and all, but the answer to "why" is because Steam is creating its own console which will be built on Linux, and this is a) a great side benefit for those of us on PCs, and b) a huge QA opportunity.

It's not like Linux gaming hasn't had a chance in the past. Back when the choice was the relatively crap Windows ME, and Red Hat was making a real push and was still free, ID and a few other companies released Linux versions of games, that you could actually find at the store and buy in a box. It's never been a Windows vs. Linux thing.

Truth. Valve do not care about linux users at all, the whole Windows 8 is bad thing is just a complete bull crap scape goat reason for trying to cover up the fact they want to have their own gaming machine, which will have to run linux.

Windows 8...

Due to Windows 8, and the quality Linux Distros coming out, I think more and more people are taking the plunge. Currently the major hold back is gaming. If my games ran on Linux without issue, I would likely be using it as a daily driver. I don't like/agree with the direction Microsoft is going, and it's unfortunate that the only way to have my computer as I want it, is to stick with an older version of Windows.

That, in my opinion, is why.

Linux is great for a lot of things, namely hacking, however it is not good at gaming nor will it ever be. Drivers, support, market share and above all -fragmentation are going to continue to hold it back. Microsoft have not done anything to stomp out steam, so I don't know what you mean by the direction they are headed because last time I checked, steam was running on this Windows 8 box just fine, exactly the same (if not faster :p) then it was on Windows 7.

Grand Master

n_K

Posted
Posted

I was invited to the beta and since I was I got the introvision software bundle, torchlight 2 (even though it doesn't have support for linux) and I'll be getting red orchestra 2 if/when it's ported to linux.

I think that can finally put an end the endless amounts of bull**** I've kept hearing over the years of 'oh its linux, people dont pay for software'

Grand Master

theyarecomingforyou

Posted
Posted
Truth. Valve do not care about linux users at all, the whole Windows 8 is bad thing is just a complete bull crap scape goat reason for trying to cover up the fact they want to have their own gaming machine, which will have to run linux.

Valve has significantly advanced gaming on OSX through SteamPlay and it's continuing that momentum by throwing its weight behind Linux. I don't see why you feel the need to complain when Valve is doing more to advance gaming on the platform that virtually every other company combined. It's even been helping nVidia improve their Linux drivers. Valve has a long history of working for gamers and advancing the platform - your cynicism is baseless.

Mentor

grik

Posted
Posted

Thanks to Valve i now buy games and have fun with the community. On the old days we had to separate everything. Of course this can be dangerious if they take the whole market, witch i dont think that is going to happend.

Valve does a great job updating their games and a strong engine.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • Waymo recalls self-driving software after cars enter closed freeway work zones

      By zikalify · Posted

      Waymo recalls self-driving software after cars enter closed freeway work zones by Paul Hill Waymo, the self-driving car maker owned by Alphabet – the parent company of Google –, has recalled some of its fifth-generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS). It did so after some of its cars drove through closed construction zones. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the affected vehicles were capable of driving through a closed freeway construction zone and continuing to drive at speed. The listing on the NHTSA website says that Waymo is currently developing a solution to fix this issue, but in the meantime, freeway driving is being restricted. Waymo will update its ADS software so that vehicles can detect when they can avoid entering construction zones. According to the Safety Recall Report, on April 20, 2026, Waymo’s Field Safety Committee began meetings reviewing an event from April 11, 2026, and five events from April 19, 2026, where Waymo’s autonomous vehicles didn’t recognize and drove past ramp closure signs into the pre-planned freeway construction zones. This took place in Phoenix, Arizona. Separately, on May 18, 2026, seven Waymo vehicles entered freeway lanes with active construction in the San Francisco Bay Area by driving between cones that were placed to show the lane was closed. On the back of both of these events, Waymo restricted freeway driving until it could address the issue. In June, Waymo’s Safety Board reviewed the issue and additional information related to ADS performances around construction zones; then, as a result, it decided to conduct a recall. This development is not good for Waymo as it adds to a growing list of technical hiccups its cars have experienced. Ultimately, it will lead to more scrutiny from lawmakers around the world who will be more cautious about letting autonomous vehicles on their roads without tighter regulation. For readers in areas where Waymo operates, does this news make you more wary about stepping into one of these vehicles?
    • Microsoft confirms Recycle Bin bug across all versions of Windows

      By snowy owl · Posted

      I'm still on Windows 10 22H2 because I didn't want to deal with all the issues in Windows 11, so I waited almost a week before installing the latest Patch Tuesday update (KB5094127), I went ahead and did it, and it was a huge mistake—ever since then, my File Explorer has seen a performance drop of about 30% when transferring large files... Once again, Microsoft has outdone itself! This update cannot be uninstalled, either through the Control Panel (via Settings) or by accessing Advanced Startup Options. The only possible alternative would be to use system restore points, but I’d have to reinstall all app and driver updates (and there’s no guarantee it would work). Or there’s the “nuclear option” of a in-place repair without losing files or apps, but even then, all my customizations would be lost! Microsoft just can’t help but mess everything up! Way to go, Microsoft! But I still don’t want your c****y Windows 11!
    • Microsoft: Windows 11 could finally solve a major issue across AMD, Nvidia, and Intel GPUs

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Microsoft: Windows 11 could finally solve a major issue across AMD, Nvidia, and Intel GPUs by Sayan Sen While Microsoft has been trying to improve it, Windows 11 is definitely not flawless, as even today some issues are taking a year to publicly acknowledge. However, one area of trouble that may finally see much better results soon is graphics driver crashes. Work on graphics driver timeouts, also called Timeout and Detection Recovery (TDR), is not new as the latest WDDM 3.2 also has specific improvements regarding it. Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) version 3.2 is supported on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. However, with the upcoming version 26H2, TDR crash diagnosis could go to the next level as Microsoft is introducing a new DirectX 12 API feature called "DirectX Dump Files". Similar to how system memory dump files work when a system crashes or freezes or encounters any such major issue, DirectX Dump Files (DDF) will essentially record a snapshot of the GPU execution right at the moment a graphics-related crash or hang or freeze occurs, so that developers can better understand and diagnoze these TDR and timeout detection errors. The dump will be available as a .dxdmp file for analysis and it will be a comprehensive dump file generated with detailed insights about the hardware, drivers, Windows, as well as the affected application. This should be another welcome change in this department. Earlier at GDC 2026, when the technology was first debuted, Microsoft had shared more details regarding it. The company had explained how DDF is designed to gather data from every layer of the graphics stack into a single file, eliminating the need for developers to manually correlate logs from multiple tools. As mentioned above, the dump can contain a lot of useful details like GPU hardware state information such as register values, shader program counters, page fault virtual addresses, shader memory data, and command buffers. Alongside that, it also captures DirectX runtime and kernel information, including D3D objects, pipeline state objects, device error data, adapter details, and CPU call stacks. Microsoft says the feature has been built around two primary use cases: retail device removals and local device removals. The former allows developers to collect crash information from end users' systems in the field, while the latter helps QA teams and developers investigate issues on test machines. Developers will also be able to include up to 2 MB of custom application data through new D3D12 APIs, providing additional context for troubleshooting. In addition, Microsoft is introducing three dump collection modes ranging from zero-overhead capture, which has no runtime performance impact on supported hardware, to higher-detail modes that collect more vendor-specific debugging data. On compatible Tier 2 hardware, zero-overhead dumps will be enabled by default, meaning developers may begin receiving useful crash diagnostics without making any code changes. The table below explains the three tiers: Tier Description NO_OVERHEAD Enables crash capture with no runtime cost and is suitable for broad deployment MEDIUM_OVERHEAD Provides a balance, capturing additional diagnostic data with moderate impact HIGH_OVERHEAD Collects the most detailed GPU and driver state available, enabling deeper investigation at the cost of higher runtime overhead In terms of availability, the company expects broader release to be around the fall of 2026, which should be right around the time when Windows 11 version 26H2 lands. Right now, DirectX Dump Files are available as a preview and currently, only AMD has the compatible AgilitySDK Developer Preview driver version 26.10.07.02. You can find the official announcement post here on Microsoft's website.
    • My favorite file manager for Windows 11 finally gets a long-requested feature

      By Malisk · Posted

      And with SO much better perf than the laggy mess that is Files.
    • The official Funny Pictures thread

      By Steven P. · Posted

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      Sharbel earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • First Post
      BizSAR earned a badge
      First Post
    • Week One Done
      Jordan Smith earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Reacting Well
      BizSAR earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • First Post
      AndreaB earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      598
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      190
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      80
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      76
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      69
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!