GamerOS: A New Vision for Playing on Linux with Steam

Accessing your Steam library on Linux isn't that complicated these days: you pick a compatible distro, install Steam on it, and that's it. However, the Linux universe enables greater integration, creating a distro specially prepared to run Steam... and nothing but Steam. That's the direction of the GamerOS project, based on Arch Linux. Its absolute priority is to offer users a Steam environment in Big Picture mode, without office suites or secondary modules running in the background.

The Steam Machines disappeared from the map, and although the SteamOS project wasn't officially canceled, it is certainly in deep hibernation, with builds that are more than nine months old. So, can we talk about a "failure" for the concept of "Steam Box" or "Steam Console"? Actually, the failure was in the official implementation (let's be honest, they were never more than experiments for Valve), and users quickly discovered that they can get a much better experience on their own, customizing hardware and using much more developed Linux distros.

However, there is something that remains interesting about SteamOS. I refer to the idea of a clean Linux environment, reduced to its minimum expression, with the sole purpose of running Steam in Big Picture mode. Without LibreOffice, without GIMP, without print support, without customization options, without a desktop. "Linux as a Steam launcher." The people behind the GamerOS project seem to have recognized that potential, and offer us one of its best builds to date.

Steam in Big Picture Mode on Linux

The available technical information about this update 17 of GamerOS mentions components like Linux kernel 5.6.3, Mesa 20.0.4, Nvidia video drivers 440.82, Steam-Buddy 0.4.6, and RetroArch 1.8.5 to coordinate retro game support. We must also not forget the presence of Proton, an increasingly popular tool for running Windows-exclusive games on Linux. The "certified compatibility list" of GamerOS exceeds 150 games, with titles like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, F1 2019, Hitman 1 and 2, Doom (2016), The Witcher 3, the Tomb Raider saga, and Hollow Knight.

One of the most positive aspects of GamerOS is the simplicity of its installation. More than one user feels uncomfortable at the idea of crossing swords with Arch Linux, but that won't happen here. A couple of confirmations, a few hundred megabytes of downloads, and the environment will be ready in a few minutes. Connect a compatible gamepad (keyboard and mouse are only needed during installation), log into Steam with your account, and start playing.

Of course, GamerOS is a work in progress. Its GitHub profile has at least a dozen "issues" to resolve, and there isn't a lot of data regarding support for AMD graphics chips. In short, GamerOS is on the right track to become the "successor" to SteamOS, but it will all depend on future support and the level of adoption among users.

Official site and download: Click here