What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says “Linux?” For most people, it’s definitely not gaming. That’s because for decades now, Microsoft Windows-powered computers have dominated PC gaming, getting pretty much all of the major titles. Mac and Linux machines have seen a few ports and/or quirky exclusives, and both platforms are now supported by Valve’s Steam digital distribution service. But for the most part, Windows has been where it’s at.
Unless you own a game console, that is. And while the long-awaited “Xbox 720” and “PlayStation 4” / “Orbis” consoles are supposedly coming next year, they’re going to face a couple of new challengers … not one, but two modern game consoles, both of them powered by Linux. And unlike previous Linux hardware designs, such as the niche Pandora, both have already received the backing of major game companies.
Did someone say “Steam?”
That’s right. The first of these consoles is backed by none other than Valve, the purveyors of the aforementioned Steam service.
As many of you may know, Valve just finished working on Big Picture mode, its new game console style interface for Steam. Big Picture mode is designed to be used with a game controller, and gives special preference to games which can be played using just the controller.
What you may not know is that Valve also recently launched a beta version of its Steam gaming service on Linux (the Ubuntu distro specifically), Big Picture and all. Or that in an interview with Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell mentioned how Steam on Linux would give the company “more flexibility when developing their own hardware.”
That’s right. Not only is Valve going to let PC makers create their own Steam-powered gaming machines, it’s got its eyes on a special Linux version that will be free of the Windows 8 “catastrophe.” Obviously, Steam’s whole library doesn’t work on Linux just yet. But dozens of games have already been ported, including Team Fortress 2, and Valve has made Linux support a priority.
“The Revolution Will Be Televised”
That’s the slogan the makers of Ouya appropriated, for their $99 Android game console. “Wait,” you ask, “isn’t this about Linux?” Yes, it is! You wouldn’t call it a Linux “distro,” but Google’s open-source Android operating system is powered by the Linux kernel under the hood, so to speak. Just like its ill-fated rival, Palm (later HP)’s webOS.
The Ouya isn’t going to have open-source firmware, and it’s not designed for emulator enthusiasts the way the Pandora was. Rather, it’s basically a tiny box that plugs into your TV and plays Android tablet games, which are optimized for its controller. The downside is that it doesn’t have Google Play or the Amazon Appstore; you’ll have to repurchase games you’re attached to. The good news is that all of its games are free, in one way or another, whether that means a “trial mode” or otherwise. So you’ll have plenty of chances to find new games to enjoy.
Mojang, Square-Enix, and other big-name publishers have already backed the Ouya, which shattered Kickstarter records with over $8 million in pledges. Its NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor makes it about the equivalent of Google’s Nexus 7 tablet, so expect roughly last-gen performance … which won’t hold it back nearly as much as having only 8 GB of storage. Still, for a launch price of $99 it’s hard to go wrong.
