this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2025
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Yes but ...
Still, it's good obviously, not having to rely on BigTech. This was also possible before though as I pointed out in https://lemmy.ml/post/38899489/22202786 with e.g. Lynx XR1, as a rooted Android standalone HMD with no account required.
Anyway IMHO the big questions for VR on Linux more broadly is what changes upstream on KDE in terms of immersive UX? Is KDE Plasma becoming a VR graphical shell? Does it have 3D widgets? Does it impact freedesktop in any way?
Edit : I have a SteamDeck since its out, Lynx XR1, etc so I absolutely want Linux VR and FLOSS XR to succeed. In fact I even gave a talk at FOSSXR years ago about that, fact did it twice. Still it doesn't mean I can't be disappointed by those points. I like Valve, I want to give them money, that doesn't mean I can't be objective. You might have different requirements, that doesn't mean you shouldn't compare to alternatives which have existed for years.
Just cause apps exist that they to use it doesn't mean anyone uses it. Google Cardboard apps are still on the android app store, do you use that?
Because they don't need to? Steam VR has way more VR apps than the other platforms
I genuinely don't get your point. Popularity is not a criteria that is relevant for my needs. Your preferences are not relevant to my needs. We are different people and that's OK.
Everyone can say the same thing... your needs are not relevant either then.
Popularity is ultimately what moves the needle, this post was asking in which direction will the needle move... so in this context your personal needs are only relevant in relation to how popular they are.
Shocking to read in a Linux thread. The entire point of free software and open source is that the need of 1, not even a market but a need, without any budget, might still be relevant and important.
Linux itself is the result of that.
The only reason Linux became a thing is because Torvalds managed to get engagement and popularity amongst a niche community of hackers that happened to share the same needs/goals.
Because what gives it importance is the needs we share. "The need of 1" is measured in relation to "the need of many". Community is a huge piece in the "open source" puzzle. A community of 1 is not a community.. it's a personal space. If you don't share your software with a community then declaring it "open" is pointless.
Also.. when I said "relevant" I specifically meant for the questions raised by OP. I'm not talking about "relevancy" in some weird transcendental way.. I don't believe such a thing exists.. everything has a viewpoint from which something can be said to be "relevant".. however, as you yourself said: "your preferences are not relevant to my needs".
I'm not sure if we're having the same conversation, they addressed 5 items but now my actually questions on the more structural aspect.
Yes, I think you're talking about something else, related to your particular needs. But the post OP opened (which you were replying to) was about discussing what "implications for Linux" would the new Steam hardware have.
I feel the only part in your comment that was somewhat relevant to the question raised by OP was:
Yes precisely that part.
Those are open questions that I don't think we can answer yet.
If you are asking if Valve did make changes there, I'm expecting the answer is likely no. They haven't shown anything regarding KDE/desktop mode on the Steam Frame. And we have yet to see how exactly this is integrated with gamescope. But if the device does become popular and interest grows for Linux VR development, then I expect we'll see people trying to make new VR environments for Linux (or adapt existing ones for VR).
However, given that Valve plans to offer ways to play non-VR games with the Frame, I expect one could add a nested wayland session as if it were a non-Steam non-VR game, so in the VR environment from SteamOS one could have a floating screen showing a traditional KDE session relatively easy, I would expect. And in that sense one could have a desktop VR environment standalone, in the Frame.
Sadly my professional bet (FWIW I did discuss with people at Valve about the immersive browser back in 2016... back when WebXR was still WebVR) is that they at "best" will rely on a Steam desktop, not go more upstream.
Steam doesn't win users and marketshare because of your needs. Or even hardware. It wins users because the steam library is already on the device.
Agreed but I'm not really talking about Steam here.
Are you not discussing factors to a successful foray by steam into VR?
I'm not. To me Steam is already successful with VR and on Linux. I have an Index since day 1. One of my favorite game, VR or not, is Half-life: Alyx. I also anecdotally already have a Steam Deck since day 1.
No rather to me, as I said before it's
namely more precisely how will Valve work impact VR on Linux upstream of Steam itself.
To be fair I wouldn’t buy one of those to run Linux, and it’s not a extremely hard to see why the average consumer wouldn’t want to buy this to run Linux either:
Sure, my point is mainly to distinguish what is genuinely novel versus what already exist but people might not be aware of.
I would suggest the support this has from valve that means it works great out the box does indeed make it novel.
It will move the needle far more than like 2 hobbyists flashing niche hardware. Nobody cares about that because it’s so small scale. Nobody will put in the support for that user base. Conversely the valve frame is going to be a mass market product that will be in the hands of loads of people, so issues and problems will get fixed, software will be optimised and if the install base is large enough it will be targeted with new software and features.
That’s the novelty. It’s likely going to change things.
That's about popularity though. Of course it will change development, and hopefully for the better because consumers and developers alike will be able to trust that the platform will keep on being usable. Still, it's not about being genuinely new technically speaking. Same for e.g. https://simulavr.com/ which now looks like... well let's just said egoistically speaking I did track the project for years, glad I didn't order a DevKit, sadly.
I think your list is a bit too negative. Here are my comments:
Thanks for your answers. I figure that Valve is highly motivated to get the software sorted out, but we will have to see how quickly they can overcome these issues with hand tracking and WebXR.
About the CPU/GPU, I guess they decided to be practical with all this hardware to keep it relatively affordable. As far as a new VR game, you never know. Didn't I hear that Alyx was a surprise release with the Index headset?
One should hope, and the tinkerer community, me included, is eager for both of these features.
Regarding new content I posted https://www.uploadvr.com/valve-isnt-currently-working-on-a-new-vr-game/ countless times because to me that's maybe the biggest bummer. I have several headsets so I don't need "yet another one" that is roughly equivalent. I need something genuinely different. A flat SeamOS (no immersive features to KDE Plasma) is boring but understandable, no new content from the quality only Valve (unfortunately) seems to be able to produce makes me think I'm not in rush. Just like hand tracking or WebXR we can hope for surprises but it mostly shows it's considered a thin terminal for Steam, nothing more, and I have already few of these (thanks to Alvr, Wivr, CloudXR, but also just Steam streaming).
I'm anxious for those features too. I still have to get started in VR, but I've been following the scene relatively closely for the last few years after trying it out.
Thanks for the link, that's too bad to hear. I hear you that you don't need this one if you already have other headsets. I'm in the opposite position. I have yet to get my first. I had been considering the Meta Quest 3, but Meta. The Valve Frame will very likely be my first. For someone like me, it's nearly perfect.
Perfect then
Absolutely!