{"slug": "steam", "name": "Steam", "category": "productivity", "category_name": "Productivity", "description": "Valve's PC game store, library, and launcher, which also runs Windows games on Linux.", "recommenders": 34, "commenters": 65, "warners": 11, "score": 25.773, "rising": 0.82, "first": "2025-11-05", "latest": "2026-10-29", "why": "Commenters like Steam mainly for running Windows games on Linux through Proton, along with its large library, ease of use, and delisted games staying downloadable.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 34, "neutral": 20, "compare": 1, "warn": 11}, "spark": [4, 2, 5, 0, 0, 2, 4, 2, 5, 4, 1, 5], "listed": true, "loved": ["Linux gaming", "Library and ease"], "caveat": "DRM and ownership", "short_quote": "I'm so incredibly thankful that Steam has made gaming not just possible, but relatively simple.", "icon": true, "domain": "steampowered.com", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://store.steampowered.com/", "pricing": "free", "aliases": ["Steam"], "verdict": [{"text": "Commenters like Steam mainly for running Windows games on Linux through Proton", "cites": [{"id": 770059873, "item_id": 48128742, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48128742", "by": "embeng4096", "date": "2026-05-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam+Proton makes everything I play just work", "excerpt": "I switched to Linux for everything but AAA FPS PVP games last year and have had a great experience so far. Steam+Proton makes everything I play just work: Helldivers 2, Slay the Spire 2, No Rest For The Wicked, FF7 Remake, Stardew, modded Lethal Company (using r2modman) are the main things I've been playing recently, and all worked out of the box with Proton. My PS5 controller may have needed me to install one packag", "context": "switched to Linux for gaming last year", "use_case": "gaming on Linux", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux gaming is faster because Windows APIs are becoming Linux kernel features"}, {"id": 747366290, "item_id": 46710393, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46710393", "by": "sergiotapia", "date": "2026-01-21", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam works out of the box, and all the games I play work out of the box.", "excerpt": "Windows 11 is so bad that I finally made the permanent jump to Linux. At the end of my time with Windows, it would HARD freeze about twice a week. I thought I was having hardware failures and got really scared. When I switched to Omarchy, I've had zero crashes. Omarchy gave me a great OS that I spend no time tweaking and fiddling with. Steam works out of the box, and all the games I play work out of the box. Control,", "context": "gamer", "use_case": "gaming on Linux", "switched_from": "", "story": "Hate is a strong word, but I don't like Windows 11"}, {"id": 743542339, "item_id": 46471396, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46471396", "by": "Alupis", "date": "2026-01-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Nearly 99% of my Steam library is playable on Fedora too.", "excerpt": "I've used Fedora on my laptop for over a decade. I switched my main home workstation to Fedora in 2023, and haven't looked back since. My workstation runs Kinoite[1], an immutable/atomic version of Fedora. I started with Fedora 38, and now am running 43. Flawless major-release upgrades. I develop using distrobox[2] (pet containers) on podman. It \"Just Works\". Nearly 99% of my Steam library is playable on Fedora too. ", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "2026 will be my year of the Linux desktop"}, {"id": 733177728, "item_id": 45823608, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45823608", "by": "UI_at_80x24", "date": "2025-11-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The 'value-add' that steam brings to the table is INCREDIBLE.", "excerpt": "I've been a \"PC Gamer\" for 31+ years. The 'value-add' that steam brings to the table is INCREDIBLE. Thanks to Proton/Linux efforts. (1) my games are installable AND playable on _every_ device I use. (2) I don't have to fight with wine/crossover/etc to get things to work. (3) It's not hostile to the end user (yet). I have bought more games since the Steamdeck came out then in the 40'some years before that. Yes I know ", "context": "PC gamer for 31+ years", "use_case": "PC gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "72% of devs believe Steam has a monopoly on PC games, according to study"}]}, {"text": ", along with its large library, ease of use, and delisted games staying downloadable.", "cites": [{"id": 762011104, "item_id": 47625694, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47625694", "by": "DocTomoe", "date": "2026-04-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "the library and ease-of-use of Steam is unmatched", "excerpt": "It's ironic to call something 'Europe does it better' when all alternatives mentioned are - objectively - worse, sometimes catastrophically worse than the things they are meant to replace. This is especially true for offers that are content-related. Claiming that RTL+ is anywhere NEAR Netflix is insulting. I love GOG, but the library and ease-of-use of Steam is unmatched (to the point that half of my GOG library does", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: European alternatives to Google, Apple, Dropbox and 120 US apps"}, {"id": 786229904, "item_id": 49139369, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49139369", "by": "augusto-moura", "date": "2026-08-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam's policy is that an already published game can only be delisted, allowing old owners to still play the game.", "excerpt": "Steam's policy is that an already published game can only be delisted, allowing old owners to still play the game. I still own the original versions of Skyrim (before Anniversary edition, definitive edition, and all other *ditions), and I can still download it and play it, even though that version is not available for purchase in the store anymore. Xbox and PSN don't have such luxuries AFAIK, after a game is removed ", "context": "", "use_case": "PC gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Just because a game is on disc doesn't mean it will work in the future"}, {"id": 780045056, "item_id": 48752816, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48752816", "by": "quacker", "date": "2026-07-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "", "excerpt": "Right. License pulls happen extremely rarely for digital video games[1] And delisting a game from a store isn't a license pull. Delisting prevents new purchases of the game, but owners of a game prior to delisting can still download and play[2] For example, even though Sony is closing the PS3 store to new purchases after 20 years, existing owners of digital games can still download their digital copies. So my entire ", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Physical disc production ending in Jan 2028 for new games on PlayStation"}]}, {"text": " The most common complaint is that purchases are DRM-bound licenses that can need Steam connectivity and can be lost with the account", "cites": [{"id": 803284016, "item_id": 50205251, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50205251", "by": "johnisgood", "date": "2026-10-23", "stance": "warn", "quote": "You often cannot run even single player games without having connected to Steam", "excerpt": "They can be taken away from you at any point by locking your account for whatever. You often cannot run even single player games without having connected to Steam (no need for account to be locked for this, but requires connectivity for one). Multiplayer games almost always require Steam these days. I used Steam as an example but applies to other platforms as well. So yeah, I would say you pay for the license only, a", "context": "", "use_case": "game distribution", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox wants you to pay 24 to 40 cents per hour to stream games you bought"}, {"id": 779267040, "item_id": 48704190, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48704190", "by": "autoexec", "date": "2026-06-27", "stance": "warn", "quote": "all of the games in your library will stop working as soon as your computer has been offline for whatever length of time steam feels is \"too long\"", "excerpt": "ultimately it means that all of the games in your library will stop working as soon as your computer has been offline for whatever length of time steam feels is \"too long\". I recommend getting a cracked copy of every game in your library to make sure that you will still have access to what you paid for if steam shuts down or you lose your internet connection.", "context": "", "use_case": "game library DRM", "switched_from": "", "story": "If You Can't Hold It, You Don't Own It"}, {"id": 786681937, "item_id": 49167621, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49167621", "by": "jeroenhd", "date": "2026-08-04", "stance": "warn", "quote": "if Steam goes down, your libraries goes down with it", "excerpt": "> All I'm saying is it's all digital on the PC side of things, and has been for ages, but we have means of maintaining access to the games we love over here, and it's one of the reasons I've gravitated to the PC for quite a while now. It all depends on where you buy your games of course; GOG will let you download DRM-free installers, but if Steam goes down, your libraries goes down with it. They have made a vague pro", "context": "", "use_case": "buying PC games", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc"}, {"id": 786685761, "item_id": 49167860, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49167860", "by": "Forgeties79", "date": "2026-08-04", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Steam but I also know I\u2019m vulnerable to a rug pull.", "excerpt": "They don\u2019t let you resell games, if you die your library is gone, if said steamdeck (or steam machine) breaks those games are gone, the list goes on. It is a digital store with the exact same limitations of any video game console full of digital purchases. I use Steam but I also know I\u2019m vulnerable to a rug pull. We all are. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been shifting over to GOG and making sure to back up my library in an organiz", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc"}]}, {"text": ", and several also find the desktop client buggy and unpleasant.", "cites": [{"id": 801709392, "item_id": 50106837, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50106837", "by": "bradishungry", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the steam client is definitely kind of terrible", "excerpt": "the steam client is definitely kind of terrible, maybe i\u2019m just biased because i have used steam deck since launch which uses big picture, but there have been bugs in the client that were extremely annoying and obvious that took years to fix (for example, closing a store page and losing page position, but then the page would scroll up when pressing down on a controller for years). A very obvious non-deck example is h", "context": "Steam Deck user", "use_case": "game client", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}, {"id": 801707424, "item_id": 50106714, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50106714", "by": "redhale", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "it is not an enjoyable app to use by its own merits", "excerpt": "When I browse the store, I specifically do it in a browser because the client is so unpleasant to use. For launching games I have no choice. I love Steam as a concept and company, but it is not an enjoyable app to use by its own merits, in my opinion.", "context": "", "use_case": "game client and store", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}, {"id": 800664400, "item_id": 50041525, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50041525", "by": "GaryBluto", "date": "2026-10-11", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the latest Steam client is a Chromium Embedded Framework that runs at all times", "excerpt": "I've been planning to get back into flight simulation but was dismayed to find that the latest Steam client is a Chromium Embedded Framework that runs at all times (which I find great irony in considering Gabe Newell's famous \"service problem\" quote), so I used Claude to yak shave my way to a native Win32 frontend (and when I'm done tinkering with it, my Flight Sim). It's also (dubiously) portable. https://ibb.co/ccP", "context": "", "use_case": "game client", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What are you working on? (October 2026)"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Linux gaming", "summary": "Steam with Proton runs most Windows games on Linux, often with no setup.", "quotes": [{"id": 770059873, "item_id": 48128742, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48128742", "by": "embeng4096", "date": "2026-05-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam+Proton makes everything I play just work", "excerpt": "I switched to Linux for everything but AAA FPS PVP games last year and have had a great experience so far. Steam+Proton makes everything I play just work: Helldivers 2, Slay the Spire 2, No Rest For The Wicked, FF7 Remake, Stardew, modded Lethal Company (using r2modman) are the main things I've been playing recently, and all worked out of the box with Proton. My PS5 controller may have needed me to install one packag", "context": "switched to Linux for gaming last year", "use_case": "gaming on Linux", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux gaming is faster because Windows APIs are becoming Linux kernel features"}, {"id": 747366290, "item_id": 46710393, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46710393", "by": "sergiotapia", "date": "2026-01-21", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam works out of the box, and all the games I play work out of the box.", "excerpt": "Windows 11 is so bad that I finally made the permanent jump to Linux. At the end of my time with Windows, it would HARD freeze about twice a week. I thought I was having hardware failures and got really scared. When I switched to Omarchy, I've had zero crashes. Omarchy gave me a great OS that I spend no time tweaking and fiddling with. Steam works out of the box, and all the games I play work out of the box. Control,", "context": "gamer", "use_case": "gaming on Linux", "switched_from": "", "story": "Hate is a strong word, but I don't like Windows 11"}, {"id": 743542339, "item_id": 46471396, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46471396", "by": "Alupis", "date": "2026-01-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Nearly 99% of my Steam library is playable on Fedora too.", "excerpt": "I've used Fedora on my laptop for over a decade. I switched my main home workstation to Fedora in 2023, and haven't looked back since. My workstation runs Kinoite[1], an immutable/atomic version of Fedora. I started with Fedora 38, and now am running 43. Flawless major-release upgrades. I develop using distrobox[2] (pet containers) on podman. It \"Just Works\". Nearly 99% of my Steam library is playable on Fedora too. ", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "2026 will be my year of the Linux desktop"}]}, {"label": "Library and ease", "summary": "Commenters call its library and ease of use unmatched and the service good.", "quotes": [{"id": 762011104, "item_id": 47625694, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47625694", "by": "DocTomoe", "date": "2026-04-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "the library and ease-of-use of Steam is unmatched", "excerpt": "It's ironic to call something 'Europe does it better' when all alternatives mentioned are - objectively - worse, sometimes catastrophically worse than the things they are meant to replace. This is especially true for offers that are content-related. Claiming that RTL+ is anywhere NEAR Netflix is insulting. I love GOG, but the library and ease-of-use of Steam is unmatched (to the point that half of my GOG library does", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: European alternatives to Google, Apple, Dropbox and 120 US apps"}, {"id": 779953360, "item_id": 48747085, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48747085", "by": "callamdelaney", "date": "2026-07-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam isn't a monopoly, it's just a good service.", "excerpt": "Steam isn't a monopoly, it's just a good service. Why would I use a shittier one created by, generally, extremely greedy and woke corporations?", "context": "", "use_case": "PC game store", "switched_from": "", "story": "Sony will no longer produce discs for PlayStation games starting in January 2028"}, {"id": 733177728, "item_id": 45823608, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45823608", "by": "UI_at_80x24", "date": "2025-11-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The 'value-add' that steam brings to the table is INCREDIBLE.", "excerpt": "I've been a \"PC Gamer\" for 31+ years. The 'value-add' that steam brings to the table is INCREDIBLE. Thanks to Proton/Linux efforts. (1) my games are installable AND playable on _every_ device I use. (2) I don't have to fight with wine/crossover/etc to get things to work. (3) It's not hostile to the end user (yet). I have bought more games since the Steamdeck came out then in the 40'some years before that. Yes I know ", "context": "PC gamer for 31+ years", "use_case": "PC gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "72% of devs believe Steam has a monopoly on PC games, according to study"}]}, {"label": "Lasting library", "summary": "Delisted games and older versions stay downloadable for people who already own them.", "quotes": [{"id": 786229904, "item_id": 49139369, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49139369", "by": "augusto-moura", "date": "2026-08-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam's policy is that an already published game can only be delisted, allowing old owners to still play the game.", "excerpt": "Steam's policy is that an already published game can only be delisted, allowing old owners to still play the game. I still own the original versions of Skyrim (before Anniversary edition, definitive edition, and all other *ditions), and I can still download it and play it, even though that version is not available for purchase in the store anymore. Xbox and PSN don't have such luxuries AFAIK, after a game is removed ", "context": "", "use_case": "PC gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Just because a game is on disc doesn't mean it will work in the future"}, {"id": 781837872, "item_id": 48864867, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48864867", "by": "chowells", "date": "2026-07-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "You can not-quite-trivially download all versions of a game that have been uploaded to steam, as long as you own the game.", "excerpt": "You can not-quite-trivially download all versions of a game that have been uploaded to steam, as long as you own the game. And that's a download like as an installers you can run, not just overwriting your current active steam install. I actually rely on this quite a lot, indirectly. Beat Saber is a fun game, but it doesn't support a lot of fun features, like walls with boundaries that aren't aligned to the coordinat", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming with old game versions", "switched_from": "", "story": "45% of Enthusiasts 'Seriously Considering' Leaving Sony for PC"}, {"id": 780045056, "item_id": 48752816, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48752816", "by": "quacker", "date": "2026-07-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "", "excerpt": "Right. License pulls happen extremely rarely for digital video games[1] And delisting a game from a store isn't a license pull. Delisting prevents new purchases of the game, but owners of a game prior to delisting can still download and play[2] For example, even though Sony is closing the PS3 store to new purchases after 20 years, existing owners of digital games can still download their digital copies. So my entire ", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Physical disc production ending in Jan 2028 for new games on PlayStation"}]}, {"label": "Social features", "summary": "Co-op support, gifting, and community guides and forums get specific praise.", "quotes": [{"id": 745505217, "item_id": 46594076, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46594076", "by": "JoeBOFH", "date": "2026-01-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "one of the things Steam provides is very easy and simple online coop support. So if I ever intend to play with others I go with Steam.", "excerpt": "I love GOG and buy a lot of games through them, but at the same time one of the things Steam provides is very easy and simple online coop support. So if I ever intend to play with others I go with Steam. I don\u2019t see an easy way around that.", "context": "", "use_case": "online coop gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "The new owner of GOG discusses taking on Steam, the devil of DRM, and Nightdive"}, {"id": 780946256, "item_id": 48809141, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48809141", "by": "TulliusCicero", "date": "2026-07-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I make extensive use of Steam's gifting feature", "excerpt": "I think it's one of those things where people only care about a small percentage of the features, but which small percentage varies. For example, I used the example of remote play together, which is very neat and a lot of people love it, but I personally don't use it. On the other hand, I make extensive use of Steam's gifting feature, including its ability to handle multiple gifts to multiple people in a single trans", "context": "", "use_case": "game store, gifting", "switched_from": "", "story": "Resetting Xbox"}, {"id": 801695424, "item_id": 50105964, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50105964", "by": "amiga386", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Anyway, what are useful features of Steam:", "excerpt": "People have wasted their time defending their platform's \"honour\" for decades. It used to be Sega vs Nintendo. Then it was PlayStation vs XBox. Now it's Steam vs EGS. Anyway, what are useful features of Steam: - their dedication to getting Windows games running on Linux (to see off the existential threat Microsoft poses to them, but nonetheless greatly appreciated) - community forums / screenshots / artwork / guides ", "context": "", "use_case": "game distribution", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}]}, {"label": "Game discovery", "summary": "Some like its discovery features and curators for finding new or open source games.", "quotes": [{"id": 803573776, "item_id": 50223361, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50223361", "by": "doodlesdev", "date": "2026-10-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I very much like Steam features aimed at helping me discover new games", "excerpt": "Interesting feature. I very much like Steam features aimed at helping me discover new games, since I find that nowadays I'm having much more difficulty navigating through all of the option to find something interesting to play, as I'm not investing as much time gaming as I used to when I was younger. Any fellow HNers have cool suggestions? I keep hearing about Factorio and Satisfactory here, but not much else.", "context": "", "use_case": "discovering new games", "switched_from": "", "story": "Valve Steam Personal Calendar"}, {"id": 792950112, "item_id": 49559382, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49559382", "by": "rdmuser", "date": "2026-09-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "itch and steam both have ways to find them.", "excerpt": "There are a fair amount of open source games out there and some great lists but I mainly wanted to highlight with this comment that itch and steam both have ways to find them. Hell I was just playing one earlier to check out the new content (drl). Steam has this handy curator: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38475471-Libre-Open-Source-Games/ Itch has this filter: https://itch.io/games/tag-open-source As a bonu", "context": "", "use_case": "finding open source games", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Death of Physical Media"}]}, {"label": "Big Picture mode", "summary": "One commenter calls Big Picture mode a better game console than actual consoles.", "quotes": [{"id": 801701984, "item_id": 50106374, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50106374", "by": "ryukoposting", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Nowadays Steam is a better game console than an actual game console.", "excerpt": "Don't forget big picture mode. Nowadays Steam is a better game console than an actual game console. That's the only way I use it anymore. ...and the hardware ecosystem, too. I just got my Steam controller last week, and it's wonderful. It's so good I'm playing Civ with it. Civ! On a gamepad!", "context": "", "use_case": "Big Picture mode gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "DRM and ownership", "summary": "Games are licenses tied to Steam and an account, and some need connectivity to launch.", "quotes": [{"id": 803284016, "item_id": 50205251, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50205251", "by": "johnisgood", "date": "2026-10-23", "stance": "warn", "quote": "You often cannot run even single player games without having connected to Steam", "excerpt": "They can be taken away from you at any point by locking your account for whatever. You often cannot run even single player games without having connected to Steam (no need for account to be locked for this, but requires connectivity for one). Multiplayer games almost always require Steam these days. I used Steam as an example but applies to other platforms as well. So yeah, I would say you pay for the license only, a", "context": "", "use_case": "game distribution", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox wants you to pay 24 to 40 cents per hour to stream games you bought"}, {"id": 779267040, "item_id": 48704190, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48704190", "by": "autoexec", "date": "2026-06-27", "stance": "warn", "quote": "all of the games in your library will stop working as soon as your computer has been offline for whatever length of time steam feels is \"too long\"", "excerpt": "ultimately it means that all of the games in your library will stop working as soon as your computer has been offline for whatever length of time steam feels is \"too long\". I recommend getting a cracked copy of every game in your library to make sure that you will still have access to what you paid for if steam shuts down or you lose your internet connection.", "context": "", "use_case": "game library DRM", "switched_from": "", "story": "If You Can't Hold It, You Don't Own It"}, {"id": 786681937, "item_id": 49167621, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49167621", "by": "jeroenhd", "date": "2026-08-04", "stance": "warn", "quote": "if Steam goes down, your libraries goes down with it", "excerpt": "> All I'm saying is it's all digital on the PC side of things, and has been for ages, but we have means of maintaining access to the games we love over here, and it's one of the reasons I've gravitated to the PC for quite a while now. It all depends on where you buy your games of course; GOG will let you download DRM-free installers, but if Steam goes down, your libraries goes down with it. They have made a vague pro", "context": "", "use_case": "buying PC games", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc"}]}, {"label": "Client quality", "summary": "The desktop client is called buggy, heavy, and unpleasant, and slower than Epic's launcher.", "quotes": [{"id": 801709392, "item_id": 50106837, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50106837", "by": "bradishungry", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the steam client is definitely kind of terrible", "excerpt": "the steam client is definitely kind of terrible, maybe i\u2019m just biased because i have used steam deck since launch which uses big picture, but there have been bugs in the client that were extremely annoying and obvious that took years to fix (for example, closing a store page and losing page position, but then the page would scroll up when pressing down on a controller for years). A very obvious non-deck example is h", "context": "Steam Deck user", "use_case": "game client", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}, {"id": 801707424, "item_id": 50106714, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50106714", "by": "redhale", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "it is not an enjoyable app to use by its own merits", "excerpt": "When I browse the store, I specifically do it in a browser because the client is so unpleasant to use. For launching games I have no choice. I love Steam as a concept and company, but it is not an enjoyable app to use by its own merits, in my opinion.", "context": "", "use_case": "game client and store", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}, {"id": 800664400, "item_id": 50041525, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50041525", "by": "GaryBluto", "date": "2026-10-11", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the latest Steam client is a Chromium Embedded Framework that runs at all times", "excerpt": "I've been planning to get back into flight simulation but was dismayed to find that the latest Steam client is a Chromium Embedded Framework that runs at all times (which I find great irony in considering Gabe Newell's famous \"service problem\" quote), so I used Claude to yak shave my way to a native Win32 frontend (and when I'm done tinkering with it, my Flight Sim). It's also (dubiously) portable. https://ibb.co/ccP", "context": "", "use_case": "game client", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What are you working on? (October 2026)"}]}, {"label": "Account lockouts", "summary": "Users describe losing access to accounts with no working recovery path.", "quotes": [{"id": 778301808, "item_id": 48643863, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48643863", "by": "mikelevins", "date": "2026-06-23", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I cannot log in to my Steam account, for no reason that I know.", "excerpt": "I was interested in the Steam machine, but I might not get one because I cannot log in to my Steam account, for no reason that I know. Steam's web-based process for resetting my password always gets stuck after successful completion of the captcha, regardless of which device or OS I use to do it, the accessible-to-Google procedures for getting past that blockage have not worked, and the email address that one could o", "context": "", "use_case": "game store account", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Machine"}, {"id": 778149536, "item_id": 48634346, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48634346", "by": "tough", "date": "2026-06-22", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I lost access to my 10y old steam account due to their 2fa app getting auto-removed from my iPhone.", "excerpt": "I lost access to my 10y old steam account due to their 2fa app getting auto-removed from my iPhone. I couldnt produce 10y visa statements from another country i lived in. Since then I just dont use steam, shame cause i like the hw", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Machine"}]}, {"label": "Library changes", "summary": "Some games have been removed from libraries or replaced with different editions.", "quotes": [{"id": 780058208, "item_id": 48753638, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48753638", "by": "lelandfe", "date": "2026-07-01", "stance": "warn", "quote": "was removed from users' Steam libraries and replaced with Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition on Steam", "excerpt": "Other stuff happens, though. Rockstar's Episodes from Liberty City was removed from users' Steam libraries and replaced with Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition on Steam, for instance: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/f643gd/from_gta_4s_steam_page_important_updates_to_grand/ Although that change encompasses the content of what was originally purchased, it's nonetheless a different product that retroactive", "context": "", "use_case": "digital game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Physical disc production ending in Jan 2028 for new games on PlayStation"}, {"id": 779092624, "item_id": 48693289, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48693289", "by": "autoexec", "date": "2026-06-26", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Steam isn't innocent either.", "excerpt": "> How is it that Steam manages to avoid yanking games from people's libraries even after the games are delisted for licensing issues, etc? Steam isn't innocent either. The instance that comes to mind is Order Of War: Challenge (https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2013/12/30/steam-removes-game-order-of-war-challenge-from-user-libraries/) but I've also seen people say other games have been removed from their librarie", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "PlayStation Is Deleting 551 Movies from Customers' Accounts"}]}, {"label": "Store fees", "summary": "Critics cite the 30% cut, its effect on indies, and pricing restrictions on other stores.", "quotes": [{"id": 783876433, "item_id": 48992277, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48992277", "by": "pipes", "date": "2026-07-21", "stance": "warn", "quote": "they engage in some nasty practices, like not allowing developers to list their games on other online stores at cheaper prices", "excerpt": "I used to agree with this sentiment. But now I think they engage in some nasty practices, like not allowing developers to list their games on other online stores at cheaper prices. That and they take a large cut (30 percent I think) Vs epic store at 12 percent as far as I can recall. I mostly buy from gog because they give your the download to keep for life. Also I just like them. However getting their games to work ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Great Steam Deck Crash of 2026: How the New Pricing Decreased Demand by 80%"}, {"id": 803683952, "item_id": 50230247, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50230247", "by": "tancop", "date": "2026-10-25", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love Steam but this is just backwards.", "excerpt": "I love Steam but this is just backwards. If it was about recouping fixed costs the threshold would be 10k not 10M with the rate dropping down to 15 or 20% after that. Game revenues follow a power law type distribution so they're hurting indies and leaving money on the table.", "context": "", "use_case": "game distribution", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox Turns Down Netflix $500M Offer"}]}, {"label": "Forced updates", "summary": "You cannot skip auto-updates and still launch an out-of-date title.", "quotes": [{"id": 788340736, "item_id": 49271296, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49271296", "by": "embedding-shape", "date": "2026-08-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Don't get me wrong, I love Steam, but for video games.", "excerpt": "Costs money and is centralized with a for-profit entity, probably best to stay far away when it comes to day-to-day software. Don't get me wrong, I love Steam, but for video games. You can't stop auto-updating for example, and still be able to launch the \"game\" (program in this case) if it's out of date, which obviously breaks pretty much every professional computer user's workflow.", "context": "", "use_case": "video games", "switched_from": "", "story": "I hate packaging my software for Linux"}]}], "who": [{"by": "Grombobulous", "context": "Framework laptop and Linux desktop user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50283604", "date": "2026-10-29"}, {"by": "oflebbe", "context": "Linux user on Debian or older Ubuntu LTS", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50150535", "date": "2026-10-19"}, {"by": "tuvix", "context": "single-player gamer on Linux", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48721441", "date": "2026-06-29"}, {"by": "rpigab", "context": "lifelong gamer on Ubuntu", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48147026", "date": "2026-05-15"}, {"by": "embeng4096", "context": "switched to Linux for gaming last year", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48128742", "date": "2026-05-13"}, {"by": "bavell", "context": "Linux user, Arch host", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47996888", "date": "2026-05-03"}, {"by": "giancarlostoro", "context": "gamer", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46796497", "date": "2026-01-28"}, {"by": "sergiotapia", "context": "gamer", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46710393", "date": "2026-01-21"}, {"by": "masfoobar", "context": "Linux user since 2005", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46586905", "date": "2026-01-12"}, {"by": "TheCraiggers", "context": "Linux gamer", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46423278", "date": "2025-12-29"}, {"by": "B-Con", "context": "dual-booted Arch and Windows for 16 years", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45986926", "date": "2025-11-19"}, {"by": "UI_at_80x24", "context": "PC gamer for 31+ years", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45823608", "date": "2025-11-05"}], "tags": ["for Linux gamers", "for ex-Mac users", "for single-player games", "for online co-op"], "use_cases": ["gaming", "gaming on linux", "game library", "game distribution", "pc gaming", "game client"], "compared": [{"slug": "gog", "name": "GOG", "co": 11, "switched_from": 2, "switched_to": 2}, {"slug": "proton", "name": "Proton", "co": 9, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "heroic-games-launcher", "name": "Heroic Games Launcher", "co": 5, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "windows-11", "name": "Windows 11", "co": 4, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "wine", "name": "Wine", "co": 4, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "pop-os", "name": "Pop!_OS", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50105635", "title": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher", "mentions": 5}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48632884", "title": "Steam Machine", "mentions": 4}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46422412", "title": "GOG is getting acquired by its original co-founder: What it means for you", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49167448", "title": "Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49120230", "title": "Just because a game is on disc doesn't mean it will work in the future", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48863602", "title": "45% of Enthusiasts 'Seriously Considering' Leaving Sony for PC", "mentions": 2}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 4}, "2025-12": {"neutral": 2, "recommend": 2}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 5, "neutral": 1}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 4}, "2026-06": {"warn": 4, "neutral": 3, "recommend": 2}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 5, "warn": 2, "neutral": 4}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 4, "warn": 1}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 2}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 5, "warn": 4, "neutral": 4, "compare": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 804537664, "item_id": 50283604, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50283604", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "really like being able to play more games on Steam", "excerpt": "I use a macOS for work daily. My last laptop was an M2 MacBook Pro and I\u2019ve now moved over to Linux on Framework 13 then the 13 Pro when that came out. I switched because didn\u2019t like Liquid Glass, I didn\u2019t like the Photos app redesign for macOS 26, and I liked what Framework was doing. I also wanted more storage and of course that means I was going laptop shopping with the soldered storage of the Mac. Now I\u2019d say App", "context": "Framework laptop and Linux desktop user", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Get Ready for Touch on Mac"}, {"id": 804408848, "item_id": 50275553, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50275553", "by": "torben-friis", "date": "2026-10-28", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Steam works as a platform for the purchase itself but not as a discovery mechanism", "excerpt": "I don't think it's a problem of copying, as much as the fact that the signals we use to identify quality are no longer working. Clones always existed, kids chose pokemon rather than a dollar store dragomons because pokemon became a household name by the time bootlegs appeared, legitimate shops only sold pokemon and the cartridge itself showed a quality difference. Nowadays the clone can reach people before the origin", "context": "", "use_case": "game purchasing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Valve Responds to Developers Fearing AI Slop and Clones"}, {"id": 803683952, "item_id": 50230247, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50230247", "by": "tancop", "date": "2026-10-25", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love Steam but this is just backwards.", "excerpt": "I love Steam but this is just backwards. If it was about recouping fixed costs the threshold would be 10k not 10M with the rate dropping down to 15 or 20% after that. Game revenues follow a power law type distribution so they're hurting indies and leaving money on the table.", "context": "", "use_case": "game distribution", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox Turns Down Netflix $500M Offer"}, {"id": 803573776, "item_id": 50223361, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50223361", "by": "doodlesdev", "date": "2026-10-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I very much like Steam features aimed at helping me discover new games", "excerpt": "Interesting feature. I very much like Steam features aimed at helping me discover new games, since I find that nowadays I'm having much more difficulty navigating through all of the option to find something interesting to play, as I'm not investing as much time gaming as I used to when I was younger. Any fellow HNers have cool suggestions? I keep hearing about Factorio and Satisfactory here, but not much else.", "context": "", "use_case": "discovering new games", "switched_from": "", "story": "Valve Steam Personal Calendar"}, {"id": 803284016, "item_id": 50205251, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50205251", "by": "johnisgood", "date": "2026-10-23", "stance": "warn", "quote": "You often cannot run even single player games without having connected to Steam", "excerpt": "They can be taken away from you at any point by locking your account for whatever. You often cannot run even single player games without having connected to Steam (no need for account to be locked for this, but requires connectivity for one). Multiplayer games almost always require Steam these days. I used Steam as an example but applies to other platforms as well. So yeah, I would say you pay for the license only, a", "context": "", "use_case": "game distribution", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox wants you to pay 24 to 40 cents per hour to stream games you bought"}, {"id": 802821107, "item_id": 50176319, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50176319", "by": "chuckadams", "date": "2026-10-21", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "My NixOS box is there to run Steam", "excerpt": "Guix being ideologically opposed to supporting macOS is what keeps me using Nix on my daily driver box. My NixOS box is there to run Steam, which I suspect is something Guix would also regard as anathema.", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "NixOS is making me less afraid"}, {"id": 802408565, "item_id": 50150535, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50150535", "by": "oflebbe", "date": "2026-10-19", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Running up-to-date desktop apps like synology-drive, prusa slicer, keepassxc, kdenlive or even Steam", "excerpt": "Flatpak is now an indispensible part of my linux setup on debian or an older ubuntu LTS: Running up-to-date desktop apps like synology-drive, prusa slicer, keepassxc, kdenlive or even Steam at the same time without any conflicting dependencies and configurations tainting the distribution. And if you do not want to use it any more, you can simply remove it with little or even no traces left behind. I love the experien", "context": "Linux user on Debian or older Ubuntu LTS", "use_case": "gaming via Flatpak", "switched_from": "", "story": "Flatpak \u2013 An Insecurity Nightmare (2023)"}, {"id": 801709392, "item_id": 50106837, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50106837", "by": "bradishungry", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the steam client is definitely kind of terrible", "excerpt": "the steam client is definitely kind of terrible, maybe i\u2019m just biased because i have used steam deck since launch which uses big picture, but there have been bugs in the client that were extremely annoying and obvious that took years to fix (for example, closing a store page and losing page position, but then the page would scroll up when pressing down on a controller for years). A very obvious non-deck example is h", "context": "Steam Deck user", "use_case": "game client", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}, {"id": 801707424, "item_id": 50106714, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50106714", "by": "redhale", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "it is not an enjoyable app to use by its own merits", "excerpt": "When I browse the store, I specifically do it in a browser because the client is so unpleasant to use. For launching games I have no choice. I love Steam as a concept and company, but it is not an enjoyable app to use by its own merits, in my opinion.", "context": "", "use_case": "game client and store", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}, {"id": 801701984, "item_id": 50106374, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50106374", "by": "ryukoposting", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Nowadays Steam is a better game console than an actual game console.", "excerpt": "Don't forget big picture mode. Nowadays Steam is a better game console than an actual game console. That's the only way I use it anymore. ...and the hardware ecosystem, too. I just got my Steam controller last week, and it's wonderful. It's so good I'm playing Civ with it. Civ! On a gamepad!", "context": "", "use_case": "Big Picture mode gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}, {"id": 801695424, "item_id": 50105964, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50105964", "by": "amiga386", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Anyway, what are useful features of Steam:", "excerpt": "People have wasted their time defending their platform's \"honour\" for decades. It used to be Sega vs Nintendo. Then it was PlayStation vs XBox. Now it's Steam vs EGS. Anyway, what are useful features of Steam: - their dedication to getting Windows games running on Linux (to see off the existential threat Microsoft poses to them, but nonetheless greatly appreciated) - community forums / screenshots / artwork / guides ", "context": "", "use_case": "game distribution", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}, {"id": 801692496, "item_id": 50105781, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50105781", "by": "tancop", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "compare", "quote": "Steam takes about 2 seconds to restore from tray and 10-15 for cold boot", "excerpt": "I used to think vibe coding would get us slow Electron apps but now we got speed wars between game launchers. I hope this comes for all types of software. With that said, I tested it right now and Steam takes about 2 seconds to restore from tray and 10-15 for cold boot. The new Epic launcher is around 0.5 and 5 like the article mentioned. Maybe it's still in A/B testing or something.", "context": "", "use_case": "game launcher", "switched_from": "", "story": "Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher"}, {"id": 800852611, "item_id": 50053288, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50053288", "by": "hamsterbase", "date": "2026-10-12", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "1Password, Steam, and Chrome. They all run normally", "excerpt": "Does Huawei provide an Android virtual machine with Google frameworks built in? When I was traveling in Japan, I used Google Maps, and for daily use, Chrome and 1Password all worked fine. In my daily use, only three apps run in the virtual machine: 1Password, Steam, and Chrome. They all run normally, but they're a bit laggy.", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Will Linux phones become a viable alternative to the Android/iOS duopoly?"}, {"id": 800664400, "item_id": 50041525, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50041525", "by": "GaryBluto", "date": "2026-10-11", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the latest Steam client is a Chromium Embedded Framework that runs at all times", "excerpt": "I've been planning to get back into flight simulation but was dismayed to find that the latest Steam client is a Chromium Embedded Framework that runs at all times (which I find great irony in considering Gabe Newell's famous \"service problem\" quote), so I used Claude to yak shave my way to a native Win32 frontend (and when I'm done tinkering with it, my Flight Sim). It's also (dubiously) portable. https://ibb.co/ccP", "context": "", "use_case": "game client", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What are you working on? (October 2026)"}, {"id": 799870528, "item_id": 49991908, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49991908", "by": "lewelove", "date": "2026-10-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "People are happy to pay for the software if they know for a fact that company/person behind it isn't being hostile to them. Look at Steam as an example of this.", "excerpt": "> So is there a path to an ethical, viable business model for the author? Yes and no. An ethical business model for software in this world must be built on a long process of collecting good faith from customers, it just doesn't pay well enough compared to the ones that shatter said faith (adware, exploitation, dark patterns). I think the software moat will be more and more based on social capital. People are happy to", "context": "", "use_case": "game distribution", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tell HN: GitHub refuses to remove cracked copies of my software after a month"}, {"id": 793612592, "item_id": 49600787, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49600787", "by": "brycewray", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "for Steam stuff I go to the old Intel iMac", "excerpt": "> it also solves the gaming problem on Mac Yep, I admit that it's my main use of Linux. My daily driver for everything non-games-related is my 2023 (Apple Silicon) Mac Studio, but for Steam stuff I go to the old Intel iMac and whatever distro I'm running on it at the time.", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Asahi Linux on M3"}, {"id": 793470064, "item_id": 49591879, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49591879", "by": "asdff", "date": "2026-09-06", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Nothing else installed but steam and games.", "excerpt": "Whenever I used windows for games I just installed it on a partition and solely used it for steam. Nothing else installed but steam and games. Usually with the free unregistered version of windows because I could not care less about setting a desktop background. Too insufferable for any other use.", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming on Windows", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11's \"special\" developer edition looks like another marketing misfire"}, {"id": 792950112, "item_id": 49559382, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49559382", "by": "rdmuser", "date": "2026-09-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "itch and steam both have ways to find them.", "excerpt": "There are a fair amount of open source games out there and some great lists but I mainly wanted to highlight with this comment that itch and steam both have ways to find them. Hell I was just playing one earlier to check out the new content (drl). Steam has this handy curator: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38475471-Libre-Open-Source-Games/ Itch has this filter: https://itch.io/games/tag-open-source As a bonu", "context": "", "use_case": "finding open source games", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Death of Physical Media"}, {"id": 792022545, "item_id": 49501409, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49501409", "by": "vinniepukh", "date": "2026-08-30", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "light gaming via Steam", "excerpt": "anecdotal and fwiw, Omarchy is the first distro that \"stuck\". I've been using it on my desktop for a year now. I use it for personal projects and light gaming via Steam. Personal MacBook is only used when I want to compute on the couch. Work computer is also a MacBook. But everything else, Omarchy desktop. Previous attempts with Ubuntu and PopOS! never stuck.", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Omarchy: Any User Process Can Escalate to Root"}, {"id": 791029600, "item_id": 49439350, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49439350", "by": "boplicity", "date": "2026-08-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I once tinkered with the game streaming set up available via Steam, so I could do it in a way where it streamed the normal complete desktop setup.", "excerpt": "I once tinkered with the game streaming set up available via Steam, so I could do it in a way where it streamed the normal complete desktop setup. I used it to operate my desktop from the laptop. It worked relatively well, but wasn't perfect. It was as close to what you're describing as I've seen, though. This was a few years ago; something like this might work even better now.", "context": "", "use_case": "remote desktop streaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra"}, {"id": 789842802, "item_id": 49365175, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49365175", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-08-19", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I enjoy the fact that I can play real games on Steam compared to the macOS situation", "excerpt": "Unfortunately, not to my knowledge. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if they get a retail partner soon, though. Surely they must realize that Micro Center would be an ideal partner for their demographic. I own the original chassis 13, AMD 7640U. My previous laptop was a MacBook Pro M2 14\u201d. There are some clear downgrades: battery life, screen, speakers. Processing power, yeah, though it\u2019s not like I ever maxed out the one I h", "context": "Framework 13 owner, former MacBook Pro user", "use_case": "PC gaming on Linux", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple announces changes for apps in the European Union"}, {"id": 788340736, "item_id": 49271296, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49271296", "by": "embedding-shape", "date": "2026-08-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Don't get me wrong, I love Steam, but for video games.", "excerpt": "Costs money and is centralized with a for-profit entity, probably best to stay far away when it comes to day-to-day software. Don't get me wrong, I love Steam, but for video games. You can't stop auto-updating for example, and still be able to launch the \"game\" (program in this case) if it's out of date, which obviously breaks pretty much every professional computer user's workflow.", "context": "", "use_case": "video games", "switched_from": "", "story": "I hate packaging my software for Linux"}, {"id": 787493189, "item_id": 49218324, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49218324", "by": "ragequittah", "date": "2026-08-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Most of the stuff I use is free and excellent.", "excerpt": "Most of the stuff I use is free and excellent. Linux, Firefox, libreoffice, xcp-ng, bottles, steam, playnite, opnsense, docker, dockhand, immich, freshrss, obsidian, tailscale, calibre, caddy, docker, pi-hole, signal, audiobookshelf I could probably keep going for a long while. I'm very glad most good software creators I've come across do not have your mindset.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Improving GPT-5.6 Sol in ChatGPT\u2014and expanding access for free users"}, {"id": 786685761, "item_id": 49167860, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49167860", "by": "Forgeties79", "date": "2026-08-04", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Steam but I also know I\u2019m vulnerable to a rug pull.", "excerpt": "They don\u2019t let you resell games, if you die your library is gone, if said steamdeck (or steam machine) breaks those games are gone, the list goes on. It is a digital store with the exact same limitations of any video game console full of digital purchases. I use Steam but I also know I\u2019m vulnerable to a rug pull. We all are. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been shifting over to GOG and making sure to back up my library in an organiz", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc"}, {"id": 786681937, "item_id": 49167621, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49167621", "by": "jeroenhd", "date": "2026-08-04", "stance": "warn", "quote": "if Steam goes down, your libraries goes down with it", "excerpt": "> All I'm saying is it's all digital on the PC side of things, and has been for ages, but we have means of maintaining access to the games we love over here, and it's one of the reasons I've gravitated to the PC for quite a while now. It all depends on where you buy your games of course; GOG will let you download DRM-free installers, but if Steam goes down, your libraries goes down with it. They have made a vague pro", "context": "", "use_case": "buying PC games", "switched_from": "", "story": "Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc"}, {"id": 786341776, "item_id": 49146361, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49146361", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-08-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "you\u2019ve got Steam, which has made Linux an excellent game platform", "excerpt": "As the article points out, we\u2019re not sure about the validity of these numbers. Anecdotally though, the idea of major creators like Linus Tech Tips and Marques Brownlee putting out Linux content was unheard of a few short years ago. I have been seeing a wide trend among the Windows tech-savvy universe of frustrated users who have social media platforms suggesting strongly that people give it a try. Plus, you\u2019ve got St", "context": "switched from Windows to Linux", "use_case": "gaming on Linux", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux Desktop Market Share Surpasses 10% in North America"}, {"id": 786289728, "item_id": 49143108, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49143108", "by": "movedx", "date": "2026-08-02", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "that model remains acceptable only while platforms such as Steam, reinforced by consumer protections such as those in Australia, preserve a reasonable expectation of continued access", "excerpt": "Yes, I want the console to last as long as possible. That is ordinarily why people buy durable goods: ownership carries a reasonable expectation of continued use. We don\u2019t throw away our plates and cutlery after three to five years simply because the manufacturer has moved on to a newer model, or they've shutdown, or they've said you're not allowed to. > What if the game isn\u2019t on the disc at all? What if it\u2019s essenti", "context": "", "use_case": "buying and downloading games", "switched_from": "", "story": "Just because a game is on disc doesn't mean it will work in the future"}, {"id": 786229904, "item_id": 49139369, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49139369", "by": "augusto-moura", "date": "2026-08-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam's policy is that an already published game can only be delisted, allowing old owners to still play the game.", "excerpt": "Steam's policy is that an already published game can only be delisted, allowing old owners to still play the game. I still own the original versions of Skyrim (before Anniversary edition, definitive edition, and all other *ditions), and I can still download it and play it, even though that version is not available for purchase in the store anymore. Xbox and PSN don't have such luxuries AFAIK, after a game is removed ", "context": "", "use_case": "PC gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Just because a game is on disc doesn't mean it will work in the future"}, {"id": 786090753, "item_id": 49130672, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49130672", "by": "matheusmoreira", "date": "2026-07-31", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "My Steam account has 300+ games on it.", "excerpt": "> I think the services part they really dislike is just the part where your credit card gets charged when you click the buy or rent button. You think wrong. My Steam account has 300+ games on it. I pay for several streaming services. I have a physical media collection that even includes a copy of windows vista, to my eternal regret. > Doing all of the piracy stuff with VPNs and navigating torrent sites and getting a ", "context": "", "use_case": "PC gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Twenty-five years ago it was cryptography, today it's model weights"}, {"id": 783876433, "item_id": 48992277, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48992277", "by": "pipes", "date": "2026-07-21", "stance": "warn", "quote": "they engage in some nasty practices, like not allowing developers to list their games on other online stores at cheaper prices", "excerpt": "I used to agree with this sentiment. But now I think they engage in some nasty practices, like not allowing developers to list their games on other online stores at cheaper prices. That and they take a large cut (30 percent I think) Vs epic store at 12 percent as far as I can recall. I mostly buy from gog because they give your the download to keep for life. Also I just like them. However getting their games to work ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Great Steam Deck Crash of 2026: How the New Pricing Decreased Demand by 80%"}, {"id": 783596801, "item_id": 48974800, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48974800", "by": "BatteryMountain", "date": "2026-07-19", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "a fedora instance with steam on it", "excerpt": "True, I've played many indies the last 5 years, they can be amazing indeed and feels like actual games, not chores! I've abandoned games that are too complex too (stellaris and friends). Basically only play games that can help me decompress my mind within a two hour space before bed. For what its worth, I use a proxmox server with pcie passthrough to a fedora instance with steam on it. Then I stream with sunshine/moo", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent"}, {"id": 783426481, "item_id": 48964155, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48964155", "by": "TacticalCoder", "date": "2026-07-18", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I did put PoP OS! and Steam on it", "excerpt": "> I see a number 4770 and 4790 still doing the job they were bought for. I expect the same for 12th gen when they're 13yo. Not so for anything between 4th and 12th. What do you mean? My Core i7-6700K is still running strong on its Asus Z-170A mobo (TFA mention a Z370-A, mine's a bit older but was one of the first mobo to offer a M.2 NVMe slot). It even runs very modern games just fine on whatever not-so-powerful GPU ", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "GTX 1080s: Testing a Legend"}, {"id": 782660481, "item_id": 48916280, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48916280", "by": "tim-projects", "date": "2026-07-14", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "directly launches either steam or heroic launcher", "excerpt": "I use gamescope on a separate TTY that directly launches either steam or heroic launcher. I find this works exceptionally well. No window manager needed as you are playing a game full screen anyway. It fixed some other things like HDR too but at a loss of the volume and brightness keys no longer working.", "context": "", "use_case": "game launcher", "switched_from": "", "story": "Measuring Input Latency on Linux: X11 vs. Wayland, VRR, and DXVK"}, {"id": 781843632, "item_id": 48865227, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48865227", "by": "jsbisviewtiful", "date": "2026-07-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "just use Steam and probably play indie and older games only", "excerpt": "I\u2019ll pick up a AAA game every few years and only after it\u2019s on steep sale. This method has been working well for me but I\u2019ve also considered myself as having my foot out the door for being a \u201cgaming enthusiast\u201d for 5-8 years now. I got tired of AAA games being so much money and not being very fun. Most recently, finally bought GoW Ragnarok for like $26 USD, ended up really not liking it and putting it down after 8 or", "context": "", "use_case": "PC gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "45% of Enthusiasts 'Seriously Considering' Leaving Sony for PC"}, {"id": 781837872, "item_id": 48864867, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48864867", "by": "chowells", "date": "2026-07-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "You can not-quite-trivially download all versions of a game that have been uploaded to steam, as long as you own the game.", "excerpt": "You can not-quite-trivially download all versions of a game that have been uploaded to steam, as long as you own the game. And that's a download like as an installers you can run, not just overwriting your current active steam install. I actually rely on this quite a lot, indirectly. Beat Saber is a fun game, but it doesn't support a lot of fun features, like walls with boundaries that aren't aligned to the coordinat", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming with old game versions", "switched_from": "", "story": "45% of Enthusiasts 'Seriously Considering' Leaving Sony for PC"}, {"id": 780946256, "item_id": 48809141, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48809141", "by": "TulliusCicero", "date": "2026-07-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I make extensive use of Steam's gifting feature", "excerpt": "I think it's one of those things where people only care about a small percentage of the features, but which small percentage varies. For example, I used the example of remote play together, which is very neat and a lot of people love it, but I personally don't use it. On the other hand, I make extensive use of Steam's gifting feature, including its ability to handle multiple gifts to multiple people in a single trans", "context": "", "use_case": "game store, gifting", "switched_from": "", "story": "Resetting Xbox"}, {"id": 780058208, "item_id": 48753638, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48753638", "by": "lelandfe", "date": "2026-07-01", "stance": "warn", "quote": "was removed from users' Steam libraries and replaced with Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition on Steam", "excerpt": "Other stuff happens, though. Rockstar's Episodes from Liberty City was removed from users' Steam libraries and replaced with Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition on Steam, for instance: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/f643gd/from_gta_4s_steam_page_important_updates_to_grand/ Although that change encompasses the content of what was originally purchased, it's nonetheless a different product that retroactive", "context": "", "use_case": "digital game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Physical disc production ending in Jan 2028 for new games on PlayStation"}, {"id": 780045056, "item_id": 48752816, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48752816", "by": "quacker", "date": "2026-07-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "", "excerpt": "Right. License pulls happen extremely rarely for digital video games[1] And delisting a game from a store isn't a license pull. Delisting prevents new purchases of the game, but owners of a game prior to delisting can still download and play[2] For example, even though Sony is closing the PS3 store to new purchases after 20 years, existing owners of digital games can still download their digital copies. So my entire ", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Physical disc production ending in Jan 2028 for new games on PlayStation"}, {"id": 779953360, "item_id": 48747085, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48747085", "by": "callamdelaney", "date": "2026-07-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam isn't a monopoly, it's just a good service.", "excerpt": "Steam isn't a monopoly, it's just a good service. Why would I use a shittier one created by, generally, extremely greedy and woke corporations?", "context": "", "use_case": "PC game store", "switched_from": "", "story": "Sony will no longer produce discs for PlayStation games starting in January 2028"}, {"id": 779543056, "item_id": 48721441, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48721441", "by": "tuvix", "date": "2026-06-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Steam for everything, as well.", "excerpt": "I don\u2019t play multiplayer stuff like Fortnite or Call of Duty, so I might not be your typical user. I use Steam for everything, as well. But I fully switched to Fedora a while ago because every game I played was either just as performant or ran better on Linux. It\u2019s plug and play, too. I just downloaded Steam and that was it. I know there are other commenters saying the same thing, but I\u2019m just super excited because o", "context": "single-player gamer on Linux", "use_case": "gaming on Linux", "switched_from": "", "story": "CachyOS June 2026 Release"}, {"id": 779267040, "item_id": 48704190, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48704190", "by": "autoexec", "date": "2026-06-27", "stance": "warn", "quote": "all of the games in your library will stop working as soon as your computer has been offline for whatever length of time steam feels is \"too long\"", "excerpt": "ultimately it means that all of the games in your library will stop working as soon as your computer has been offline for whatever length of time steam feels is \"too long\". I recommend getting a cracked copy of every game in your library to make sure that you will still have access to what you paid for if steam shuts down or you lose your internet connection.", "context": "", "use_case": "game library DRM", "switched_from": "", "story": "If You Can't Hold It, You Don't Own It"}, {"id": 770059873, "item_id": 48128742, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48128742", "by": "embeng4096", "date": "2026-05-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam+Proton makes everything I play just work", "excerpt": "I switched to Linux for everything but AAA FPS PVP games last year and have had a great experience so far. Steam+Proton makes everything I play just work: Helldivers 2, Slay the Spire 2, No Rest For The Wicked, FF7 Remake, Stardew, modded Lethal Company (using r2modman) are the main things I've been playing recently, and all worked out of the box with Proton. My PS5 controller may have needed me to install one packag", "context": "switched to Linux for gaming last year", "use_case": "gaming on Linux", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux gaming is faster because Windows APIs are becoming Linux kernel features"}, {"id": 762011104, "item_id": 47625694, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47625694", "by": "DocTomoe", "date": "2026-04-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "the library and ease-of-use of Steam is unmatched", "excerpt": "It's ironic to call something 'Europe does it better' when all alternatives mentioned are - objectively - worse, sometimes catastrophically worse than the things they are meant to replace. This is especially true for offers that are content-related. Claiming that RTL+ is anywhere NEAR Netflix is insulting. I love GOG, but the library and ease-of-use of Steam is unmatched (to the point that half of my GOG library does", "context": "", "use_case": "game library", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: European alternatives to Google, Apple, Dropbox and 120 US apps"}, {"id": 747366290, "item_id": 46710393, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46710393", "by": "sergiotapia", "date": "2026-01-21", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Steam works out of the box, and all the games I play work out of the box.", "excerpt": "Windows 11 is so bad that I finally made the permanent jump to Linux. At the end of my time with Windows, it would HARD freeze about twice a week. I thought I was having hardware failures and got really scared. When I switched to Omarchy, I've had zero crashes. Omarchy gave me a great OS that I spend no time tweaking and fiddling with. Steam works out of the box, and all the games I play work out of the box. Control,", "context": "gamer", "use_case": "gaming on Linux", "switched_from": "", "story": "Hate is a strong word, but I don't like Windows 11"}, {"id": 743542339, "item_id": 46471396, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46471396", "by": "Alupis", "date": "2026-01-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Nearly 99% of my Steam library is playable on Fedora too.", "excerpt": "I've used Fedora on my laptop for over a decade. I switched my main home workstation to Fedora in 2023, and haven't looked back since. My workstation runs Kinoite[1], an immutable/atomic version of Fedora. I started with Fedora 38, and now am running 43. Flawless major-release upgrades. I develop using distrobox[2] (pet containers) on podman. It \"Just Works\". Nearly 99% of my Steam library is playable on Fedora too. ", "context": "", "use_case": "gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "2026 will be my year of the Linux desktop"}, {"id": 733177728, "item_id": 45823608, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45823608", "by": "UI_at_80x24", "date": "2025-11-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The 'value-add' that steam brings to the table is INCREDIBLE.", "excerpt": "I've been a \"PC Gamer\" for 31+ years. The 'value-add' that steam brings to the table is INCREDIBLE. Thanks to Proton/Linux efforts. (1) my games are installable AND playable on _every_ device I use. (2) I don't have to fight with wine/crossover/etc to get things to work. (3) It's not hostile to the end user (yet). I have bought more games since the Steamdeck came out then in the 40'some years before that. Yes I know ", "context": "PC gamer for 31+ years", "use_case": "PC gaming", "switched_from": "", "story": "72% of devs believe Steam has a monopoly on PC games, according to study"}]}