If you’re looking at performance, Steam’s gaming machine fares far worse than Windows 10 and failed to reach a decent performance as an operating system on numerous points.
- SteamOS and Windows 10 were installed on the same computer for better comparison
- They tested 6 games, and Windows 10 was better for 5 of them, while the 6th reached a tie
- On overall performance, Windows 10 was deemed as the better option for gaming
Valve launched their highly anticipated Steam Machine that is meant to bring gaming into the living room. The Linux-based SteamOS has been brought forward with the intent of innovating the way players approach gaming. It essentially means to be the perfect blend between the high performance of a desktop computer and the comfort a console provides.
However, in tests, it didn’t seem like SteamOS could go head to head with Windows 10. And it should be mentioned that Windows 10 itself has not been too praised for its best abilities of handling gaming yet.
The team installed both SteamOS and Windows 10 on the same computer, so that the specifications would not differ. This way, they were able to understand just how each operating system affects the gameplay and overall experience. When placed against one another, Microsoft’s operating system beat out Valve’s in several areas.
This was tested through a series of games, including Valve’s own ‘Dota 2’, ‘Left 4 Dead 2’, ‘Team Fortress 2’, and ‘Portal’. A Steam Machine made by Valve should be able to handle Valve games better than any other operating system. However, that did not seem to be the case.
Windows 10 performed significantly better for most. The best SteamOS could do was stand almost shoulder to shoulder at ‘Left 4 Dead 2’. It achieved 49.1 fps (frames per second), in comparison to Microsoft’s OS at 50.1 fps. It’s not a significant enough difference to call one better than the other. However, it should still be noted that it’s a game developed by Valve, played on their own gaming machine.
Other 2014 games were tested, such as ‘Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor’, and ‘Metro: Last Light’, where Steam OS fell behind at 14.6 fps. While on Windows 10 the numbers were still poor, at 34.5 fps, it was at least playable. This brought them to a total of six games tested, though the team admitted that it’s not entirely comprehensive. It is telling though.
This could be also related to the fact that most gamer makers do not focus on Linux-based operating systems, as they’re notoriously bad for proper gaming experiences. If Linux suddenly becomes a better option or if the Steam Machines achieve record sales though, they might be adjusting their formulas just a little bit.
Image source: gamespot.com
Horker says
Too subjective. There is virtually no difference from the game’s point-of-view of the “Operating System.” It’s all about DirectX vs OpenGL, it depends on the graphics adapter, and the actual shaders compiled for the game might be better-optimized for their DirectX counterparts. It would seem that the trend is toward DirectX. Even most graphics adapters favor DirectX. Not many games released for Windows even use OpenGL at all, and graphics adapters are therefore tuned highly for DirectX. The assessment is unfair and way too early.
Marasi Colms says
you think it would make any different if this review release a year from now?
Horker says
Sure, if developers start working with PC OpenGL more, and there’s a greater demand, then AMD and nvidia might start improving the OpenGL support of their adapters.