A lot of older PC games can run just fine on modern phone hardware. I’d buy a SteamOS version of a phone that has some modular or built-in set of buttons and analog sticks. I don’t know how the app ecosystem would work for sensitive things like banking but it’s mostly a minor issue for me.
Just to get away from Apple and Google.
I love the trend towards Linux phones. I hope that gets a good enough foothold for me to get one.
If its a viable way to get a linux phone then sure.
I would, yes, if it was not OS locked.
No, because I don’t care about gaming on a phone. But I’d love to have numerous viable Linux phone alternatives to break the cartel duopoly.
Probably not Steam OS, specially, but I’d love an alternative Linux-based smartphone OS.
Yes but not for gaming, just to get a Linux phone.
That’s actually a great point. If it runs actual Linux, not Android, that’s a decent reason to buy. Valve might actually upstream the patches, if any, so that would enable virtually all Linux distros to run in it.
So a Linux phone that works?
On one hand I would love that. On the other hand it would have access to my steam games and that might be a problem
Yeah this is the important bit to me. Valve does good work and contributes to FOSS, sure, but I’m not going to blindly follow everything they do. Right now the Linux phone space just flat out isn’t viable for daily drivers. If Valve are the first ones to really address this, cool! But I’m not going to put them on a pedestal over any other options.
Isn’t Sailfish OS already pretty much “a Linux phone that works”?
I wouldn’t buy it to replace my phone. I want to keep that and my gaming devices separate.
I would buy it a dedicated handheld in a similar form factor to a phone + some controls. I’ve actually been looking at the AYN Thor for this exact use case. It would have to be the right price too.
I just made a similar comment and totally agree on both points. In the past, handhelds were actually this small, like a (bigger) phone with controls attached. Smartphones have bad battery life too and if its based on Android, then privacy concerns too. A dedicated handheld should be cheaper then full fledged power smartphone being able to play those games.
A Steam smartphone implies to me its main purpose is to play PC games and not caring about the other stuff. And no, for that reason I wouldn’t buy a Steam smartphone. Because playing games on mobile phone sucks, for controls (and I always need a controller in addition), battery life and size. And its probably as expensive as a PC. I would rather buy a dedicated handheld, if its available in this form. And if its based on Android, its a nogo anyway, for privacy reasons.
Maybe, if was cheap. Dislike Google and Apple.
Don’t care so much about games on the phone as like GPS, texting, ad blocking in the browser.
depends.
if it’s basically a continuation of the xperia play, but otherwise a regular modern day smartphone with passing safety net, unlockable bootloader, a 3,5mm jack, sd card slot, stereo front firing speaker, decent camera, absolutely.If it allows side loading and has expendable storage, sure. That’s all I’m looking for.
I already despise having to charge my phone once a day. I might buy one if it were FOSS, but I don’t think I’d play many games on it.
As an alternative for the Apple/Google duopoly, I’d be curious. As a gaming machine, having tried playing PC games on Android, I’d say a lot of work is still needed.
Absolutely, we need more Linux phone options.
