Exploration of running two operating systems side by side in SteamOS
Exploration of running two operating systems side by side in SteamOS
Will SteamOS become a Full system Override OS launcher on PC? Member DOS, Member launching games how DOS would be gone. Member launching DOS games in windows how it would make windows gone. With dual booting and hibernation states. Could Valve Make SteamOS launch and overtake a PC using Big picture, as it does now, giving you a Steam Deck experience? Has someone Already done this, where launching bigpicture launches SteamOS instead. I havent used Xbox on PC, is it just a launcher still or does it do what I think it does? Launching XboxOS, putting Windows into Hibernate? edit: Anyone Ever launched a MSDOS game in windows? Or has DOSBOX deleted this memory? This is the same but with Vulcan(steam) or DirectX(xbox). edit 2: IF there was a very basic operating system, like in VM setups, you could switch between multiple OS's seamlessly. Although there is no reason not to have a full program halt the OS, putting it into Hibernative state. Fullscreen apps have bothered me for so long in that they do not take over all the computer. I guess my biggest gripe is windows bloat. AFAIK Chrome kind of does this or Can to save resources; with Extreme battery saving mode being an extension of this.
Nothing can be achieved, yet attempting to "take over" Windows in the manner Steam does with SteamOS wouldn't be feasible. It would require a highly unsupported hack that would be tough to execute and maintain, especially with Windows updates. This highlights why Linux is a better choice for the Steam Deck. It's open-source and modular, making it simpler to build an environment where Steam runs smoothly as the desktop and manages windows. It could also leverage existing initiatives like Gamescope.
This discussion isn't focused on Xbox game versions. However, considering XboxOS operates on DirectX and C++ with built-in drivers, I don't understand why a shared folder in Windows could be used to run games in Xbox mode. Comparing Xbox versions to PC versions isn't that different. What would be a clever trick? Is SteamOS just a big picture interface? It's not Linux with Steambolted. Even if it were, dual booting wouldn't be a problem—it actually simplifies things. Why would you need to stay updated with Windows updates? It's a dual boot situation. Windows starts, SteamOS launches, then Steam closes and hibernates, followed by Windows booting. With SSDs, this should take less than a minute and almost seem to happen at the same time.
You're suggesting using SteamOS to launch a game, but it raises several practical concerns. First, you'd need to manage the BIOS settings or use a boot manager to switch between systems, which isn't straightforward. Second, adding extra load time for each game launch would be inconvenient. Third, it would hinder multitasking features like Discord voice chat. Ultimately, the question remains: what's the real purpose?
For better performance, focus on the game alone. No extra background processes slowing things down. Just pure gaming experience.
The thing is there really isn't all this stuff running in the background that you can easily kill/prioritize and make a game run better. Look at all the game mode tests. Typically a small or no improvement when there is little in the background already. 20% is way higher than reality for CPU + GPU usage.
windows tends to be quite stubborn. I've experienced it more than once—games or apps would freeze, then reappear until I close something. It keeps trying to restart itself repeatedly. Many of us seem used to having lots of cores and memory, so when windows uses just two cores with eight gigabytes of RAM, it feels almost normal. It gets even worse when apps aren<|pad|>, and windows, being designed for performance, still insists on forcing everything onto the first core. New hardware often masks these limitations with hidden metrics like ecores and pcores.
For smoother gaming experiences, Linux isn't quite there yet compared to Windows. There are still many more problems with games on Linux than on Windows. Users prefer operating systems that support multitasking, which is why everyone now wants a system that integrates Discord, chat, browsers, and music seamlessly during gameplay. I don't understand the point of using a dual-boot setup just for games.
I prefer a fully different operating system that doesn’t require dual booting multiple OSes. Plus, not every game is available on Steam.