Windows will do Windows things, and eventually... A Windows dialogue with ads, an update, an error, a CMD window, will popup. That doesnt happen on XBOX or on Steam OS. That's what I look for.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

I've had mine running for 5 years now without a single issue like that. If you install Windows with a debloater tool, you can disable most of that nonsense. Set up for it to auto-restart every day (I set mine for 3am) and I have only ever had a problem once, and thats because a RAM stick finally went bad in it and needed to be replaced.

I am pretty sure ads do appear on SteamOS, but they are for games in the Steam store. Xbox has ads literally right on the home screen and I complain about them all the time. My HTPC I setup hasn't shown me a single ad for anything in the last 5 years, because I disabled notifications and don't ever use Explorer unless I want to add/remove games to the frontend. Its fully controller compatible, I highly recommend it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Digital Foundry guys speculate that something like Windows-derived Xbox OS for certified pre-built PCs and vanilla Xbox could be the answer to this. Microsoft must see that Steam Deck and inevitable diversification from x86 is going to threaten their hegemony but are definitely preparing for this.

Microsoft saying that Xbox games are going to be taken care of when time comes is a solid strategy. They have the best track record on ensuring backwards compatibility. At the same time Valve seems to be woefully unprepared for ARM switch and has proven that they're going to leave their customers dry when they lose interest - just look at the state of Steam on Macs.