The much anticipated Linux version of Valve’s digital download platform Steam will reach beta mode next week.Around 1,000 users are apparently slated for the initial test of the system, which will allos users on the open-source operating system to have a centralized platform for downloading PC games for the first time.
Valve is known for creating some of the most popular hardcore PC games, but its reach has been vastly extended thanks to its digital distribution platform Steam. It acts as a centralized hub for PC gamers of all stripes to download and get instant access to games from all kinds of publishers across all genres.
Rumors of a Linux client for Steam have been popping around since early this year, and Valve confirmed the speculation over the summer. It never officially announced any hard dates or rollout plans, however.
“We want this to be a community of game developers, communicating with each other and talking about current efforts and future efforts in a powerfully creative environment,” the company wrote on its blog earlier this summer.
The new beta client is accessible on systems with Ubuntu version 12.04 and above. Left 4 Dead 2 will be the first title available on the platform. Left 4 Dead 2 had become the poster child for the project, because of its heavy resource intensiveness.
