When Valve’s Steam Deck begins shipping to customers later this month, the handheld gaming PC will be running a Linux-based operating system called Steam OS. And that could give gaming on Linux a bit of a boost.

While Valve’s game client has been able to run on Linux for years, as of last month just over 1% of Steam users were running Linux (and fewer than 3% were using macOS, with Windows holding a 96% share). It’ll be interesting to see if that starts to change once the Steam Deck hits the streets. And if it does, maybe we’ll see more game makers add support for Linux… but one of the most popular games around isn’t going to add Linux support anytime soon: Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says the company has no plans to port Fortnite to Linux.

He says it’s because Epic doesn’t “have confidence that we’d be able to combat cheating at scale under a wide array of kernel configurations including custom ones,” but it’s an interesting take since Epic has already ported its anti-cheat software to support Mac and Linux devices including the Steam Deck.

That means third-party games that use Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat software should be compatible with the Steam Deck. But Epic’s own Fortnite won’t be one of those games.

Then again, Fortnite also isn’t available in the Steam Store, so it’s not like it’s a huge surprise that the company doesn’t want to make it too easy for you to play its massively popular game on a device that may lock you into a rival’s ecosystem.

But the Steam Deck is basically a PC, and while it will ship with Steam OS, it’s also capable of running Windows. And that could provide folks willing to install an alternate operating system a way to play Fortnite or any other games that may not be available or play well under Linux.

Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.

Epic won’t update Fortnite to run on the Steam Deck [The Verge]

It looks like folks who want to play Fortnite on the Steam Deck might have to install Windows to do it.

Vivo NEX 5 specifications, pricing leaked [GizmoChina]

The Vivo NEX 5 smartphone could have a 120 HZ QHD+ display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, 5,000 mAh battery, 80W charging, a 32MP front camera, and four rear cameras (50MP primary, 48MP ultra-wide, 12MP 2X zoom, and 8MP 5X zoom). Vivo’s NEX-branded phones have a history of packing far-out features though, and by that standard, the NEX 5 actually looks like a pretty conventional 2022 flagship.

MAME celebrates its 25th anniversary [@mamedev_org]

MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) turned 25 this week. These day the open source software supports thousands of classic games.

Samsung Repurposes Discarded Fishing Nets For New Galaxy Devices [Samsung]

Samsung says it will begin using recycled plastic made from ocean-bound plastic across its whole product lineup soon, starting with Galaxy devices (phones and tablets) set to launch this week, which will be partially made with recycled fishing nets.

Apple empowers businesses to accept contactless payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone [Apple]

Apple plans to launch Tap to Pay mobile payment functionality to iPhones later this year, allowing iPhone users to use their phones for contactless credit and debit card payments at “millions of merchants across the US.” iPhone XS or newer required.

Mozilla ends support for the Firefox colorway themes it introduced a few months ago [Mozilla]

When Firefox 94 launched in November, it includes a set of “limited time” colorways allowing you to change the look of the browser. Firefox 97 is rolling out now and it retires those looks – if you want to keep one, make sure it’s enabled before updating.

Chrome OS 98 Stable Channel arrives [About Chromebooks]

Among other things, the update brings a fix for printer problems, experimental support for dark mode in the Files app, support for choosing where screen captures are saved, and an in-browser privacy review (hidden behind a flag that needs to be enabled).

Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Twitter and Facebook and follow @LinuxSmartphone on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news on open source mobile phones.

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2 replies on “Lilbits: Fortnite for Linux isn’t happening, Vivo NEX 5 specs leaked, MAME turns 25”

  1. He was talking about bring Fortnite to general Linux and not SteamOS.

    “Fortnite no, but there’s a big effort underway to maximize Easy Anti Cheat compatibility with Steam Deck.”

    And when asked why not general Linux he replied that;
    “We don’t have confidence that we’d be able to combat cheating at scale under a wide array of kernel configurations including custom ones.”

    So Fortnite is possible on Steam Deck if EAC is proven viable on it.

  2. Given Sweeney’s habit of buying companies to make them drop Linux support … it’s not a surprise, but what did Linux do to make him hate it?

    His blathering about custom kernels is… ah… slightly hard to believe. If only Linux had the marketshare to be a factor on mainline or distro signed kernels… and he’s supposedly worried about people compiling their own?

    Well, there’s always waydroid. 😉 Wonder if he’ll try to pull Fortnite from Android? How deep does his grudge go?

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