Square Enix Backs Playtron's GameOS for Handheld Gaming and More

It's a great time to be part of both the Linux and FOSS communities in general. Things are looking up in terms of desktop market share, new applications being introduced, and Gaming on Linux flourishing like never before.

Earlier this year, a new player entered the Linux gaming space called Playtron. And, they intend to transform desktops, handhelds, laptops, etc. into “super" games consoles by offering a new ecosystem that isn't limited to just one game store.

Playtron is developing a Fedora Silverblue-based gaming distro called “PlaytronOS”, and are not stopping at that.

A recent press release sees them onboarding a new investment partner. Props to Liam for bringing it to my attention.

Playtron Gets A Boost: What To Expect?

a screenshot of the playtron homepage — Playtron website's homepage

Introducing a fresh investment of an undisclosed amount, Playtron has announced that they are now partnered with Square Enix of Final Fantasy fame. This was done in a bid to “Expand Distribution and Access to Next-Generation Gaming via Revolutionary “GameOS” that Transforms PCs into “Super” Game Consoles”.

Square Enix joins other investors like Polychain Capital, Alumni Ventures, Samsung Next, and a few others in helping take Playtron to the next level. During the announcement, General Manager of Investment & Business Development at Square Enix, Hideaki Uehara, added that:

Square Enix’s investment in Playtron underscores its commitment to driving innovation and enhancing player experiences and access.

This collaboration aims to leverage Playtron's “GameOS” to expand distribution of Square Enix's portfolio of beloved franchises and explore new creative possibilities that are only possible when harnessing the full power of an operating system.

Of course, it will be a while before the results of this collaboration start showing, as it is a big undertaking that requires a lot of time and effort.

While We Wait...

You can take the first alpha release of PlaytronOS for a test drive. You can get it from the official website, where you will find the list of supported devices/architectures and the installation guide.

PlaytronOS

If you are interested in the source code, then you can head to Playtron's GitHub page. Initially, they are open sourcing the operating system code, with plans to open source more down the line.

💬 Do you think Playtron will be able to overcome the difficulties faced in developing a Linux distro tailored for gaming?

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