Their Deck is still technically niche and yet somehow I can still pretty much install whatever I want in desktop mode, and can even make links in steam to them. (You can even put Epic on it, but that takes a bit of a work around).
The real question with these issues is not whether you can install other software with some effort, but whether you can start a competing app store that, if better than Google’s, can outcompete Google.
Right now you can’t get the same deal from the makers of Android and phone manufacturers as the Google Play owners, and that is why it’s said the market is monopolistic.
Not at all, its like steam. F-droid and GOG can provide software but neither can truly replicate the functionality or the full library of software. F-Droid doesnt have a g-pay alternative because its an open source hobby project and they dont have extensive cloud services.
Steam does own SteamOS but they also bundle a third party software repo (flathub).
Their Deck is still technically niche and yet somehow I can still pretty much install whatever I want in desktop mode, and can even make links in steam to them. (You can even put Epic on it, but that takes a bit of a work around).
You bring up a good point, why are consoles not being forced to allow other app stores like phones?
Idk, I have a Google Pixel and I use GraphineOS and for app stores I have obtainium and Accrescent
The real question with these issues is not whether you can install other software with some effort, but whether you can start a competing app store that, if better than Google’s, can outcompete Google.
Right now you can’t get the same deal from the makers of Android and phone manufacturers as the Google Play owners, and that is why it’s said the market is monopolistic.
Well F-Droid is popular and you can just download apks, thats what epic games did (simply distributing their store as an apk)
Can either of those compete with Google Play on equal terms though?
Not at all, its like steam. F-droid and GOG can provide software but neither can truly replicate the functionality or the full library of software. F-Droid doesnt have a g-pay alternative because its an open source hobby project and they dont have extensive cloud services.