I think it's mainly as a safety net in case Microsoft decides to only allow applications to be installed through their own store. IIRC, that was the original reason they started work on SteamOS. They're also working on their own cloud streaming platform, so they might figure it's cheaper to develop Proton than have to pay for a bunch of Windows Server licenses.

Actually, that makes sense. I don't think MS will ever (as much as they'd like to) make us use their store - but "steam-stream" is at a massive disadvantage if they need to submit to whatever MS asks for in license (and presume nVidia, google and anybody who isn't Sony - so Steam would end up with something pretty valuable)

They already did to some extent with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

I haven’t really bought any games recently because of it, and unlike the other premium pay monthly gaming services Xbox Game Pass actually brings on a lot of new games.

With Microsoft buying more and more studios and the fact that they pretty much releasing most of not of all their first party new games on the pass combined with a persistent library of a lot of older games it’s a game changer for me.

Basically with Game Pass Ultimate you can currently play games on your Xbox, PC and mobile device (via streaming) all for $15.

It’s by far the biggest mover Microsoft has and what I see giving them a huge edge this coming generation over Sony.

Microsoft also doesn’t care anymore about Xbox hardware exclusives they see Xbox as their cross platform gaming brand now.

The problemen with dual booting is that it is a barrier. Takes a few minutes or so (don't forget the update avalanche if you havnt booted into your Windows partition for a while, and steam+games itself).

With Proton I finally fully switched, I can play at least half of my games, any time I want. Its great.

Plus when I'm playing games I also have my browser open (Music, Calls, ...) so now I need two browser configs (or to carefully share them between OSes). Of course if I use non-web things for any of the listed activities now I need two installs of those.

Honestly when I wanted to game on Windows I usually just used a VM (with GPU passthough) as it was nice to have my preferred environment still up and running.

I haven't tried to play a Windows only game in a while but dual booting was definitely a pain that I would try to avoid.

Windows Home is $140, not cheap even for the US and certainly not cheap for poorer countries. Where did you see $10?

You can buy grey market keys off ebay, but that's the only way you're getting a $10 license.

Just that - Win 10 Pro keys are dirt cheap from many online key sellers - and just work. I suspect that and OEM sales are how 99% of windows licenses are now sold - unless you know of people who buy them in a box from a store. Was a little bit 'worrisome' before that MS might clamp down - but the last decade of 'free updates' and 'Win 10 will just evolve' indicates their thinking. Windows is near-as-damnit a free platform (which MS can then use as upsell from)

And now that you can just install windows 10 pro and click "nah, I'll give you the license code later", many people won't even bother. As far as I can tell, the message in the corner is the only issue without activation.

Windows 10 is pretty much shareware at this point. You can download the full version for $0, just with features knocked out until you pay to "register".

Those are volume licenses that are given to microsoft partners for mass deployment. At some point those keys can/will be revoked when they reach a certain number of activations.

If the 4 dollars I spent on ebay lasts a couple of years (it already has) its easily worth it. I really don't want to spend 200$ on a pro license.

IIRC European countries can sell the OEM licenses that come with their computers.

This means you can easily get a Home or Pro license from resellers or ebay for around $20

Some of us just prefer to be in Linux [0]. And either way, you're likely using your computer the vast majority of time for non-gaming related stuff. I for one don't want to dual boot to play for a few minutes, or really have to do anything in Windows, games or not. As a commenter below points out, it's a choice.

[0] https://boilingsteam.com/my-journey-to-finally-ditching-wind...

> To a gamer today, a windows license is cheap (maybe $10) and 'everything works'

TLDR: Many people don't trust Microsoft.

Full: New Microsoft seems really nice but (fortunately) they always keeps reminding us who they really are:

- Put ads on my start menu or login screen, even if I have the extra expensive "Professional" license.

- Poorly hidden attempts at strangling non-store distribution of open source software like Krita (discussed the other day).

- Inviting an open source developer of a popular packaging tool for a talk, developing their own and then ghosting him and launching their own.

- Relentlessly pushing Edge until they cave in and push Edge as a frontend to Chromium

- etc

Warning, slight hyperbole ahead:

Some people at Microsoft do some really great work (Azure, VSCode etc). Sadly for them they seems to have to fight another part of the company that desperately miss being despised and desperately miss the thrill of multiple ongoing high profile lawsuits for monopoly abuse.

What's there to understand? This is like saying why buy an iPhone when you can just get an Android.