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Please Note: The benchmarks were re-done here, as Feral had an OpenGL performance regression which caused Vulkan to look at lot better than it was.
Mad Max [Feral Store, Steam] from Feral Interactive has been updated with a public beta as the Linux version is now able to use Vulkan and it brings some mighty performance changes.
Note: The beta does not support SteamOS currently, only normal desktop Linux distributions. Vulkan is only available in the Linux version, it is not in the Windows version.
To access the Beta, you need the password "livelongandprosper". Enter that into the games Betas tab on Steam to get in on the action. Once done, select "vulkan_beta." to update to it. See more info on this post from Feral.
First up, here’s a small comparison video that shows the very clear difference (Very High preset):
This is one of the few areas in the game where you can basically guarantee all affects (weather, AI) being the same. So it’s a good point to compare for a video.
I’ve tested it out myself privately before release and I’m really impressed with the difference it makes. It’s night and day in some areas the performance jump is quite impressive! Every part of the game feels massively smoother. I didn’t notice it before, but in the OpenGL version even moving the camera is slower than in the Vulkan version.
Places that previously dropped to 60FPS and below have been sailing at over 100FPS for me, keeping the action amazingly smooth. This is especially important for all the car chases and general combat on foot, previously some of the battles were a real struggle, but now it’s effortless.
You can turn Vulkan off to go back to OpenGL using the "Use Vulkan" tickbox in the Advanced section of the Feral launcher. I'm impressed by how solid the switching is after going back and forth too many times to count I haven't had an issue.
Note: If you turned off the Feral launcher, you can bring it back by holding down CTRL while it loads.
Here’s a few random screenshots showing again how the performance really is different (OpenGL left, Vulkan right - noted in each picture).
As you can see, no matter the area, weather, lighting and so on Vulkan destroys OpenGL in Mad Max.
Driver support: It works across NVIDIA, AMD and Intel, but there are some specific bits to be aware of. You can read about them on this post from Feral.
I should note, that the amount of difference you see will of course depend on what CPU and GPU combination you have. Lower-end CPU/GPU combinations will still see an improvement, but it likely won’t be as drastic as what I see here.
New benchmark mode
Feral have also put in a benchmark mode for the Linux version, which you can access by doing “--feral-benchmark” in their advanced launcher options. It will take whatever your in-game settings are for the benchmark. This is a unique feature for the Linux version, as the Windows version does not have a proper benchmark mode.
Warning: If you plan to play it through, you should be aware the benchmark uses cut-scenes from late in the game and may spoil a scene or two for you.
You will find the benchmark output in time and dated folders inside ”.local/share/feral-interactive/Mad Max/VFS/User/AppData/Roaming/WB Games/Mad Max/FeralBenchmark”.
Each single run of the benchmark takes about five minutes, so you might want to go make a coffee while it runs.
Benchmarks
These benchmarks show how some of the worst performing parts of the game perform differently on Vulkan. Not all of the game will see such an increase.
This isn’t just showing the power of Vulkan, this is also showing the level of commitment Feral Interactive have for their Linux ports overall. I continue to respect the work they do in bringing games to Linux, supporting and sending in patches to Mesa and giving me fantastic games to play. Not only that, but updating their games to use the Vulkan API is obviously extremely welcome. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Mad Max [Feral Store, Steam] from Feral Interactive has been updated with a public beta as the Linux version is now able to use Vulkan and it brings some mighty performance changes.
Note: The beta does not support SteamOS currently, only normal desktop Linux distributions. Vulkan is only available in the Linux version, it is not in the Windows version.
To access the Beta, you need the password "livelongandprosper". Enter that into the games Betas tab on Steam to get in on the action. Once done, select "vulkan_beta." to update to it. See more info on this post from Feral.
First up, here’s a small comparison video that shows the very clear difference (Very High preset):
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Direct Link
Direct Link
I’ve tested it out myself privately before release and I’m really impressed with the difference it makes. It’s night and day in some areas the performance jump is quite impressive! Every part of the game feels massively smoother. I didn’t notice it before, but in the OpenGL version even moving the camera is slower than in the Vulkan version.
Places that previously dropped to 60FPS and below have been sailing at over 100FPS for me, keeping the action amazingly smooth. This is especially important for all the car chases and general combat on foot, previously some of the battles were a real struggle, but now it’s effortless.
You can turn Vulkan off to go back to OpenGL using the "Use Vulkan" tickbox in the Advanced section of the Feral launcher. I'm impressed by how solid the switching is after going back and forth too many times to count I haven't had an issue.
Note: If you turned off the Feral launcher, you can bring it back by holding down CTRL while it loads.
Here’s a few random screenshots showing again how the performance really is different (OpenGL left, Vulkan right - noted in each picture).
Driver support: It works across NVIDIA, AMD and Intel, but there are some specific bits to be aware of. You can read about them on this post from Feral.
I should note, that the amount of difference you see will of course depend on what CPU and GPU combination you have. Lower-end CPU/GPU combinations will still see an improvement, but it likely won’t be as drastic as what I see here.
New benchmark mode
Feral have also put in a benchmark mode for the Linux version, which you can access by doing “--feral-benchmark” in their advanced launcher options. It will take whatever your in-game settings are for the benchmark. This is a unique feature for the Linux version, as the Windows version does not have a proper benchmark mode.
Warning: If you plan to play it through, you should be aware the benchmark uses cut-scenes from late in the game and may spoil a scene or two for you.
You will find the benchmark output in time and dated folders inside ”.local/share/feral-interactive/Mad Max/VFS/User/AppData/Roaming/WB Games/Mad Max/FeralBenchmark”.
Each single run of the benchmark takes about five minutes, so you might want to go make a coffee while it runs.
Benchmarks
These benchmarks show how some of the worst performing parts of the game perform differently on Vulkan. Not all of the game will see such an increase.
This isn’t just showing the power of Vulkan, this is also showing the level of commitment Feral Interactive have for their Linux ports overall. I continue to respect the work they do in bringing games to Linux, supporting and sending in patches to Mesa and giving me fantastic games to play. Not only that, but updating their games to use the Vulkan API is obviously extremely welcome. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Cheers to the Vulkan and the future of PC gaming! :D
Last edited by MaCroX95 on 30 March 2017 at 6:09 pm UTC
Cheers to the Vulkan and the future of PC gaming! :D
Last edited by MaCroX95 on 30 March 2017 at 6:09 pm UTC
12 Likes, Who?
So, lots of people wanting to see this game or that game that were already ported to Linux in turn get ported to Vulkan for performance. For me, this is more a proof of concept; it demonstrates that it will be very good if future ports go to Vulkan rather than OpenGL. Generally I'd rather see Feral's energies go to new ports rather than makeovers for old ports.Words of wisdom overall, but I think it would be worthwhile to give this treatment to a few other games in-between newer releases. I think Mad Max for example is a recent enough release/port and a big enough name that many people still haven't played it but intend to and will be more attracted to it if it has much better performance than previously. It could be especially useful for midrange gamers (hi) that would otherwise need to wait years for midrange hardware to catch up with a game's requirements. Of course, for older releases, that has already happened and boosting performance years after most people are done playing them wouldn't be as effective.
It will definitely be a powerful tool for Linux adoption if we can have new releases with near-simultaneous ports that run with competitive performance going forward.
1 Likes, Who?
So, lots of people wanting to see this game or that game that were already ported to Linux in turn get ported to Vulkan for performance. For me, this is more a proof of concept; it demonstrates that it will be very good if future ports go to Vulkan rather than OpenGL. Generally I'd rather see Feral's energies go to new ports rather than makeovers for old ports.
Like, say Feral over a period of time can do 10 projects. Rather than have 10 games already on Linux that ran a little slow (on current hardware) run faster, I'd rather see 10 new games that were not already on Linux run fast in the first place, because then instead of 10 fast games we'd have 10 not-so-fast games + 10 (probably newer) fast games. 20 games is better than 10 games.
I also suspect Feral can't stay in business if it spends too much of its energy re-porting old games for little sales benefit.
Depends on how much effort it takes them to bring 1 game that is already ported to Linux to Vulkan API :) If it is relatively easy to do they might bring more of the older games to Vulkan and if it is hard they will focus on new games more. However I honestly think that when they get a good grip on Vulkan it will be MUCH easier to port all DX9, 11, OpenGL and DX12 games to Vulkan and (hopefully) we will see even more ports from these great guys!
Last edited by MaCroX95 on 30 March 2017 at 6:35 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
echazarenc Mar 30, 2017
No differences for me between Vulkan and OpenGL
around 100fps
i7 7700K@5Ghz, GTX1060, 16 Go RAM, SSD M2
around 100fps
i7 7700K@5Ghz, GTX1060, 16 Go RAM, SSD M2
0 Likes
So, lots of people wanting to see this game or that game that were already ported to Linux in turn get ported to Vulkan for performance. For me, this is more a proof of concept; it demonstrates that it will be very good if future ports go to Vulkan rather than OpenGL. Generally I'd rather see Feral's energies go to new ports rather than makeovers for old ports.
Same here. A game they already know for getting the hands wet, and then a new game - would be nice.
0 Likes
That's great news, I'm really excited! Good work Feral, as always!
Now, I just need to buy a Vulkan-capable card... :D
What do you have now? A $100 AMD RX 460 or Nvidia GTX 1050 can run Vulkan. Heck, even older cards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulkan_(API)#Compatibility
Last edited by t3g on 30 March 2017 at 6:51 pm UTC
0 Likes
I get a crash on startup before anything comes up. Sent a report with crash dump to Feral.
0 Likes
No differences for me between Vulkan and OpenGL
around 100fps
i7 7700K@5Ghz, GTX1060, 16 Go RAM, SSD M2
Odd. I had - with quite the same configuration (i7 6700k stock, GTX1060, 16GB) - an increase between 50 and 100%.
See my first comment:
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/mad-max-meets-vulkan-in-a-new-fully-public-beta-for-linux-benchmarks-and-opengl-vs-vulkan-comparisons.9345/comment_id=89745
0 Likes
I just tried the game last week and my CPU (i5-2400 3.1GHz) can't handle the game. It was between 10 and 30 FPS. Could vulkan help the CPU and use more the GPU? Because my GTX 960 is more than enough for this game.
The game was mainly CPU bound so it should help but your issue sounds like you had something wrong with the drivers causing that performance drop as you're easily within spec for the GL version and should have much much higher performance.
We've seen performance drops reported by a few unlucky people on GL using 375.39 or newer but not with 367.57 so perhaps that's your old problem. That said I'd certainly give the Vulkan version a try as it might avoid the driver bug as you'll be on Vulkan not OpenGL. Please do send feedback to the Feral feedback email.
Thanks for your answer. And thanks Eike and STiAT.
I use nvidia 375.26 drivers. And when I tried last week, the Steam FPS counter was saying something between 30 and 100 FPS, but there was so much stuttering that it seemed something between 10 and 30 FPS. Since my GPU is way more powerful than my CPU, changing the settings from high to low didn't changed much, except the stuttering problems.
Mad max was the first game where I felt that my CPU was too outdated. Dirt Showdown and Shadow of Mordor work great and on windows, I can max nearly everything with the vulkan drivers.
I'm downloading the game right now, I'll let you know if it works. You may have save me a couple hundred bucks if I don't need to buy a new processor.
Thanks once again for supporting so well linux gamers. You're awesome.
1 Likes, Who?
MintedGamer Mar 30, 2017
Just when you think Feral couldn't get any more awesome for supporting us Linux gamers.
Thanks Feral!
I'm downloading now and will post Ryzen benchmarks.
Thanks Feral!
I'm downloading now and will post Ryzen benchmarks.
1 Likes, Who?
SystemShock Mar 30, 2017
Wow, Vulkan for Mad Max only on Linux, thats awesome !
Thats exactly what all Linux Gamers were waiting for.
Its like beating Windows and DirectX with its own weapons.
Now its absolutely possible that some Ports perform equal or even better than the Windows Version !
This will for sure pull some Attention from the Windowsusers and that ist great for Feral Interactive and us the Linux Gamers.
How did Feral-Interactive accomplish that ? Have they completely rewritten the Game-Engine ?
Thanks Feral ! <3
Thats exactly what all Linux Gamers were waiting for.
Its like beating Windows and DirectX with its own weapons.
Now its absolutely possible that some Ports perform equal or even better than the Windows Version !
This will for sure pull some Attention from the Windowsusers and that ist great for Feral Interactive and us the Linux Gamers.
How did Feral-Interactive accomplish that ? Have they completely rewritten the Game-Engine ?
Thanks Feral ! <3
4 Likes, Who?
I'm downloading the game right now, I'll let you know if it works. You may have save me a couple hundred bucks if I don't need to buy a new processor.
Don't let anybody stop you from feeling morally obliged to invest parts of it in Feral ports. ;)
3 Likes, Who?
So, lots of people wanting to see this game or that game that were already ported to Linux in turn get ported to Vulkan for performance. For me, this is more a proof of concept; it demonstrates that it will be very good if future ports go to Vulkan rather than OpenGL. Generally I'd rather see Feral's energies go to new ports rather than makeovers for old ports.I disagree a lot here. Yes it's great to see new games out but I want to have good performance in already released games too.
I've had a lot of performance problems with Mad Max and other Feral ports. It's great to be able to play it now with decent performance. I would really like to see Vulkan in other already released Feral ports too, even I doubt we will see much of it.
Last edited by Egonaut on 30 March 2017 at 7:32 pm UTC
1 Likes, Who?
No differences for me between Vulkan and OpenGLThen something is really wrong with your setup. There will always be a difference, completely different API and techniques being used.
around 100fps
i7 7700K@5Ghz, GTX1060, 16 Go RAM, SSD M2
3 Likes, Who?
<...awesome reply as always...>
It's so great to have you amongst us here, Edddeduck. Thanks for the explanation, detailed enough to really explain things without getting too detailed for only the high end techies to understand. :)
Thanks again!
Last edited by Beamboom on 30 March 2017 at 7:39 pm UTC
3 Likes, Who?
So, lots of people wanting to see this game or that game that were already ported to Linux in turn get ported to Vulkan for performance. For me, this is more a proof of concept; it demonstrates that it will be very good if future ports go to Vulkan rather than OpenGL. Generally I'd rather see Feral's energies go to new ports rather than makeovers for old ports.I disagree a lot here. Yes it's great to see new games out but I want to have good performance in already released games too.
I've had a lot of performance problems with Mad Max and other Feral ports. It's great to be able to play it now with decent performance. I would really like to see Vulkan in other already released Feral ports too, even I doubt we will see much of it.
Yes and you can't convince people to migrate Linux when game performances are mostly bad compared to Windows.
0 Likes
Happy to have payed full price for this game. :)
This are amazing news, Liam. I just started the game. Can not wait to play it again. Unfortunately, just no time. But that will be streamed next. :)
The performance of DiRT Rally was already impressive. Feral is getting better and better.
I think it absolutely great that Feral is also concerned about already published games. They already fixed problems with Shadow of Mordor. But this is now again a completely different category. Vulkan support for Mad Max. Who would have thought of that? :)
What can I say, it is a pleasure to play with Feral. :)
Last edited by 1xok on 30 March 2017 at 9:24 pm UTC
This are amazing news, Liam. I just started the game. Can not wait to play it again. Unfortunately, just no time. But that will be streamed next. :)
The performance of DiRT Rally was already impressive. Feral is getting better and better.
I think it absolutely great that Feral is also concerned about already published games. They already fixed problems with Shadow of Mordor. But this is now again a completely different category. Vulkan support for Mad Max. Who would have thought of that? :)
What can I say, it is a pleasure to play with Feral. :)
Last edited by 1xok on 30 March 2017 at 9:24 pm UTC
3 Likes, Who?
Power-Metal-Games Mar 30, 2017
Feral guys, you are writing history :)
3 Likes, Who?
See more from me