As we speculated previously, Valve have now officially announced their new version of 'Steam Play' for Linux gaming using a modified distribution of Wine called Proton, which is available on GitHub.
What does it do? In short: it allows you to play Windows games on Linux, directly through the Steam client as if they were a Linux game.
What many people suspected turned out to be true, DXVK development was actually funded by Valve. They actually employed the DXVK developer since February 2018. On top of that, they also helped to fund: vkd3d (Direct3D 12 implementation based on Vulkan), OpenVR and Steamworks native API bridges, wined3d performance and functionality fixes for Direct3D 9 and Direct3D 11 and more.
The amount of work that has gone into this—it's ridiculous.
Here's what they say it improves:
- Windows games with no Linux version currently available can now be installed and run directly from the Linux Steam client, complete with native Steamworks and OpenVR support.
- DirectX 11 and 12 implementations are now based on Vulkan, resulting in improved game compatibility and reduced performance impact.
- Fullscreen support has been improved: fullscreen games will be seamlessly stretched to the desired display without interfering with the native monitor resolution or requiring the use of a virtual desktop.
- Improved game controller support: games will automatically recognize all controllers supported by Steam. Expect more out-of-the-box controller compatibility than even the original version of the game.
- Performance for multi-threaded games has been greatly improved compared to vanilla Wine.
It currently has a limited set of games that are supported, but even so it's quite an impressive list that they're putting out there. Which includes DOOM, FINAL FANTASY VI, Into The Breach, NieR: Automata, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and more. They will enable many more titles as progress on it all continues.
To be clear, this is available right now. To get it, you need to be in the Steam Client Beta.
There will be drawbacks, like possible performance issues and games that rely on some DRM might likely never be supported, but even so the amount of possibilities this opens up has literally split my head open with Thor's mighty hammer.
Holy shit. Please excuse the language, but honestly, I'm physically shaking right now I don't quite know how to process this.
Update #1: I spoke to Valve earlier, about how buying Windows games to play with this system counts, they said this:
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.Hey Liam, the normal algorithm is in effect, so if at the end of the two weeks you have more playtime on Linux, it'll be a Linux sale. Proton counts as Linux.
legluondunet Aug 21, 2018
rafaelcgs10 Aug 21, 2018
Quoting: legluondunetFirst Steam Play game installed: Ultimate Doom installs and launches, no crash, no bug. It uses a dosbox with a steam overlay.
did the same. But for some reason I don't have sound.
Arehandoro Aug 21, 2018
My sincere thanks to Valve, Wine project, Dxvk and everyone involved directly or indirectly.
Now, as a purple friend of mine would say; I feel like I could... take on the world!
ProfessorKaos64 Aug 21, 2018
Quoting: legluondunetNot in the whitelist but I just installed Walking Dead, no bug no crash, no tweak.
Steam support with users reporting non withlisted games working
^_^
Last edited by mrdeathjr on 21 August 2018 at 11:37 pm UTC
But at last I'll be able to play Skyrim and the Witcher 3.
Maybe I will need to upgrade my card after all...
My bucks will still support the native games.
Quoting: chancho_zombiehi I need some help, I can't find the option to install Tropico 4 my beta client is up to date.
where are the steam play options? can't find them.
See page 5 screenshots of what you need to check
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