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.
ElectricPrism Aug 22, 2018
Quoting: GuestQuoting: GuestQuoting: dubigrasuI know what I think about this.Head Feral Linux guy left recently.
I know what you think about this.
I just wanna know what Feral thinks about this.
Perhaps he was (Hollywood term) "hip to the chase".
He left to work on Unity...Which really needs him. But, I am sure Feral are going to be fine as I will personally use and buy a native version over Proton (am I nerd when I think of Star Trek?).
Your FACTS are not helping cultivate FEAR or FUD, lol.
Because now that we suddenly realize that SteamOS becoming a success is still in the roadmap, we must shift our pessimism to some other Linux thing to be affraid about -- suchas Feral Games having X-negative impact / bullshit.
If we could just hold off the FUD for at least 24 hours please.
Quoting: dubigrasuWhat? Of course it matters! It matters to me anyway. I have a deep respect for Feral and I'm curious in which way this it affects them.
I mean it doesn't matter in the sense that it should provide positive outcome for Linux gaming either way. Feral might need to change something, and hopefully the right way. For one I hope they'll start releasing DRM-free games.
Last edited by Shmerl on 22 August 2018 at 4:44 am UTC
Carmageddon Max Damage
Win 10 60+ fps. Proton 1 fps!
Amid Evil: Win 10 100+ fps. Proton 30 - 40 with drops to 7 fps!
Dusk: Win 10 100+ fps. Proton 50 - 60 fps. Wine Staging 80+ fps.
PC: Mint cinnamon. Core i5 3450 3.5 Ghz. 1050ti 4GB. Nvidia 396.51.
Awesome, the picture around dxvk now comes together ;)
We'll now have to see if Linux (gaming) share rises. If so, I hope this means we get more native ports in the long run. Because now, devs have no real reason to take the effort to make a native Linux version, if it works well enough in proton. And we know how difficult it can be, and then in the end won't get any version of a game at all if the hurdles can't be taken economically.
So I'll be specially thankful to devs who do native ports! Keep supporting them especially.
I'm wondering, is it possible to use proton with games, that already have a native Linux version? I'm thinking of games that are not compatible in multiplayer, like Company of Heroes 2.
Oh man, I kinda feel bad asking this, Feral did an awesome job porting it to Linux. It's just, most buddies use windows and I have to dualboot.
Is this now the end of native Linux gaming, or the end of Windows gaming? ;)
Last edited by Corben on 22 August 2018 at 5:11 am UTC
Quoting: chancho_zombiehey guys. Where does proton creates the bottles? I need to recreate the bottle to try without installing some dotnet cruft.There's a "compatdata" folder in "steamapps".
I guess all the games are 600mb fatter (that's what wine bottles take for system files)
I'll keep my wineprefix with Gallium-Nine for obvious reasons but this is great news for all these D3D11 games I grabbed with some bundles.Praise the Gaben!
Quoting: PatolaWhy not? I couldn't find any proprietary component in Proton, which is in github. You can use it standalone to play games.
I guess because there are some games that for example can benefit from dxvk but not from esync or the other way around. So a particular list has value.
QuoteQ: I'm a developer; I wasn't planning on targeting Linux, how can I best leverage the new Steam Play?
We recommend you target Vulkan natively in order to offer the best possible performance on all platforms, or at least offer it as an option if possible. It's also a good idea to avoid any invasive third-party DRM middleware, as they sometimes prevent compatibility features from working as intended.
So Vulkan is definitely our way forward. Valve is saying as much, if you want to Linux sales without having to port, go with Vulkan. And that is an absolutely terrific first step. The cost difference in porting a DirectX game to Linux versus a Vulkan title is night and day because there's just so much less to do on the Vulkan game. That's our foot in the door.
As for the Steam Play Beta client, it's glitchy. Right now the storefront won't display. Most of the games Aren't working yet. Installing Alan Wake as I type this.
Not Working for Me:
Far Cry 2(buggy but started on with display options all turned down to low. Also didn't want to uninstall)
Far Cry 3
Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY
Working:
F.E.A.R.(flawless)
Last edited by jarhead_h on 22 August 2018 at 5:39 am UTC
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