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.
Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:
The comments on this article are closed.
Quoting: stretch611Consumers are more likely to be ignorant of the lawsuit…Precisely!
Quoting: stretch611…and even if they know about it they are more than likely to side with Valve…Guess what will happen when Steam refuses to launch after the Windows™ Update? My bet they will run towards Microsoft® and Valve® with their sticks and stones and demands to "fix it back". And what happens next? Microsoft® won't budge and Valve will be unable to do anything. So, enraged gamers will switch to "Microsoft Store" (no choice, because otherwise they will have to switch to Linux and, believe me, it terrifies most of them). Gamers can hate Microsoft® however they want, but they depend on Windows™ (most of them have to do their school homework on it) and will take whatever Microsoft® throws at them.
Well, business consumers are another beast altogether but Microsoft® is not stupid enough to get on their bad side.
Quoting: stretch611Microsoft would need to have overwhelming evidence that it will win the case before it even begins.Nope. The process will be launched for the sake of the process itself and associated stalling. By the time Microsoft® loses its rival will be long dead. That's the ugly nature of modern "intellectual property" system. :(
Quoting: stretch611…David vs Goliath…Glad you brought this up! ^_^
The moral? Whatever you do, if your enemy is an order of magnitude bigger than you, you don't head-butt into it. Many tried. Few survived. None succeeded.
Last edited by Alm888 on 22 August 2018 at 9:14 am UTC
1 Likes, Who?
Works:
- Doom (works with steam runtime)
- LEGO Batman: The Videogame
- LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
- LEGO Jurassic World
- LEGO MARVEL Super Heroes
- Swords and Soldiers HD
- The Bard's Tale Trilogy
- Tropico 4
Doesn't work:
- Alpha Protocol
- Doom 3: BFG Edition
- Fallout 4
- Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams
- LEGO Batman 2
- LEGO The Lord Of The Ring
- Mafia II
- Resident Evil / biohazard HD REMASTER
- The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
- The Darkness II
- Titan Quest Anniversary Edition
Last edited by lordheavy on 22 August 2018 at 12:14 pm UTC
- Doom (works with steam runtime)
- LEGO Batman: The Videogame
- LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
- LEGO Jurassic World
- LEGO MARVEL Super Heroes
- Swords and Soldiers HD
- The Bard's Tale Trilogy
- Tropico 4
Doesn't work:
- Alpha Protocol
- Doom 3: BFG Edition
- Fallout 4
- Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams
- LEGO Batman 2
- LEGO The Lord Of The Ring
- Mafia II
- Resident Evil / biohazard HD REMASTER
- The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
- The Darkness II
- Titan Quest Anniversary Edition
Last edited by lordheavy on 22 August 2018 at 12:14 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
Arehandoro Aug 22, 2018
I didn't have time to try Proton/Steam Play yet but I'm guessing this also means full SteamLink support, isn't it? If this is the case, I'm even happier.
As commented earlier in the post, I really hope GOG also starts wrapping more games with the available tools. For instance, albeit late, it would be a nice gesture towards Linux peace to do it with The Withcer 3. I guess my games in Origin (Mass Effect Saga) won't have the same luck, but still.
Happy days.
As commented earlier in the post, I really hope GOG also starts wrapping more games with the available tools. For instance, albeit late, it would be a nice gesture towards Linux peace to do it with The Withcer 3. I guess my games in Origin (Mass Effect Saga) won't have the same luck, but still.
Happy days.
0 Likes
Quoting: Alm888Quoting: ColomboVulcan(sic) is already well-developed product with a strong corporate backing (Valve) that seems to be more adopted than DX12. The only way Microsoft might fight this is making proprietary extension for Vulcan(sic).We can only hope Vulkan prevails it the end but so far I'm not convinced this already happened. I've been monitoring news (in my country) regarding DX12 vs. Vulkan on the "General Purpose" gaming news sites (i.e. Windows™-centric) and so far an average Joe constantly hears about DirectX™ 12 while there is almost no news regarding Vulkan. The Vulkan news I've found, ironically, were panic-inducing ones (regarding Nvidia's new ray-racing features only working in DirectX™ and not in Vulkan).
The biggest shot in the foot Microsoft® made was "DirectX™ 12 Windows™ 10 lock-in". :D
It is already opposite in my country.
1-) Doom 2016 was a huge successful Vulkan marketing when it got update for Vulkan. Because that literally blown minds of AMD users , thanks to performance benefits.
2-) Wolfenstein 2 also received good attention too. People got introduced " Vulkan exclusive " term.
3-) Many emulators also introduced them Vulkan. RPCS3 , PPSSPP , Dolphin were notable ones. Also Cemu emulator ( Windows only ) is looking into Vulkan possibility. Right now it is on OGL and many AMD users just learned about Mesa OGL because of that.
4-) Probably Doom Eternal will be another Vulkan exclusive.
5-) Pretty sure CS GO will be updated to Vulkan. And other incoming Valve games too.
5 Likes, Who?
legluondunet Aug 22, 2018
The compatibility list is far bigger than the whitelist, few of my windows games don't work with Proton.
A lot of windows games need a lot of tweak to run on Linux, but on Steam you install it and it just works!
Dragon Age, Assassin SCreed, Bioshock remastered, Need fo speed, Skyrim...
It's a lot of work to obtain this result, Steam team had work hard this last year (or more).
Wine team should be proud of what happened today, their product, a pure FOSS borned on Linux plateform, will help Linux users (even Macosx users) to play games with ease and comfort.
Less time to test and tweak game means more time to play.
Last edited by legluondunet on 22 August 2018 at 9:55 am UTC
A lot of windows games need a lot of tweak to run on Linux, but on Steam you install it and it just works!
Dragon Age, Assassin SCreed, Bioshock remastered, Need fo speed, Skyrim...
It's a lot of work to obtain this result, Steam team had work hard this last year (or more).
Wine team should be proud of what happened today, their product, a pure FOSS borned on Linux plateform, will help Linux users (even Macosx users) to play games with ease and comfort.
Less time to test and tweak game means more time to play.
Last edited by legluondunet on 22 August 2018 at 9:55 am UTC
2 Likes, Who?
Quoting: pbQuoting: chancho_zombieso many games to download I need a new hard drive ^_^
Word.
You need help :D
9 Likes, Who?
Totally Linux newbie questions... Should I try it?
Very tempting to play The Sims 3....
Very tempting to play The Sims 3....
1 Likes, Who?
Quoting: Luke_NukemQuoting: Spud13ySo I guess this is how gaming on Linux will die.
No... It won't.
This means that all those people who said "But muh Windoz gamezs!!!" no longer have that excuse to not try Linux. This plus the use of Proton counting as a Linux sale means GOOD THINGS!
This ^^
Making more Windows titles easily available will encourage people over to Linux. Which in turn will increase user base and make native ports more, not less, likely.
0 Likes
Oh and this is fucking amazing news ^_^ (no apologies for swears) :D
5 Likes, Who?
Quoting: mirooh well, I am really not that happy as most people.
from now on I'm really afraid that too many publishers will use this as an excuse not to provide native linux builds in case it runs "well enough" with proton/wine.
since this is now to be built-in, most people will not have to understand what wine even is, they will take the running binary for granted. hence what is to expect is less performance and continuous direct x instead of opengl or vulkan
this would totally be acceptable for older/legacy titles, but I really think too many will jump on that train that it runs with proton and that there is no need to compile it for linux.
we'll see.
I am torn.
The fundamentalist half of me tells me exactly what you wrote.
But the pragmatic half invites me to look at reality: for linux now it's not an issue of technology anymore. It's very possible to develop new titles to be portable an native. Why is not happening then? You all know why. Market share. That cold heartless numbers that will convince the board dudes that there actually people out there willing to buy your linux version. Infact Valve confirmed that wine will count as linux.
If we have to deal with the devil for these numbers so be it. What has linux world to lose anyway? We're stuck in a limbo. If it works good. If it backfires screw it. I'll change hobby to bird watching,
4 Likes, Who?
Patreon
PayPal
See more from me