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PayPalAs 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.
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The comments on this article are closed.
Mohandevir Aug 22, 2018
Quoting: Guest... Or the next build of Proton could break a previously working game....
You think?
The way I see it, but I may be wrong, on Proton not officially supported games, maybe breakage may happen, but on those that get a "Steam Play stamp", I figure these games will be dealt with just like PlayonLinux does, with a set of configurations that specifies which version of Wine/Proton/DXVK to use. It's a per game basis setup, I figure. Don't you think?
Where there may be bigger issues, is in the case of online games that gets updated weekly/monthly, where some new features included in an upcoming update may make these configurations obsolete... Let's wait and see what Valve has in mind for those use-cases... Still, if developers are carefull in their Windows development and take proton into account... It's not much of an effort, at this point...
Edit: Maybe we'll even see game studios supplying their own Proton configuration files. Impossible?
Last edited by Mohandevir on 22 August 2018 at 4:23 pm UTC
4 Likes, Who?
Quoting: MohandevirI don't know if it's been mentionned, this thread is way too long to read through, but Proton might become a Windows programming standard to create a Linux "plug&play" experience. Hiring qualified Linux developpers seem to be a problem for many game studios. If they start programming their Windows build with Proton in mind, they will have to maintain only one build, thus reducing the cost of Linux development. The resulting experience, as per Valve say, should be 1:1 on both platform. Linux will get more quality supported titles this way... I see it as a Win-Win situation.That's the view I'm coming round to myself. You have to look at it from Valve's point of view, seeing SteamOS as a platform, rather than ours, simply wanting more native Linux games. I think they're adopting something similar to “embrace, extend, extinguish” against Microsoft itself.
In a couple of years, if ever Linux gets a 5% to 10% Steam market share and depending on what happens with UWP, we might see true linux native builds of new games, but at the moment, I think it's the best solution for Linux gaming adoption.
You see, it's easy to look at this and think that it means there'll be no point in developing native games any more, but if Valve can make SteamOS (forget the wider Linux ecosystem for a moment) a more attractive option for playing Windows games than Windows itself - free, maybe eventually more stable, better “quality of life” - even just for 10% of the market, then it's a net win. Just as an example to illustrate the way I'm thinking here, this will make any future generation of Steam Machines infinitely more attractive than the first one, especially once more of the bugs have been ironed out. Once they've gained a foothold in the market, Valve could then deprecate Proton for the next generation.
It's almost like taking a step back in order to be able to make more steps forward in the future.
9 Likes, Who?
Quoting: GuestI'm sure I will get attacked for this, but here goes. As per usual, disclaimer, my thoughts are my own and not that of VP, etc..
A big issue here is, does Proton really mean "Linux support" ? I don't think it does. Here's why.
When you get a port to Linux, even if it's by a third party, a lot of work has been done to bring that game over to the platform... even if a D3D wrapper has been used etc (i'm not going to go into the "lazy wrapper" argument). The porter is selling you a product that is certified by them to work with Linux, and has official backing of the original developer/publisher. If something doesn't work, or breaks, there is an official support method available. It is someones job to provide help on getting it working, and to fix that if it doesnt.
With Proton, the original developer and/or publisher doesn't have to do anything - that includes support the game running in any way on Linux. It is effectively the same situation has it has been for years with Wine - if it runs, great.. if not, it's not the original dev/publishers problem. They wont support you. As far as they are concerned, even if you bought on Linux, and it shows up on their ticker that it was a Linux sale, you bought a Windows product, and you are not running it via an officially supported method.
Nor will it be Valve's problem. There is no way they are going to provide support for every issue running every game on Linux. Nor will they be any more able to deal with bugs in those games on Proton than the Wine developers are. It could be years, or never, before you get a fix for a particular game not working. Or the next build of Proton could break a previously working game.
So, while I can see how Valve thinks this is a good thing for getting games on Linux, and getting gamers over to Linux, it in turn has a big impact to those of us who were bringing games over to Linux officially. I don't see how Proton is going to help us with the big issue of getting publishers interested in Linux as a platform... in fact, I see it doing the opposite.
Dude , you were ( VP and Feral ) were porting titles to Linux with % 0.5 market share and people were buying it.
We will still buy when you came out with a good port + some new users will buy them too.
Problem is , VP dropped porting when Steam Machine movement failed. Basically , you and big companies lost interest.
Big companies are not interested with Linux , with that userbase count.
Expanding user base is the only way , even for your third party ports.
6 Likes, Who?
Quoting: Comandante ÑoñardoQuoting: Whitewolfe80I have a question/hypathetical question feral and vp would it not make sense for valve to buy both or one because then if a developer wants a linux port and they want to use feral gabe gets all the cash from point of contract to point of sale minus development overhead which if they bought feral they would gain the rights to use their tools for the port jobs they do. This would 1 create a very skilled linux software house within valve and 2 makes valve able to make linux more attractive to develop on perhaps by lowering the cut valve takes at point at sale for linux ports.
Meh maybe to much theorising there but it is going to be interesting to see what happens regarding Feral and VP i would say aspyr but they gave up on linux ages ago so i gave up on them.
Actually, is not bad the idea of Feral being acquired by Valve...
Acquiring Feral, Valve will acquire IndirectX, the most valuable asset from that company.. And will have a dedicated and qualified team for porting..
yeah was my thinking i guess its down to the money side of things valve arent strapped for cash but would they take up porting as part of its core i dont know but its an interesting question
0 Likes
I'm guessing because it's beta - but the "steam play" settings are not available in big screen mode, you need to exit that and go to the regular setting if you want to change anything.
I'm still on Linux Mint 18.3 ( = Ubuntu Xenial = 16.04 ) I guess I need to upgrade to Linux Mint 19 ( = Ubuntu Bionic 18.04 ) for this to work properly or is it enough to upgrade to Nvidia drivers?
I'm still on Linux Mint 18.3 ( = Ubuntu Xenial = 16.04 ) I guess I need to upgrade to Linux Mint 19 ( = Ubuntu Bionic 18.04 ) for this to work properly or is it enough to upgrade to Nvidia drivers?
0 Likes
Mountain Man Aug 22, 2018
"Proton counts as Linux."
Now that is huge!
Now that is huge!
5 Likes, Who?
OK! I am in a bit of challenge. I have Jagged Alliance - Back in Action Linux version. As everybody knows - it does not work. I would like to try Windows version through Steam Play, but how do I download Windows version? Linux version already uninstalled, Steam Play enabled.
2 Likes, Who?
Quoting: dibzB
The not great:
- Crazy Taxi: Loads, but crashes after pressing start.
Weird. Works flawlessly for me. Your system specs?
0 Likes
Quoting: Lcs006OK! I am in a bit of challenge. I have Jagged Alliance - Back in Action Linux version. As everybody knows - it does not work. I would like to try Windows version through Steam Play, but how do I download Windows version? Linux version already uninstalled, Steam Play enabled.
Only way would be to install windows steam client which would by pass steam play.
0 Likes
Quoting: x_wingQuoting: dibzB
The not great:
- Crazy Taxi: Loads, but crashes after pressing start.
Weird. Works flawlessly for me. Your system specs?
I had this earlier with Dishonoured and Skyrim they work but the performance is a lot lower that wine+ lutris however for others with the same 1060 card its flawless the only difference is our processors I have a ryzen 1600 currently both the other users have kabylake i5s, but am not sure thats the reason as more than a few run ryzen 5s in that google docs spreadsheet.
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