A preview version of Unreal Engine 4.21 is now available, with it there's lots of improvements to many areas and it has a few Linux additions too.
Overall, it seems like a pretty good step up for Unreal Engine with a lot of new features, bug fixes and general code cleanups. It has improved IPv6 support, improvements to DDoS Detection and Mitigation, experimental support for the SteamVR Input subsystem, improved performance of the Unreal asset cooking process, loads of animation system updates and the list goes on and on.
As for the Linux-specific improvements, there's not many but they will probably be rather helpful:
- Linux Platform Get Media Player - From 4.21 on, you can use bundled WebMMedia plugin to play back .webm VPX8/9 videos.
- Linux Crash Report Client Has a GUI - They've added support for the Crash Reporter GUI to now pop up when a crash occurs. Which should help improve feedback.
I've seen a few developers have troubles with video playback in Unreal Engine on Linux, so hopefully with this it will help future UE native ports.
See the full list of changes here.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The Linux improvements sound minor, but hey, the crash reporter might help to do major improvements later on...
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The Linux improvements sound minor, but hey, the crash reporter might help to do major improvements later on...My thoughts exactly, providing better and easier tools to report issues I imagine will certainly help in the long run. I think this also shows that Epic aren't leaving Linux out in the cold with improvements too.
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Mountain Man 11 Oct 2018
Now if only they would give us an easy way to install Unreal Tournament on Linux.
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Power-Metal-Games 11 Oct 2018
The 4.20 was already very good. Finally responsive and everything was working as it should. I spent an entire day to make the project that was previously on 4.17, but it was worth of it. These improvements doesnt's seem too interesting but I will wait for the release of this version.
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Now if only they would give us an easy way to install Unreal Tournament on Linux.The new one? Don't think they even develop it any more. Their focused heavily on Fortnite.
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Now if only they would give us an easy way to install Unreal Tournament on Linux.The new one? Don't think they even develop it any more. Their focused heavily on Fortnite.
Speaking of which, how cool would it be if they released Fortnite to Linux. That would be Epic. Would love to see the numbers for the amount of Linux users that would then play. Oh well, at least we have Ballistic Overkill.
4 Likes, Who?
DamonLinuxPL 11 Oct 2018
I've seen a few developers have troubles with video playback in Unreal Engine on Linux, so hopefully with this it will help future UE native ports.
UE4 is still in crap state on Linux... Still many devs refuse to port games to Linux because UE4 lack on many features on Linux side and other features are broken or experimental - especially when we talk about Vulkan...
Epic need care more about UE4 for Linux and spend more development time for Vulkan API (for desktop), because they care about Vulkan but targeting it for Android...
Last edited by DamonLinuxPL on 11 Oct 2018 at 5:30 pm UTC
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I've seen a few developers have troubles with video playback in Unreal Engine on Linux, so hopefully with this it will help future UE native ports.
UE4 is still in crap state on Linux... Still many devs refuse to port games to Linux because UE4 lack on many features on Linux side and other features are broken or experimental - especially when we talk about Vulkan...
Epic need care more about UE4 for Linux and spend more development time for Vulkan API (for desktop), because they care about Vulkan but targeting it for Android...
UE4 isn't in a crappy state on GNUX. That is just exaggerated. I don't think that Devs refuse because UE4 lacks something on GNUX. For example ASTROKILL, EVERSPACE or Helium Rain runs quite nice. They have other reasons why they don't put out the GNUX version of their UE4 games.
The information you're saying about the Vulkan implementation of UE4 on GNUX is also exaggerated. I do run the full editor and all projects using VulkanRHI quite stable and use it for my daily development. The problem people encounter is usually the drivers. Using for example UE4.20 with Nvidia 396.54 driver and Vulkan makes no problems on my system. Even for SteamVR development (and gaming) is it in a good shape.
Yaakuro
Last edited by Yaakuro on 11 Oct 2018 at 7:04 pm UTC
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Mountain Man 11 Oct 2018
I obviously haven't kept up with the news.Now if only they would give us an easy way to install Unreal Tournament on Linux.The new one? Don't think they even develop it any more. Their focused heavily on Fortnite.
For the record, I have zero interest in Fortnite, but my son is addicted to it.
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inlinuxdude 11 Oct 2018
[
For the record, I have zero interest in Fortnite, but my son is addicted to it.
Ditto...
0 Likes
TheRiddick 12 Oct 2018
I wish games like ARK would move to 4.20+ and support Vulkan, such a shame.
1 Likes, Who?
The 4.20 was already very good. Finally responsive and everything was working as it should. I spent an entire day to make the project that was previously on 4.17, but it was worth of it. These improvements doesnt's seem too interesting but I will wait for the release of this version.
Hail and kill, linux gamer!!!
2 Likes, Who?
UE4 isn't in a crappy state on GNUX. That is just exaggerated. I don't think that Devs refuse because UE4 lacks something on GNUX. For example ASTROKILL, EVERSPACE or Helium Rain runs quite nice. They have other reasons why they don't put out the GNUX version of their UE4 games.
Except that Everspace has broken controller support and no HOTAS support on linux. The devs won't release a build with Vulkan enabled due to "too many problems" and UE4s OGL renderer is sub-optimal.
Can't say that I've played many UE4 games on linux and they may have used a much older version but all of them pointed to UE4 being in a very crappy state. With problems like keyboard input being broken if you didn't happen to have a US keyboard layout and the OGL renderer producing artifacts(regardless of card vendor and driver).
0 Likes
Power-Metal-Games 12 Oct 2018
UE4 is still in crap state on Linux... Still many devs refuse to port games to Linux because UE4 lack on many features on Linux side and other features are broken or experimental - especially when we talk about Vulkan...
Yaakuro
As a someone who uses UE4 every day, I can confirm that this is true. UE4 do everything I need and do it very well. That comment was from someone who actually never really used UE4.
Are you the main maintainer of UE4 for Linux? It's really a very good job you are doing.
Last edited by Power-Metal-Games on 12 Oct 2018 at 12:45 pm UTC
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Power-Metal-Games 12 Oct 2018
Hail and kill, linux gamer!!!
:D
This comment made my day!
1 Likes, Who?
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