Valve are working fast to improve the Steam client this year, with another beta now available including an option that was highly requested.
Firstly, Steam Input gained support for the HORI Battle Pad and HORI Wireless Switch Pad. Additionally, Big Picture mode had two bugs fixed. The usual stuff there and nothing major, that is until you get to the Linux section of the beta changelog.
Users have been asking Valve pretty much since Steam Play arrived, to add a method to force a native game to use Steam Play instead. So now, if you've opted into the Steam beta client you will see this on the properties of a game (the bottom option):
Why is that so interesting and important? Well, honestly, some Linux ports get left behind for months and years and some really just aren't good. Additionally, some Linux games have multiplayer that's not cross-platform, this could also help with that. Not to downplay the effort a lot of developers put in, it's just how it is. The ability for users to control between the version from the developer and running it through Steam Play is a nice to have option.
Linux changes:
- Added the ability to force-enable Steam Play in per-title properties, including for native games
- Fixed incorrect scroll offset in the in-game overlay
- Reworked global Steam Play enable settings to only override the Proton version used by unsupported games
- Fixed a bug where the global Steam Play enable setting wouldn't prompt for a Steam client restart
See the announcement here.
While not noted, the Steam client now actually shows what version of Proton is used for each title. Here's Into the Breach for example:
I would have played more but fullscreen is broken for me and it's a whitelisted title…
One of the next big stages for Steam Play, will be actually showing it for whitelisted titles on store pages. I'm still very curious to see how Valve will be handling that. Valve might also want to update the Steam support page too, it's rather outdated.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Quoting: obscurenforeignI don't really feel like messing with a beta right now, can anyone tell me if Saints Row: the Third works on Steam Play? I tried on Wine before but it wouldn't start, apparently because of problems with the DRM. (I didn't feel like trying to crack it.)
Nope, I just tried it with Steam Play (Proton 3.16-6 and 3.7-8) and it didn't launch. I was able to pick the D3D version but after that it just refuses to launch.
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Quoting: somebody1121The OpenGL version of tomb raider should be at least 4.3 since that's the version with compute shaders required for tressFX. I think that the most limiting factor is that is a 32 bit application, and maybe it's needed a optimization for ryzen on mesa...
Thanks for clarifying the OpenGL version. I think the issue is some slow translation layer as I saw similar performance on simily clocked Intel machines. I wonder if it does better on NVidia GPUs though and may have possibly used some NV extensions when available (as I don't think Mesa had 4.3 support back then only NVidia is officially supported).
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Interesting. I wonder if forcing games like ARMA 3, which is perpetually behind the windows release, will work well.
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wvstolzing Jan 18, 2019
Quoting: GuestBefore long, everyone who opted for the "free" Windows 10 upgrade, are running OEM windows, and all those other devices, is going to be under the thumb of ("NOT A SUBSCRIPTION!" ... yet) Microsoft Managed Desktop.
Quoting: GuestWindows 10 (now the majority version worldwide) will soon be under the grip of the "Microsoft Managed Desktop" not-yet-a-subscription service. Unless they have a full-retail Windows product key, most enthusiast-level PC users are quickly going to migrate to Linux once the ransom notices (or slowed-down updates) start popping up on their Windows desktops. Steam Play makes it easy migrate, at will.
This is an important point. Just for clarification -- the 'free Windows 10 upgrade' that microsoft graciously(?!) handed out last year (or the year before?) to owners of full licenses of Win 7 or 8 did not give those people full retail product keys for Windows 10. Rather, they got a version of Windows 10 'registered under' their 'microsoft account'.
That certainly sounds like a more precarious state to be in, compared to having a product key for a full version that one would expect to be able to install on whatever device, whenever one pleases -- though it's not so clear right now, exactly what the disadvantage consists in.
The ability to install whenever, continue to get updates, etc., holds as long as the 'product' is under support. On the 'permanent product key' model as well, Microsoft simply shuts off the 'activation' services when support ends for a product, and there's no way of registering it. I have a windows xp virtual machine that I can't activate, and use 'legitimately', because of this. (*Perhaps* phone activation still works -- either automated, or via an actual representative -- I haven't bothered to try; because I know from past experience that they make you enter & then verify an annoyingly long code. In any case, without the ability to download any updates [past service packs included], registration is pretty pointless anyway.)
Though at the very least, one can continue using an already activated 'product' -- at one's own peril, without any security updates (and rapidly diminishing 3rd party support). On the 'not-yet-a-subscription-service' model, you can't be sure of that much either. So perhaps *that's* the danger awaiting 'free upgraders' to Windows 10. The risk of waking up to some kind of sugar-coated ransomware screen from Redmond.
I agree that the recent improvements to wine can provide people in that sort of predicament with a way out. I'm entirely sure, by the way, that people would be leaving Apple in droves if something similar to wine were available for cocoa/obj.C/swift apps -- keeping their existing 'investment' in software, but liberating themselves from the OS-vendor's thuggery.
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Quoting: GuestQuoting: mylkaQuoting: GuestProton is gonna be the end of native ports and companies like Feral. It will also confirm Windows as the only "true" gaming os on personal computers. Really sad.
even if its true, whats the problem with that?
You are probably too young to remember, but there was a time when a company called IBM tried the same exact strategy to compete against MS's operating system(s) with its OS/2 operating system: one of their "strong" points was near-perfect compatibility with DOS and Windows 3.x... I don't think I need to point out how that worked out for them: developers never joined the OS/2 train and kept developing for MS-DOS and Windows, giving users no incentives at all to switch. The users simply thought "why should I use a compatibility layer and have to put up with any nuisances, albeit minor, if I can have the real thing"? And this is more relevant than ever when applied to entertainment software in my opinion...
In the short run Proton is getting us more games, but in the long run it is encouraging developers to not even recognize Linux as a platform: they will keep writing software for Windows, they will still not support Linux, and they will have one less reason to even consider developing their games with a multiplatform focus from the start.
back then there was no internet. you havent update your OS at all. an OS couldnt phone home, or install crap you dont want by itself
developers dont have to recognize linux as a platform! GAMERS HAVE!
as i said: first market share, then developers
if i get you right you think, that developers stop supporting linux and valve stops proton and we have nothing?
there alway be wine and DXVK
what do you think? what would be the alternative?
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Quoting: mylkawhat do you think? what would be the alternative?WaaS*, that's what... plus soon-ish gaming will move to the cloud, so you will only rent access, and own nothing... though that could be said is true already with digital distribution and always on-line DRM (not only digital distribution), albeit without a periodic fee. So your "client" device won't matter if it's a PC, Chromebook, phone, tablet, Switch, XBOX or PSX.
*Windows as a Service. Plus, as ironic as it sounds, there are already projects and efforts to implement past MS APIs on top of modern Windows (Wine for Windows, if you will) in order to run older software... so...
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Quoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: EikeDoesn't that have a heavy connotation of booze? :)
And your point is?
Despite the wink: "Feierabend" doesn't. :)
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Quoting: EikeHeh. Well, I don't even drink so you'd notice, the joke just seemed to want to be made.Quoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: EikeDoesn't that have a heavy connotation of booze? :)
And your point is?
Despite the wink: "Feierabend" doesn't. :)
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Quoting: ThetargosQuoting: mylkawhat do you think? what would be the alternative?WaaS*, that's what... plus soon-ish gaming will move to the cloud, so you will only rent access, and own nothing... though that could be said is true already with digital distribution and always on-line DRM (not only digital distribution), albeit without a periodic fee. So your "client" device won't matter if it's a PC, Chromebook, phone, tablet, Switch, XBOX or PSX.
*Windows as a Service. Plus, as ironic as it sounds, there are already projects and efforts to implement past MS APIs on top of modern Windows (Wine for Windows, if you will) in order to run older software... so...
thats not an alternative. if you think streaming is the future, it makes everything else unimportant and it doesnt matter if we have native or proton or anything
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Quoting: mylkaThat's the direction the industry is going anyway. See what are doing MS with the XBox and Google and nVidia, even.Quoting: ThetargosQuoting: mylkawhat do you think? what would be the alternative?WaaS*, that's what... plus soon-ish gaming will move to the cloud, so you will only rent access, and own nothing... though that could be said is true already with digital distribution and always on-line DRM (not only digital distribution), albeit without a periodic fee. So your "client" device won't matter if it's a PC, Chromebook, phone, tablet, Switch, XBOX or PSX.
*Windows as a Service. Plus, as ironic as it sounds, there are already projects and efforts to implement past MS APIs on top of modern Windows (Wine for Windows, if you will) in order to run older software... so...
thats not an alternative. if you think streaming is the future, it makes everything else unimportant and it doesnt matter if we have native or proton or anything
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