We've known for a while that the massive and popular RPG Path of Exile was going to get a Vulkan API implementation and they would have liked to do Linux support, seems like they're continuing that line of thinking.
In a new interview done by YouTuber Zizaran, they were testing out some upcoming content and changes coming with the recently announced Path of Exile 2. While doing this they were joined by Chris Wilson from Path of Exile developer Grinding Gear Games to answer some questions.
When talking about their plans, Wilson mentioned: "We realised that if we did a port to Vulkan, which is a renderer that is used on phones and various other stuff, we get Mac support, we get Linux support, we get support for things like Google Stadia and so on - it was just worthwhile to do a Vulkan port. So we started that, because it's going to be good for Path of Exile players.".
If you're interested, you can see the full video below with the Linux mention starting around 6:40.
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It's really great to see that Grinding Gear Games continue keeping a port to Linux in mind, while it's not confirmation it's clear they are thinking about it and porting their game to Vulkan makes that possibility a lot closer to reality.
With Path of Exile 2 due out late next year, we should hopefully hear more closer to then. You can find out more about Path of Exile 2 here.
Hat tip to NuSuey.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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MekaDragon Nov 19, 2019
Nice! It is the best ARPG out there at the moment.
Couldn't say it better myself!
Can't wait to see PoE 2 working over Vulkan!
1 Likes, Who?
... But will they get Mac support? I thought they did not use vulkan but something else they made themselves? I thought that was the entire problem with Mac and gaming nowadays?
0 Likes
Lately I've been more excited with games using Vulkan than linux native opengl ones. It's very nice when we can have both :)
0 Likes
I'd be more excited about this if they hadn't turned the game into a zoom-zoom speedrunner with hordes of microtransactions. The way they kept changing the game with each new "league", I find it hard to think they will go back to the roots with Path of Exile 2.
It was fun when I started playing it, don't get me wrong, but I'm so glad I stopped, and I don't miss it at all.
All that said, it's of course good if they support the game natively on Linux. It was a huge pain to get it running half-decently -- until DXVK turned up.
It was fun when I started playing it, don't get me wrong, but I'm so glad I stopped, and I don't miss it at all.
All that said, it's of course good if they support the game natively on Linux. It was a huge pain to get it running half-decently -- until DXVK turned up.
0 Likes
Hopefully they also consider whatever 3rd party libs/deps the game uses. So many ports get permanently shelved due to <pick a component> lib that has no linux version, graphics api is only part of the equation after all. It's kind of amazing how often that appears to be a late-in-the-game problem devs notice when they don't prioritize other platforms from the start.
"Oh we can't actually support that platform without reworking X that could've easily been avoided if we considered all targets from the start, yeah, that ain't happening just for that sliver of customers"
"Oh we can't actually support that platform without reworking X that could've easily been avoided if we considered all targets from the start, yeah, that ain't happening just for that sliver of customers"
3 Likes, Who?
It would be best to play PoE as close to native performance as possible.
Actually, play it on its current build suffers from many stutters and crashs.
Actually, play it on its current build suffers from many stutters and crashs.
0 Likes
... But will they get Mac support? I thought they did not use vulkan but something else they made themselves? I thought that was the entire problem with Mac and gaming nowadays?
They probably mean translation, which is good enough for most developers who aren't interested in wasting resources on Apple lock-in.
Last edited by Shmerl on 19 November 2019 at 3:59 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
... But will they get Mac support? I thought they did not use vulkan but something else they made themselves? I thought that was the entire problem with Mac and gaming nowadays?
You are right that Apple developed their own graphics API called Metal. But Valve bought and open-sourced a Vulkan-to-Metal translation-layer-sorts-of-thingy. So that developers would be incentivized much more to support Vulkan (and Linux). And it seems this has worked.
2 Likes, Who?
Projectile Vomit Nov 19, 2019
I enjoy this game. Every once in a while I log in and play for a bit.It would be great to see it come native to Linux.
0 Likes
... But will they get Mac support? I thought they did not use vulkan but something else they made themselves? I thought that was the entire problem with Mac and gaming nowadays?A good question, although my answer would tend to be: Don't care. Mac's walled garden can go fertilize itself.
7 Likes, Who?
Avehicle7887 Nov 19, 2019
These devs pretty much nailed it with their cross platform and Vulkan talk. Spending development resources on DX12 is a waste since only Windows and XBox can make use of it. Ironically Vulkan also works on Win7+8 whereas DX12 does not.
As for the game itself, I'm more excited for this than Diablo 4. I played the first PoE a lot back in the day, was never a pro but it was fun, I still play it occasionally.
As for the game itself, I'm more excited for this than Diablo 4. I played the first PoE a lot back in the day, was never a pro but it was fun, I still play it occasionally.
1 Likes, Who?
"We realised that if we did a port to Vulkan, which is a renderer that is used on phones and various other stuff, we get Mac support, we get Linux support, we get support for things like Google Stadia and so on ..."
I wish other devs would follow that chain arguments.
Yet, we know. A Vulkan renderer does not automatically mean Linux support. :/
3 Likes, Who?
I wish other devs would follow that chain arguments.
The biggest fear for MS and other two remaining lock-in freaks :) And likely many will follow it now. Stadia tipped the scale.
Last edited by Shmerl on 20 November 2019 at 12:37 am UTC
1 Likes, Who?
As for the game itself, I'm more excited for this than Diablo 4. I played the first PoE a lot back in the day, was never a pro but it was fun, I still play it occasionally.
I'm waiting for gfx-rs to enable Vulkan to DX12 and Vulkan to GNM translation, as MoltenVK does for Vulkan to Metal. That will speed up demise of the lock-in even more.
Last edited by Shmerl on 19 November 2019 at 7:49 pm UTC
3 Likes, Who?
... But will they get Mac support? I thought they did not use vulkan but something else they made themselves? I thought that was the entire problem with Mac and gaming nowadays?They will probably use MoltenVK, they had a slide explicitly announcing MacOS support.
1 Likes, Who?
Been put off by the POE graphics.
PoE2 looks really crips tho, I really hope we get to see a linux port :).
But he said the word! Linux :D
Last edited by Zelox on 19 November 2019 at 9:00 pm UTC
PoE2 looks really crips tho, I really hope we get to see a linux port :).
Yet, we know. A Vulkan renderer does not automatically mean Linux support. :/
But he said the word! Linux :D
Last edited by Zelox on 19 November 2019 at 9:00 pm UTC
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Does seem to be an early sign that Stadia could actually have positive spin-off effects for normal Linux gaming.I wish other devs would follow that chain arguments.
The biggest fear for MS and other two remaining lock-in freaks :) And likely many will follow it now. Stadia tipped the scales.
0 Likes
The biggest fear for MS and other two remaining lock-in freaks :) And likely many will follow it now. Stadia tipped the scales.Does seem to be an early sign that Stadia could actually have positive spin-off effects for normal Linux gaming.
Wanted to say the same, and that even before the day Stadia released! :)
0 Likes
Avehicle7887 Nov 20, 2019
While Stadia requires a Vulkan renderer, I don't think large publishers are going to release for Linux that easily, and part of that reason is the bloody launchers (Origin, Rockstar Launcher, uPlay...etc). Without a native version of their client they'd have no way of distributing the game in the same way as Windows.
Realistically I don't see them putting all those resources into that even if a Linux version can be done easily. They'd rather have you jump through Wine hoops than supporting it officially, gives them a good excuse to avoid extra support costs.
There may however be a shred of hope for DRM Free games or Steam ones without a 3rd party client required.
Realistically I don't see them putting all those resources into that even if a Linux version can be done easily. They'd rather have you jump through Wine hoops than supporting it officially, gives them a good excuse to avoid extra support costs.
There may however be a shred of hope for DRM Free games or Steam ones without a 3rd party client required.
3 Likes, Who?
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