To celebrate one year, Half-Life: Alyx is the cheapest it's ever been

Xen granades... i love bring box full of thease thinks with me :-)

So I was not the only one!

Exactly. I hope for something like this for next game, just for fun :-D

The reason why they officially don't support Linux, was that it only worked 100% on AMD GPUs for Linux. Do I remember that correctly? Does anyone know what the current status of that is? Because if it doesn't work as good with an Nvidia GPU even the current price is way too high for me.

Async re-projection isn't supported on nvidia, so you need a GPU that is fast enough if you don't want stuttering. But it ran flawlessly on a 1080ti at max settings.
On the AMD side I experienced various rendering bugs and graphics glitches so ... meh.

Is VR still a major pain to get running on Linux?

I picked up a second hand HTC vive for 300€. All I had to do was to switch away from wayland, pending this protocol: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/merge_requests/67

It generally works quite well, but I don't think reprojection is supported on my card? Loading times can be soo long in stuff like the lab, but I haven't tried a proper VR game yet. I bought Superhot VR a few weeks ago, will try it when I have time.

I will probably buy Alyx, I was waiting for a discount... I don't feel like paying 1/6 of the HMD cost for a game, as good as it might be... I guess I won't buy beat saber that soon.

wish they released a version that didn't need vr. can't see it being hard to make it usable with a mouse and keyboard.

Having recently beaten the game... it is full on designed around VR. You have 'gravity gloves' that yank things into your hands from a distance. There are fights where you have to duck behind objects and shoot at enemies. It's incredibly intense, and the experience wouldn't be anywhere near as good with a mouse / keyboard. There are even alien exploding balls that you can hold in your hand, until you squeeze them, then you have a few seconds to throw them before they blow up. Even cooler, you have to try to snatch them quickly from the grasp of the weird tentacle thing that is holding them.

Even the feel of throwing actual grenades is enhanced by having it in VR.

Xen granades... i love bring box full of thease thinks with me :-)
Its another VR think. In one hand you can hold basket/box/... with items (granades, medkit),... how do this without VR?

Oh my, why didn't I think to try that???

Yeah totally only something you could do in VR!

wish they released a version that didn't need vr. can't see it being hard to make it usable with a mouse and keyboard.

Having recently beaten the game... it is full on designed around VR. You have 'gravity gloves' that yank things into your hands from a distance. There are fights where you have to duck behind objects and shoot at enemies. It's incredibly intense, and the experience wouldn't be anywhere near as good with a mouse / keyboard. There are even alien exploding balls that you can hold in your hand, until you squeeze them, then you have a few seconds to throw them before they blow up. Even cooler, you have to try to snatch them quickly from the grasp of the weird tentacle thing that is holding them.

Even the feel of throwing actual grenades is enhanced by having it in VR.

Xen granades... i love bring box full of thease thinks with me :-)
Its another VR think. In one hand you can hold basket/box/... with items (granades, medkit),... how do this without VR?

Oh my, why didn't I think to try that???

Yeah totally only something you could do in VR!

I don't even know if its planed feature, or just coincidence of physical engine do it's thing :-D But because shadows are casted only by granades, so we see shadow of levitating granades i think it's just coincidence :-D One of thinks what just work in VR and with keyboard and mouse someone need implemented it :-)

Seeing how utterly amazing the experience of alyx was, i really really hope, they stick to VR for the next games, too. There are more than enough great flat games, it would be a shame to limit their genius because not everybody has a headset yet ^^

It's also worth noting that VR games - for whatever reason - seem to work particularly well on Proton. There's not many (Windows) VR games at all I've not gotten to work straight out of the box.

Interesting observation. Wonder if it's by chance or something systematic. I guess the company's start applications don't play a big role in VR. And maybe something about the 3D they're forced to do right for VR?

I would guess some of this is because it has to use Vulkan on Linux, and it seems to work better than OpenGL in general, and converting from DirectX in particular.

Seeing how utterly amazing the experience of alyx was, i really really hope, they stick to VR for the next games, too. There are more than enough great flat games, it would be a shame to limit their genius because not everybody has a headset yet ^^

Remember, they announced they were working on three VR games, and Alyx has only been the first one.

The reason why they officially don't support Linux, was that it only worked 100% on AMD GPUs for Linux. Do I remember that correctly? Does anyone know what the current status of that is? Because if it doesn't work as good with an Nvidia GPU even the current price is way too high for me.

Async re-projection isn't supported on nvidia, so you need a GPU that is fast enough if you don't want stuttering. But it ran flawlessly on a 1080ti at max settings.
On the AMD side I experienced various rendering bugs and graphics glitches so ... meh.

OK, I bought it now; about half an hour into playing it. Best looking VR game I've seen so far. Up til now runs flawlessly on ultra-settinsg. Really great how they reproduced they Halflife universe in VR and how many details there are. Though many of the stuff is not really usable. But still nice and adds to the atmosphere. Guess I'll be spending some time on it the next days...

It's also worth noting that VR games - for whatever reason - seem to work particularly well on Proton. There's not many (Windows) VR games at all I've not gotten to work straight out of the box.

Interesting observation. Wonder if it's by chance or something systematic. I guess the company's start applications don't play a big role in VR. And maybe something about the 3D they're forced to do right for VR?

I would guess some of this is because it has to use Vulkan on Linux, and it seems to work better than OpenGL in general, and converting from DirectX in particular.

One of us is missunderstood something. Beamboom was talking about Windows/Proton...?


Last edited by Eike on 24 March 2021 at 6:32 pm UTC

Interesting observation. Wonder if it's by chance or something systematic.

Well, VR games are typically not the most visually complex games. But I also have a theory; I have a strong feeling almost all VR games are developed on the same engine: Unity.

And that makes it even more annoying that they don't just render out a Linux version too, while they are at it.

I may be wrong though. But I do know that Unity has VR well implemented and I think I have seen Unity mentioned in SOME of the games.

Interesting observation. Wonder if it's by chance or something systematic.

Well, VR games are typically not the most visually complex games. But I also have a theory; I have a strong feeling almost all VR games are developed on the same engine: Unity.

And that makes it even more annoying that they don't just render out a Linux version too, while they are at it.

I may be wrong though. But I do know that Unity has VR well implemented and I think I have seen Unity mentioned in SOME of the games.

Quite a few UE4 games as well. But those also tend to work nicely in Proton.

I suppose testing/QA is not worth it for VR games because it is a small number multiplied by a small number. An interesting observation though. Steam says 2.2% of its users own a VR headset. The GOL statistics have 16% registered with a VR headset. Makes me wonder if VR ownership is really that high on Linux on whether it is a very selective data set.

Steam says 2.2% of its users own a VR headset. The GOL statistics have 16% registered with a VR headset. Makes me wonder if VR ownership is really that high on Linux on whether it is a very selective data set.

The last time the Steam Survey popped up for me (for me it always shows up at the beginning of a year) it didn't recognize my VR equipment. So I suspect the number from Steam might be too low.

It's also worth noting that VR games - for whatever reason - seem to work particularly well on Proton. There's not many (Windows) VR games at all I've not gotten to work straight out of the box.

Interesting observation. Wonder if it's by chance or something systematic. I guess the company's start applications don't play a big role in VR. And maybe something about the 3D they're forced to do right for VR?

I would guess some of this is because it has to use Vulkan on Linux, and it seems to work better than OpenGL in general, and converting from DirectX in particular.

One of us is missunderstood something. Beamboom was talking about Windows/Proton...?

SteamVR in Linux uses Vulkan. Regardless of what Proton is converting it to, you are still using Vulkan through SteamVR which is native.

Well, I guess the question is... if you launch a Windows VR game in Linux, does it use the native SteamVR to launch / play it? Or does SteamVR itself get launched through Proton?


Last edited by slaapliedje on 25 March 2021 at 5:53 pm UTC

Cheapest it's ever been? Great. So just as soon as I can buy a 5900X & 6800XT to replace the 2600 & GTX1060 currently plugged into my X570, and then the Valve Index, I'll buy it. Oh, and that's AFTER I can afford to replace my Android phone with a Librem 5.

And all of than is after I have an income again. 2021 sucks.

Cheapest it's ever been? Great. So just as soon as I can buy a 5900X & 6800XT to replace the 2600 & GTX1060 currently plugged into my X570, and then the Valve Index, I'll buy it. Oh, and that's AFTER I can afford to replace my Android phone with a Librem 5.

And all of than is after I have an income again. 2021 sucks.

This is actually incorrect, the cheapest it's ever been is 'Free!' as I got it for free with the purchase of my Index :) Basically if you bought an Index through Steam, they gave it to you :)

Also, if you're still running a 2600 from 1977 as your main gaming rig, kudos to you!


Last edited by slaapliedje on 26 March 2021 at 3:55 pm UTC

I would have bought this game when it first came out, but Valve still doesn't sell the Index in Norway...

Cheapest it's ever been? Great. So just as soon as I can buy a 5900X & 6800XT to replace the 2600 & GTX1060 currently plugged into my X570, and then the Valve Index, I'll buy it. Oh, and that's AFTER I can afford to replace my Android phone with a Librem 5.

And all of than is after I have an income again. 2021 sucks.

This is actually incorrect, the cheapest it's ever been is 'Free!' as I got it for free with the purchase of my Index :) Basically if you bought an Index through Steam, they gave it to you :)

Also, if you're still running a 2600 from 1977 as your main gaming rig, kudos to you!

Nah, it's a Ryzen 2600. And the Asrock X570 mobo it was plugged into died. Luckily I had a B450 laying around waiting for the 2600 when the 5900X arrived. Now I don't have to build my old windows games box because it already is. Oh, wait the B450 is also an Asrock. Crap.

Cheapest it's ever been? Great. So just as soon as I can buy a 5900X & 6800XT to replace the 2600 & GTX1060 currently plugged into my X570, and then the Valve Index, I'll buy it. Oh, and that's AFTER I can afford to replace my Android phone with a Librem 5.

And all of than is after I have an income again. 2021 sucks.

This is actually incorrect, the cheapest it's ever been is 'Free!' as I got it for free with the purchase of my Index :) Basically if you bought an Index through Steam, they gave it to you :)

Also, if you're still running a 2600 from 1977 as your main gaming rig, kudos to you!

Nah, it's a Ryzen 2600. And the Asrock X570 mobo it was plugged into died. Luckily I had a B450 laying around waiting for the 2600 when the 5900X arrived. Now I don't have to build my old windows games box because it already is. Oh, wait the B450 is also an Asrock. Crap.

Just because I'm an Atari Nut, I think it'd be hilarious to take a Ryzen 2600 and put it into an Atari 2600 box-like box...

Cheapest it's ever been? Great. So just as soon as I can buy a 5900X & 6800XT to replace the 2600 & GTX1060 currently plugged into my X570, and then the Valve Index, I'll buy it. Oh, and that's AFTER I can afford to replace my Android phone with a Librem 5.

And all of than is after I have an income again. 2021 sucks.

This is actually incorrect, the cheapest it's ever been is 'Free!' as I got it for free with the purchase of my Index :) Basically if you bought an Index through Steam, they gave it to you :)

Also, if you're still running a 2600 from 1977 as your main gaming rig, kudos to you!

Nah, it's a Ryzen 2600. And the Asrock X570 mobo it was plugged into died. Luckily I had a B450 laying around waiting for the 2600 when the 5900X arrived. Now I don't have to build my old windows games box because it already is. Oh, wait the B450 is also an Asrock. Crap.

Wow, I've never seen a motherboard die. GPUs, Disks, RAM, PSU, yes, but never a motherboard or a CPU.

So did you get a librem one and a 6800XT? Component prices are soo inflated these days, I couldn't dream of affording a new GPU, and mine is dying.