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Latest 30 Comments

News - Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
By LoudTechie, 6 Jan 2026 at 11:20 pm UTC

Quoting: Saracen26I've been using Linux on and off for 19 years. Primarily for curiosity and the last decade for the Emulation side of things. My 2020 Gaming PC still recently ran on Windows 10 for convenience. I then the purchased a Legion GO S (SteamOS) and it proved incredible. So I was looking for a brand new rig to install CachyOS on. Now the RAM crisis has hit, I can't afford a new build so I stripped Windows on my current rig and went to CachyOS anyway. I wish I'd done this sooner, especially since I don't do multiplayer gaming. I don't think I realised how good Linux Gaming has gotten.
As you, so nicely display. It's easy to know Linux without knowing the quality of Linux gaming.
They're two very, very different worlds.
Linux is mostly driven by chip strength and price in the sense that every new use case for computers uses Linux by default and places new strains on vendors to support it and that computational potential is directly related to chip power.
Linux gaming is not driven by new potential, discoveries and/or research, but market politics. The fear of others drives one to free software, since if everybody is super(user) nobody is.

Valve sacrifices games for API and market access certainty.
Microsoft sacrifices customers to get stronger IP(Intellectual Property) guarantees in the wider sense.
Apple knows that anti-trust concerns only stop Microsoft from retracting killer app access as long Linux stays insignificant, so they backed the Wine project. Even fear for Linux can drive one to contribute to it, since open source lifts all boats.
Microsoft multiple times tried to sacrifice the game market to rid themselves of Intel's hold on their business.

Yet NVIDIA improves Linux not out of fear, but reward through the AI bubble.
Google throws considerable weight behind it, because of Android.
Printer vendors introduced wireless printing for mobile.
Most virus scanner support comes from the cloud.

The best example are though containerized packages(such as snap, Flatpak, etc.).
The Cloud drove demand for binary formats(packages) and saw the value of a standard(appimage), mobile drove containerization, but mostly after a direct compile and fear for sketchy games and production software drove Canonical to Snap, but nobody trusted it, which drove the community to Flatpak, which does the same, but federalized.
This's where we're now.
The next step would probably be government pressure on repos, which would drive it to decentralization(think bittorented flatpak packages).

News - Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
By Mountain Man, 6 Jan 2026 at 10:29 pm UTC

Quoting: pbWow, that's a huge difference. It seems that Linux is gaining momentum!
Just a few more decades and we'll finally eclipse Windows!

News - Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
By LoudTechie, 6 Jan 2026 at 10:17 pm UTC

Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: EssojeI'd love to appreciate these small victories for Linux, but together with the RAM crisis and the news lately, all I can see here is the gruesome death of consumer PC hardware.
I wouldn't worry too much about that. The AI bubble is getting rickety . . . and when it pops, it will probably take a whole lot else with it, including crypto. At that point all the computer stuff will get cheap again. With the massive recession nobody will have any money so we still won't be able to afford it, but it will be cheap.
Crypto already popped this's its stable state: infinite rug pulls.
Yes, individual coins sometimes go up and sometimes down. If it was stable it would be unsuited for rug pool scams and illegal trade.
Nobody is buying large amounts of mining hardware anymore, because scamming poor smugs out of their money is more profitable.
Crypto won't die. It fulfills some pretty important functions for those in power. Criminals and intelligence agencies profit at the cost of law enforcement. Members of volatile state managed economies have a relative "safe haven" for their assets(remember after the rug pull many crypto assets have an acceptably stable price development).

AI replaced it and instead of attracting wealth from the powerful who have to hide their faces in fear, it spoke to a higher class, which knows it's above the law and thus doesn't have to hide anymore. They buy the same things in the same order.
CPUS->GPUS->ASICS->RAM->Customers.
There is one difference this time the start wasn't open source, so they managed to get themselves trapped in a vendor lock in.
Tip if you have an ancient computer science problem you think you can make less hard with unending amounts of computational resources, just follow the playbook and get rich.

Edit:
Might I suggest software proving(by exhaustion).

News - Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
By CatKiller, 6 Jan 2026 at 10:17 pm UTC

Quoting: Marlockthe percentage of linux machines with Deck-exclusive GPUs is now smaller (iirc it reached ~50% for a while) so linux growth is now driven by actual linux distros installed on PCs, laptops, etc, not a niche console that happens to have linux in it but you might never realize it, if seen as just a console
In case you'd like a graph:
External Media: You need to be logged in to view this.

News - Some releases to look forward to in 2026
By Philadelphus, 6 Jan 2026 at 9:56 pm UTC

I've got Slay the Spire 2 and Witchbrook on my wishlist. Most of the other games on there that haven't already released have annoying release dates of "To be announced" or "Coming soon" (I thought that one wasn't allowed anymore?), but in theory the [Colonies](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4143120/Terraforming_Mars__Colonies/) expansion for Terraforming Mars is supposed to be releasing in Q1. Colonies might be my favorite TM expansion (vying for the spot with Prelude) so I'm excited it's finally happening, though the developer has a strong track record at this point of introducing a bunch of bugs of various degrees of game-breaking with each patch, so we'll see how that goes.

It doesn't have a date yet, but I'm also really hoping the digital version of [Twilight Imperium](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3669430/Twilight_Imperium_Digital/) releases this year. Now in addition to 12-hour sessions with friends twice or thrice a year I can practice on my own! 😆

And it's not software, but I'm looking forward to the Steam Controller release for using my Deck as a living-room multiplayer setup.

News - Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
By Saracen26, 6 Jan 2026 at 9:39 pm UTC

I've been using Linux on and off for 19 years. Primarily for curiosity and the last decade for the Emulation side of things. My 2020 Gaming PC still recently ran on Windows 10 for convenience. I then the purchased a Legion GO S (SteamOS) and it proved incredible. So I was looking for a brand new rig to install CachyOS on. Now the RAM crisis has hit, I can't afford a new build so I stripped Windows on my current rig and went to CachyOS anyway. I wish I'd done this sooner, especially since I don't do multiplayer gaming. I don't think I realised how good Linux Gaming has gotten.

News - Based on Transport Tycoon Deluxe, OpenTTD gets some big new features in v15
By Philadelphus, 6 Jan 2026 at 9:38 pm UTC

  • Island maps can be surrounded by infinite water instead of void.

  • Rivers can end in wetlands if unable to reach sea.

Interesting! I love OpenTTD (it's a great game for messing around in multiplayer with friends), and it's nice to see updates to its (rather simplistic) map generation for more complexity. I don't need Dwarf Fortress-level modeling of foundational rock types for simulating tunnel-building costs, but a little more visual interest sounds nice! 🙂

News - NVIDIA announce DLSS 4.5 with Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, plus DLSS Updater gets Linux support
By vic-bay, 6 Jan 2026 at 9:22 pm UTC

Quoting: GoEsr
Quoting: RouhollahWe already have dlss override on linux. Take a look at the dxvk nvapi wiki on github.
Those still seem to just be the original DLSS flags, not the newer ones added in DLSS Override like switching between CNN and transformer models. I'm not seeing anything to change that.
to switch to transformer model, use the k preset...

News - AMD reveal the Ryzen 9850X3D, Ryzen AI 400 series and more Ryzen AI Max+
By Linux_Rocks, 6 Jan 2026 at 8:51 pm UTC

Their naming scheme is literally shit. A best anything processor should be a 9 series. Part of why I didn't bother going from a Ryzen 9 5900X to a Ryzen 7 5800X3D was that it still felt like a downgrade going from a 9 down to a 7. Though it wasn't worth the time, effort, or money to "upgrade" like that anyways.

News - Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
By mr-victory, 6 Jan 2026 at 8:45 pm UTC

I feel that the GabeCube *ahem* Steam Machine will be DOA due to anti cheat, I hope to be proven wrong but Windows on ARM laptops being frequently returned item on Amazon doesn't give me confidence, those laptops' game compatibility issues are not that different from ours... the advantage Deck had was being a handheld so who cares if an fps doesn't work.

News - KDE Plasma 6.6 will finally stop the system sleeping when gaming with a controller
By Anorelsan, 6 Jan 2026 at 8:43 pm UTC

Quoting: kaimanI'm on Gnome, but I could swear that this also is a problem I had in the past. Haven't played many games with controller lately, so no idea if it's still an issue or not.

But even then it annoys me at times: screen going blank during lengthy cut-scenes. Or the opposite: screen not going blank when Firefox with Youtube is open, and no video playing (happens only on occasion, though).
On my system with Archlinux + GNOME, if you are playing with the controller the screen doesn't go blank. If you don't touch the controller, a lengthy cut-scene as you say, the screen goes blank and you have to touch the mouse or keyboard (the controller don't work¿?). I have my power saving config to go blank after 5 min of inactivity so it's not a problem anymore for me.

And that applies on steam, emulators etc.

News - NVIDIA announce a native Linux app for GeForce NOW
By mr-victory, 6 Jan 2026 at 8:26 pm UTC

Quoting: Cyba.CowboyI did look at this for a while, because most of my online gaming is via my PlayStation 5 and I'd rather stick to my Steam Deck... But NVVIDIA GeForce NOW is super expensive here in Australia, so I simply couldn't justify it.
You can stream your PS5 to Deck, look up Chiaki-deck

Now if only there was a similar solution for the PS3...

News - Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
By Marlock, 6 Jan 2026 at 8:24 pm UTC

1. this is looking a lot like an exponential growth not a linear growth trend that was slow before the Deck then faster after the Deck

2. the percentage of linux machines with Deck-exclusive GPUs is now smaller (iirc it reached ~50% for a while) so linux growth is now driven by actual linux distros installed on PCs, laptops, etc, not a niche console that happens to have linux in it but you might never realize it, if seen as just a console

3. the Desktop/Laptop market is pretty saturated, definitely slowed growth and maaaaybe shrunk a little but is not as likely to shrink to oblivion as to contract and stagnate... also mobile games aren't as convergent to Steam games as console games are, so the risk of people giving up on Steam in favour of Google Play Games is pretty slim and wouldn't happen quietly and overnight... heck, even if Android for Desktops appears and Google Play starts selling games that work both on Android mobiles, Android TV and Android PCs, it would need *a lot* of muscle to move every conceivable game and PC gamers into its ecossystem

4. meanwhile Valve gave gamers plenty of reasons to move from consoles to Steam (and keeps giving more)

5. eyes peeled for signs of Valve's total userbase growth, which traditionally is very high (and might have slowed a bit but still be growing)

6. Windows users with old hardware being locked out of Win11 while Win10 goes EOL would maybe push people into upgrading hardware, but those same prohibitive RAM prices might make them more prone to try linux for free on their current hardware

7. there is just way more talk about linux now, that even aloof gamers have a fair chance of hearing about linux from their non-linux-niche gaming streamers

8. there is now comparable (or better overall) polish in the linux side (including for games) so first contact might bring people in more than scare them away

9. Valve is banging the drums of shiny new VR + Console that's actually PC + Controller and at its heart the new team is all based on SteamOS

News - KDE Plasma 6.6 will finally stop the system sleeping when gaming with a controller
By Joom, 6 Jan 2026 at 8:21 pm UTC

I've had this problem across several environments, even recently. I've always used Caffeine to work around it (it has an option to inhibit sleep any time there's a fullscreen window on a monitor), but I've always wanted this to be built into the DE itself. Here's hoping GNOME and COSMIC follow suit.

News - The best Linux distributions for gaming in 2026
By Caldathras, 6 Jan 2026 at 8:13 pm UTC

Quoting: eggroleAs more "normies" come over to linux and want one-click everything, you will get a more windows like experience whether you like it or not. ::SNIP::
It will move linux in general from an enthusiast OS to an everyman OS.
What an oddly binary point of view. Either this or that with no grey areas. Linux has always been about the grey areas. A hardcore enthusiast distribution like Arch isn't going to disappear just because former Windows users want a less complicated experience. As always, Linux will provide both and then some.

News - Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
By Purple Library Guy, 6 Jan 2026 at 8:02 pm UTC

Quoting: EssojeI'd love to appreciate these small victories for Linux, but together with the RAM crisis and the news lately, all I can see here is the gruesome death of consumer PC hardware.
I wouldn't worry too much about that. The AI bubble is getting rickety . . . and when it pops, it will probably take a whole lot else with it, including crypto. At that point all the computer stuff will get cheap again. With the massive recession nobody will have any money so we still won't be able to afford it, but it will be cheap.

News - D7VK v1.1 is out with experimental Direct3D 6 support via Vulkan for Windows games on Linux
By Caldathras, 6 Jan 2026 at 7:56 pm UTC

Quoting: Eduardo-Thiesen
Quoting: CaldathrasDrakan: Order of the Flame is my favorite dx6 game.
Thank you very much, I was beginning to think I had imagined this thing 😅.
You're welcome.

Unfortunately, Drakan: Order of the Flame is abandonware now. You won't find it for sale anywhere. Surreal Software no longer exists and the IP is apparently owned by Warner. They seem indifferent to it. There is a strong fan community out there, however.

News - The best Linux distributions for gaming in 2026
By Purple Library Guy, 6 Jan 2026 at 7:54 pm UTC

The fact is that as far as I can tell, most distros are pretty good. Linux technology has matured a lot, and with open source if a problem has been solved, the solution probably went upstream and most distros inherited the solution. Even the distros going "No, I actively want it to be hard because noobs have cooties, I mean, it's good to understand how things work" are generally good at what they're trying to do.

News - The excellent free Command & Conquer - Combined Arms gets more missions and co-op
By vertigo, 6 Jan 2026 at 7:40 pm UTC

For anyone else who was wondering:
A comprehensive campaign, currently encompassing 34 missions

News - Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
By Essoje, 6 Jan 2026 at 7:38 pm UTC

I'd love to appreciate these small victories for Linux, but together with the RAM crisis and the news lately, all I can see here is the gruesome death of consumer PC hardware. It's like partying on top of a sinking ship.
This will likely force people who want to play games to be part of a closed garden like game consoles, or to pay for remote applications/machines. It really feels like we are going back to the remote terminal days, as ironic as that is.

News - NVIDIA announce a native Linux app for GeForce NOW
By Cyba.Cowboy, 6 Jan 2026 at 7:37 pm UTC

I did look at this for a while, because most of my online gaming is via my PlayStation 5 and I'd rather stick to my Steam Deck... But NVVIDIA GeForce NOW is super expensive here in Australia, so I simply couldn't justify it.

News - NVIDIA announce DLSS 4.5 with Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, plus DLSS Updater gets Linux support
By GoEsr, 6 Jan 2026 at 7:35 pm UTC

Quoting: RouhollahWe already have dlss override on linux. Take a look at the dxvk nvapi wiki on github.
Those still seem to just be the original DLSS flags, not the newer ones added in DLSS Override like switching between CNN and transformer models. I'm not seeing anything to change that.

News - NVIDIA have discontinued Quake II RTX
By vertigo, 6 Jan 2026 at 7:35 pm UTC

Quoting: The_Real_Bitterman
Quoting: vertigoMakes sense, it's feature complete and superseded by RTX Remix.
There is a RTX Remix? Always thought this only works on DirectX 9 titles as this is what nvidia made the remix studio for. Since OG Quake uses OpenGL as it's default engine I never expected a RTX Remix here.
Oh yeah, that's a very good point. Remix works with DX8 and DX9 games so maybe a source port would work?

News - The best Linux distributions for gaming in 2026
By Tchey, 6 Jan 2026 at 7:27 pm UTC

I've been on Manjaro for years now, not sure, between 5 and 10, and i'm feeling very alright for gaming and working and multimediaing, etc. Before i was on Mint, for about 5 years i'd say, and it was fine too.

News - NVIDIA announce a native Linux app for GeForce NOW
By Essoje, 6 Jan 2026 at 7:23 pm UTC

Nothing like accelerating the decay of the future Linux and PC ecosystems like removing one of the biggest reasons to own your own hardware in full by delegating the GPU workload of gaming to "cloud" services!
People say options are always a good thing, but I have good reasons to disagree here, and more than one whole decade of examples to uphold them.

News - NVIDIA announce a native Linux app for GeForce NOW
By BloodScourge, 6 Jan 2026 at 6:50 pm UTC

Quoting: SlayerTheChikkenYay! Now we can move faster towards a hardware-less future!
You probably dropped a /s, right? 😅

Me: all I want is a decent GPU at a reasonable/affordable price
NVIDIA: best I can do is a glorified web app (I'm selling everything to tech bros, sorry!)