Latest 30 Comments
News - Prefixer is a modern alternative to Protontricks that's faster and simpler
By Grishnakh, 11 Feb 2026 at 5:01 pm UTC
By Grishnakh, 11 Feb 2026 at 5:01 pm UTC
Quoting: williamjcmI hope it'll get released as a Flatpak, because I don't like installing stuff through the AUR or pip.I much prefer terminal because I can see what's going on, flatpak only when no other options are available. But I already know I'm not mainstream, just glad there are the different options for everyone.
News - Valve fix up rumble related controller latency in the latest Steam Beta
By Grishnakh, 11 Feb 2026 at 4:52 pm UTC
By Grishnakh, 11 Feb 2026 at 4:52 pm UTC
Fixed regression causing achievement images to not show.Sometimes regressions are head-scratchers. What was touched that had the side effect of zapping, of all things, achievement images? I'm not interested enough to dig through Github to find an answer but boy howdy. Code is crazy yo.
News - Overwatch has returned with new heroes and a new UI
By dpanter, 11 Feb 2026 at 4:24 pm UTC
Overwatch Overwatch 2 Overwatch 3 Overwatch surely is one of the games of all time. 🍌
By dpanter, 11 Feb 2026 at 4:24 pm UTC
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By Jarmer, 11 Feb 2026 at 4:23 pm UTC
By Jarmer, 11 Feb 2026 at 4:23 pm UTC
My fantasy wish as the outcome of all of this:
1) game devs / communities go back to using forums hosted on their own sites.
2) for real time chat we all go back to using irc (also because I absolutely adore the Halloy app)
I know that's not realistic but I can dream!
1) game devs / communities go back to using forums hosted on their own sites.
2) for real time chat we all go back to using irc (also because I absolutely adore the Halloy app)
I know that's not realistic but I can dream!
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By WORM, 11 Feb 2026 at 3:59 pm UTC
By WORM, 11 Feb 2026 at 3:59 pm UTC
Clarification, right on cue. Truly I think they had this and possibly some future PR written before the announcement even happened.
But so what if I’m auto verified? Why should I help make your walled garden more appealing to those who aren’t via the network effect? Verified or no, I’m ready to jump ship.
But so what if I’m auto verified? Why should I help make your walled garden more appealing to those who aren’t via the network effect? Verified or no, I’m ready to jump ship.
News - Wireless VR streaming levels up on Linux with the latest WiVRn release
By Corben, 11 Feb 2026 at 3:39 pm UTC
By Corben, 11 Feb 2026 at 3:39 pm UTC
Since I saw on my son's Quest 3S that Steam Link VR was working, I decided to get a Quest 3, as back then I wasn't sure when Valve would release the Steam Frame and wireless VR is pretty cool. Yet Steam VR wired or wireless... the open source variants can give a much better experience. Same with Steam Link VR. So I tried WiVRn and it's awesome. As I had already some experience with Monando and building with Envision, the step to get WiVRn through that wasn't much of an issue.
Yet again, with Envision you get the hottest and latest Version (except you specify the git commit), imho it works best as you don't have to fiddle around much with Steam launch options which are needed when running WiVRn as standalone.
If you use envision, also select XRizer instead of OpenComposite (or have a 2nd profile with it in Envision), as with XRizer you can play After the Fall (the Left 4 Dead VR kinda game from Vertigo Games).
Another hint if you are on Ubuntu: to build XRizer you need a newer version of Rust and Vulkan. Rust can be updated via rustup, Vulkan can be updated via packages from https://vulkan.lunarg.com/sdk/home#linux. When installing the Vulkan SDK I had to get rid of package manually though... glslang or so? (you'll see when installing 😆)
In combination with WayVR (previously name wlx-overlay-s) and WayVR dashboard this give a great experience in VR. Since one of the last updates WayVR dashboard is even working with starting applications in VR on nVidia for me, so you can have some kind of spacial computing with all the applications up and showing theirs windows in VR. You can group then, create a profile and let the apps autostart. Really cool!
Another benefit of using wireless VR: async reprojection. As mentioned in a previous comment, nVidia has issues with asnyc reprojection after driver 550 (and still happening with up to 590). This is not an issue when using WiVRn as async reprojection happens in the HMD.
And seeing this already all working so well... I'm thrilled to see what happens when Steam Frame becomes availabe for everybody.
Btw: You can run WayVR in Steam VR too, haven't tested it recently, before I had to disable its autostart as it caused games to render black in the HMD. Maybe it's fixed by now.
VR is so cool! And we got quite some nice games in the last two years, some I got:
- Bulletstorm VR (they fixed the performance)
- Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Metro: Awakening
- Alien: Rogue Incursion VR (yes, it has now a non VR version too)
- Arken Age
- iAi (a VR coop game)
- Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate (more than just a remake)
- Of Lies And Rain (has some Half Life: Alyx vibes)
And the classics like Beat Saber, Synth Riders, Pistol Whip etc. of course!
If VR gets easier to be used wireless with this WiVRn update, so more (Linux) users get into VR, that's awesome! A Quest 3S is a really good entry point, I'm using my Meta account (which I just created for this) just to download the WiVRn app... 😅
Yet again, with Envision you get the hottest and latest Version (except you specify the git commit), imho it works best as you don't have to fiddle around much with Steam launch options which are needed when running WiVRn as standalone.
If you use envision, also select XRizer instead of OpenComposite (or have a 2nd profile with it in Envision), as with XRizer you can play After the Fall (the Left 4 Dead VR kinda game from Vertigo Games).
Another hint if you are on Ubuntu: to build XRizer you need a newer version of Rust and Vulkan. Rust can be updated via rustup, Vulkan can be updated via packages from https://vulkan.lunarg.com/sdk/home#linux. When installing the Vulkan SDK I had to get rid of package manually though... glslang or so? (you'll see when installing 😆)
In combination with WayVR (previously name wlx-overlay-s) and WayVR dashboard this give a great experience in VR. Since one of the last updates WayVR dashboard is even working with starting applications in VR on nVidia for me, so you can have some kind of spacial computing with all the applications up and showing theirs windows in VR. You can group then, create a profile and let the apps autostart. Really cool!
Another benefit of using wireless VR: async reprojection. As mentioned in a previous comment, nVidia has issues with asnyc reprojection after driver 550 (and still happening with up to 590). This is not an issue when using WiVRn as async reprojection happens in the HMD.
And seeing this already all working so well... I'm thrilled to see what happens when Steam Frame becomes availabe for everybody.
Btw: You can run WayVR in Steam VR too, haven't tested it recently, before I had to disable its autostart as it caused games to render black in the HMD. Maybe it's fixed by now.
VR is so cool! And we got quite some nice games in the last two years, some I got:
- Bulletstorm VR (they fixed the performance)
- Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Metro: Awakening
- Alien: Rogue Incursion VR (yes, it has now a non VR version too)
- Arken Age
- iAi (a VR coop game)
- Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate (more than just a remake)
- Of Lies And Rain (has some Half Life: Alyx vibes)
And the classics like Beat Saber, Synth Riders, Pistol Whip etc. of course!
If VR gets easier to be used wireless with this WiVRn update, so more (Linux) users get into VR, that's awesome! A Quest 3S is a really good entry point, I'm using my Meta account (which I just created for this) just to download the WiVRn app... 😅
News - Discord is about to require age verification for everyone
By BrandonGene, 11 Feb 2026 at 3:04 pm UTC
And in the meantime, open source projects slowly creep towards the "almost perfect" that the commercial software once was. Blender, KiCAD, Krita, OBS, JellyFin, HandBrake: already did this. FreeCAD, LibreOffice, Audacity (4.0), Nextcloud: all on their way there while the alternatives get worse. It's looking good for the future, just requires patience (and more of these companies to F up to inspire devs to work on the open source alternatives).
By BrandonGene, 11 Feb 2026 at 3:04 pm UTC
Quoting: Purple Library GuyYes, I've seen this time and time again! Commercial software goes from good to great to almost perfect, and then...what's left? In the best case scenario, they work on extra features that few people will use. Tweaks here and there, and prices stay reasonable. In the worst case scenario (and most common one it seems like), they change their business practices to earn more money from the same or worsening product. "Numbers must go up!"Quoting: elmapulAs far as I can tell, open source development also tends to be more kind of steady, a long gradual push, punctuated by bursts of activity when some talented energetic person joins and suddenly adds some stuff.Quoting: apocalyptechif we can make the best platform for once instead of demanding people to use an inferior product...Quoting: JarmerOMG I love this so much because it will destroy discord. YESSSSSS I ragehate discord so much so anything that takes measures to destroy it is the best thing ever.Heh, while I don't hate Discord with the same fervor as you, I am certainly not a fan. Perhaps this'll end up encouraging more people to start adopting open platforms for online discussion, over corporate-controlled walled gardens! Though through the cynical eye of historical observation, I think it's more likely that the majority will just grumble about it and acquiesce anyway. Alas!
im not saying that open source is aways worse, but we tend to enter the party when its already in the middle or over, we need to find an way to fund cool projects and make then more competitive with closed solutions before its too late for then to compete...
Closed source development tends to be more front-loaded . . . there's a big push at the beginning, lots of money and hustle to get the product out the door, then nothing much, bugfixes if you're lucky, until it's time for the next version, when there will be a big push to find some new features to bolt on. Eventually the product reaches maturity, and will start to get worse as they either add bells and whistles because, or if it's dominant in its field they will start to enshittify it.
So at the beginning, closed products tend to be better. A couple of versions in, open source software starts overtaking, and then after a while is likely to end up better than the closed product just by virtue of not being a product. But it takes time, quite often too long to get any adoption.
And in the meantime, open source projects slowly creep towards the "almost perfect" that the commercial software once was. Blender, KiCAD, Krita, OBS, JellyFin, HandBrake: already did this. FreeCAD, LibreOffice, Audacity (4.0), Nextcloud: all on their way there while the alternatives get worse. It's looking good for the future, just requires patience (and more of these companies to F up to inspire devs to work on the open source alternatives).
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By akselmo, 11 Feb 2026 at 3:03 pm UTC
Anyway, we should not discourage people from exploring alternatives. Use whatever open platform, be it Matrix, IRC, XMPP, Stoat... As long as its not a dystopian silo like Discord.
The fighting among open chat protocols is embarrassing and should stop. We need to encourage to test things out for people to find as their new chatrooms.
By akselmo, 11 Feb 2026 at 3:03 pm UTC
Quoting: dpanterStill bullshit, Discord people. B & S.Matrix is definitely not a 1to1 alternative to Discord, but for some it may work.
Not to trash Matrix but uh, it's not even remotely a realistic alternative. My personal opinion of course.
Anyway, we should not discourage people from exploring alternatives. Use whatever open platform, be it Matrix, IRC, XMPP, Stoat... As long as its not a dystopian silo like Discord.
The fighting among open chat protocols is embarrassing and should stop. We need to encourage to test things out for people to find as their new chatrooms.
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By dpanter, 11 Feb 2026 at 2:47 pm UTC
By dpanter, 11 Feb 2026 at 2:47 pm UTC
Still bullshit, Discord people. B & S.
Not to trash Matrix but uh, it's not even remotely a realistic alternative. My personal opinion of course.
Not to trash Matrix but uh, it's not even remotely a realistic alternative. My personal opinion of course.
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By Lofty, 11 Feb 2026 at 2:15 pm UTC
By Lofty, 11 Feb 2026 at 2:15 pm UTC
For those stumbling across this GOL article who are not in the know. One good alternative is Matrix
Join one server, the list is here:
https://servers.joinmatrix.org/
And then on Linux you can use one of many Clients available:
https://matrix.org/ecosystem/clients/
I recommend https://flathub.org/en/apps/im.nheko.Nheko
to log in (on Nheko at least), its a bit different from a typical corporate social media site like Discord , you would put @newfunkynameichose:tchncs.de
the name first then > : & then what ever server authenticator/database you chose to register your username. Other apps might do it different and require an @ for instance.
Hope that helps
edit* BTW you want to choose ' Noto Color Emoji ' in system settings on Nheko otherwise you will have B&W and missing Emoji sets. Hope that helps
Join one server, the list is here:
https://servers.joinmatrix.org/
And then on Linux you can use one of many Clients available:
https://matrix.org/ecosystem/clients/
I recommend https://flathub.org/en/apps/im.nheko.Nheko
to log in (on Nheko at least), its a bit different from a typical corporate social media site like Discord , you would put @newfunkynameichose:tchncs.de
the name first then > : & then what ever server authenticator/database you chose to register your username. Other apps might do it different and require an @ for instance.
Hope that helps
edit* BTW you want to choose ' Noto Color Emoji ' in system settings on Nheko otherwise you will have B&W and missing Emoji sets. Hope that helps
News - Prefixer is a modern alternative to Protontricks that's faster and simpler
By Linuxer, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:53 pm UTC
By Linuxer, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:53 pm UTC
Quoting: pbHuhh dat a termnial command so no its not jus clicksQuoting: dziadulewiczyay -S prefixer *is* a couple of clicks ;pQuoting: williamjcmI hope it'll get released as a Flatpak, because I don't like installing stuff through the AUR or pip.Exactly. A flatpak or a snap or best both. It's BS for this day and age to not be able to install a damn app with a couple of clicks, honestly 😀
News - Prefixer is a modern alternative to Protontricks that's faster and simpler
By Serious_Table, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:51 pm UTC
By Serious_Table, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:51 pm UTC
Honestly it's about time, and whomever ends up creating the graphical wrapper of this will be a boon to the community as well. Protontricks/Winetricks is a friction point to the ecosystem just because of their less than intuitive interface and the weird silent pauses and slowdowns that make you wonder if it's working or not. If a game needs tweaks from Winetricks, having something fast and smooth like this is huuuuuge.
News - Prefixer is a modern alternative to Protontricks that's faster and simpler
By ben-green, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:43 pm UTC
By ben-green, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:43 pm UTC
Quoting: williamjcmI hope it'll get released as a Flatpak, because I don't like installing stuff through the AUR or pip.I hear you, the pipx install I did was so incredibly fast though, and the program is so incredibly useful. If I'd know what I was getting I would even have scrabbled around compiling from source, but there was no need.
News - Prefixer is a modern alternative to Protontricks that's faster and simpler
By ben-green, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:43 pm UTC
By ben-green, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:43 pm UTC
Quoting: williamjcmI hope it'll get released as a Flatpak, because I don't like installing stuff through the AUR or pip.I hear you, the pipx install I did was so incredibly fast though, and the program is so incredibly useful. If I'd know what I was getting I would even have scrabbled around compiling from source, but there was no need.
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By eggrole, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:42 pm UTC
Or in the case of a discord alternative, sure there is that spike in searches, but it is already dropping off. I seriously doubt that people will actually move away from discord. Network effects and all that. Even if, and I'm sure someone will try, a good alternative is made, I doubt most people would switch. Though I'd love to be proven wrong.
Bluesky didn't topple twitter even though there were a lot of very vocal people saying it "should" and it seems like a good site (I don't use either). I've seen quite a few boycotts over the last decade that have gone exactly nowhere. If the people can't kill something as simple as Bud Light (please ignore the politics behind it, simply an exampe) by not purchasing a single brand of beer for a year, I feel like there is almost no hope.
Maybe I've taken too many black pills, but I have pretty much lost all hope on consumers actually sticking to what they say. Again, I hope I'm wrong, but can anyone give some examples of success in the regard? A company that did something shitty that actually produced some kind of change?
By eggrole, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:42 pm UTC
Quoting: PyratePerhaps this is the wake-up slap that capable devs need to realize relying on a proprietary surveillance tool was bad from the start, and that a proper alternative can be developed.I don't think this is up to the devs per-se. This is more like market forces/apathy. If I'm a dev and my potential customers aren't asking for in-game chat, why would I spend time on making one? Heck, even if they are asking, do they really "mean it"?
Or in the case of a discord alternative, sure there is that spike in searches, but it is already dropping off. I seriously doubt that people will actually move away from discord. Network effects and all that. Even if, and I'm sure someone will try, a good alternative is made, I doubt most people would switch. Though I'd love to be proven wrong.
Bluesky didn't topple twitter even though there were a lot of very vocal people saying it "should" and it seems like a good site (I don't use either). I've seen quite a few boycotts over the last decade that have gone exactly nowhere. If the people can't kill something as simple as Bud Light (please ignore the politics behind it, simply an exampe) by not purchasing a single brand of beer for a year, I feel like there is almost no hope.
Maybe I've taken too many black pills, but I have pretty much lost all hope on consumers actually sticking to what they say. Again, I hope I'm wrong, but can anyone give some examples of success in the regard? A company that did something shitty that actually produced some kind of change?
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By Salvatos, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:32 pm UTC
By Salvatos, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:32 pm UTC
Behavioural analysis to estimate user age without looking at message content… I’m struggling to imagine how that would be effective.
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By Jarmer, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:30 pm UTC
By Jarmer, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:30 pm UTC
oh so its actually worse. They're using a worthless ai script to estimate peoples ages which it will of course get wrong everywhere.
cool cool cool cool cool cool
my deleted account won't have to worry about anything!
cool cool cool cool cool cool
my deleted account won't have to worry about anything!
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By Pyrate, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:21 pm UTC
By Pyrate, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:21 pm UTC
Perhaps this is the wake-up slap that capable devs need to realize relying on a proprietary surveillance tool was bad from the start, and that a proper alternative can be developed.
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By henrebotha, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:21 pm UTC
By henrebotha, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:21 pm UTC
The real FAQ is: What have you done to prove and guarantee and ensure that these new vendors aren't going to leak PII just like previous ones did? It's not enough to say, "We picked new vendors." You "picked new vendors" before, which resulted in the 2025 leak. You have to show that you have implemented meaningful proactive safeguards that are different to any previous ones you may have had before anyone sane can actually trust you.
News - Prefixer is a modern alternative to Protontricks that's faster and simpler
By pb, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:19 pm UTC
By pb, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:19 pm UTC
Quoting: dziadulewiczyay -S prefixer *is* a couple of clicks ;pQuoting: williamjcmI hope it'll get released as a Flatpak, because I don't like installing stuff through the AUR or pip.Exactly. A flatpak or a snap or best both. It's BS for this day and age to not be able to install a damn app with a couple of clicks, honestly 😀
News - Physics building game Besiege heads into space with The Broken Beyond expansion
By neolith, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:12 pm UTC
By neolith, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:12 pm UTC
Sooo... Kerbal Steampunk Program?
News - Motorsport Manager revived with a break from SEGA
By Szkodnix, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:07 pm UTC
By Szkodnix, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:07 pm UTC
Another game (sorta) saved from big bad companies by its developers. What a great time we live in currently, in terms of games 🥰
News - Prefixer is a modern alternative to Protontricks that's faster and simpler
By dziadulewicz, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:02 pm UTC
By dziadulewicz, 11 Feb 2026 at 1:02 pm UTC
Quoting: williamjcmI hope it'll get released as a Flatpak, because I don't like installing stuff through the AUR or pip.Exactly. A flatpak or a snap or best both. It's BS for this day and age to not be able to install a damn app with a couple of clicks, honestly 😀
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By pb, 11 Feb 2026 at 12:57 pm UTC
By pb, 11 Feb 2026 at 12:57 pm UTC
> they're using an age inference model / a machine learning model already in the background based on what you do and how you interact with Discord to predict what age group you fall into
btw a few years ago my kid almost got scammed by someone posing as a discord employee performing an age check; luckily at some point he realised he was being scammed (probably when they asked him for cc details); I can't help but wonder how much more of this is going on right now and will appear in the near future. They're talking about how 'external partners' are 'trusted' to handle IDs and facial images, but now it's open season for scammers to contact anyone on discord and ask for ID scan and facial image...
btw a few years ago my kid almost got scammed by someone posing as a discord employee performing an age check; luckily at some point he realised he was being scammed (probably when they asked him for cc details); I can't help but wonder how much more of this is going on right now and will appear in the near future. They're talking about how 'external partners' are 'trusted' to handle IDs and facial images, but now it's open season for scammers to contact anyone on discord and ask for ID scan and facial image...
News - Prefixer is a modern alternative to Protontricks that's faster and simpler
By williamjcm, 11 Feb 2026 at 12:13 pm UTC
By williamjcm, 11 Feb 2026 at 12:13 pm UTC
I hope it'll get released as a Flatpak, because I don't like installing stuff through the AUR or pip.
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By t3rr0rh4wk, 11 Feb 2026 at 12:11 pm UTC
By t3rr0rh4wk, 11 Feb 2026 at 12:11 pm UTC
Anyone still willing to remain deserves any and all of the dystopian b.s. that Discord is pulling here. Please, please make the jump to something else. We have the power here. They barely support us on Linux anyway. We're clearly not very worth their time, so let's treat them in kind.
News - Valve tweak Steam Community Awards to deal with point farming and "attention-grabbing content"
By Altefier, 11 Feb 2026 at 12:10 pm UTC
By Altefier, 11 Feb 2026 at 12:10 pm UTC
I'm late, but I want to say whenever I hear "I used clowns to determine whether I should read a post or not" I'm even more glad they were removed. Clowns can be awarded by anyone, including clowns themselves.
Frequently what I would see is pro-consumer posts being bombarded with clowns, such as asking for the removal of heavy-handed DRM. You always get replies like "you just want to pirate the game" as well. I don't know what kinda response that is, it reeks of either astro-turfing or there seems to be a psychological phenomenon where people feel the need to defend a game or series they enjoy from criticism involving "outside factors" like DRM
Either way good riddance, as bait posts aside, it was also used for bullying
Frequently what I would see is pro-consumer posts being bombarded with clowns, such as asking for the removal of heavy-handed DRM. You always get replies like "you just want to pirate the game" as well. I don't know what kinda response that is, it reeks of either astro-turfing or there seems to be a psychological phenomenon where people feel the need to defend a game or series they enjoy from criticism involving "outside factors" like DRM
Either way good riddance, as bait posts aside, it was also used for bullying
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By Arehandoro, 11 Feb 2026 at 11:48 am UTC
By Arehandoro, 11 Feb 2026 at 11:48 am UTC
Smells of Palantir.
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By syylk, 11 Feb 2026 at 11:46 am UTC
Fool me once...
By syylk, 11 Feb 2026 at 11:46 am UTC
we offer multiple privacy-forward options through trusted partners.The point is you trust those partners, but we don't - especially considering the past data breaches.
Fool me once...
News - Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification
By akselmo, 11 Feb 2026 at 11:26 am UTC
By akselmo, 11 Feb 2026 at 11:26 am UTC
Dystopian platform for dystopian times. If one must use this horrid mess, they should never say anything personal on it.
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- Discord is about to require age verification for everyone
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