The World of Linux Gaming: A New Frontier
The world of gaming has rapidly evolved in recent years, with more and more players exploring various platforms and genres. Amidst this rapid growth, one platform that has been gaining momentum is Linux. Once considered a niche operating system primarily used by developers and tech enthusiasts, Linux has emerged as a viable gaming platform, challenging the dominance of Windows and consoles. In this article, we delve deep into the world of Linux gaming, exploring its history, the factors contributing to its growth, the available gaming libraries, and the future of gaming on Linux.
Linux gaming dates back to the 1990s, with the release of titles such as Doom and Quake. However, these games were primarily developed for other platforms and were later ported to Linux. The lack of native games and the complexities associated with installing and configuring Linux deterred casual gamers from adopting the platform.
The turning point for Linux gaming came in 2010, when Valve Corporation announced Steam for Linux. This marked
of a new era, with more developers and publishers considering Linux as a viable platform for their games. The availability of popular titles on Steam for Linux, such as Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Dota 2, helped in attracting more gamers to the platform.
Factors Contributing to the Growth of Linux Gaming
The open-source movement has played a significant role in the growth of Linux gaming. With developers having access to the source code and the freedom to modify and distribute it, the Linux community has created a wide variety of tools and software that cater to gamers’ needs. This collaborative environment has led to the development of high-quality gaming libraries and frameworks.
2.2 Improved Graphics Drivers and Compatibility
One of the major challenges for Linux gaming in the past was the lack of support for graphics drivers. However, in recent years, both AMD and NVIDIA have stepped up their efforts to provide better driver support for Linux. This has resulted in improved performance and compatibility, making Linux gaming more accessible and enjoyable for gamers.
Valve’s release of Proton, a compatibility tool for running Windows games on Linux, has been a game-changer for the platform. Proton enables users to play Windows games on Linux without any major configuration
This has significantly increased the number of games available for Linux users, making it a more attractive platform for gamers.
Gaming Libraries and Frameworks on Linux
There are now thousands of native Linux games available across various genres, including action, adventure, strategy, simulation, and more. These games can be found on platforms such as Steam, GOG, and itch.io, catering to the diverse tastes of Linux gamers.
The Vulkan API, a low-overhead and cross-platform graphics API, has contributed significantly to the growth of Linux gaming. Developed by the Khronos Group, Vulkan allows developers to create high-performance games with better graphics and performance optimization. This API has been adopted by popular game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine, making it easier for developers to create and port games for Linux.
Lutris is an open-source gaming platform for Linux that allows users to install, configure, and launch games from a single interface. It supports various game types, including native Linux games, Windows games through Proton, and emulation for retro gaming. Lutris simplifies the gaming experience on Linux, making it more user-friendly and accessible for newcomers.
The Future of Linux Gaming
With the ongoing support from developers, publishers, and the Linux community, it is expected that Linux gaming will continue to grow. As more games become available for the platform and the user experience is further refined, it is likely that an increasing number of gamers will consider Linux as a viable gaming platform.
The rise of cloud gaming services, such as Google Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and Microsoft’s xCloud, offers new opportunities for Linux gaming. These services allow users to stream games directly to their devices without the need for powerful
hardware or local installations. As cloud gaming becomes more popular, it could further level the playing field between Linux and other gaming platforms, making it even more attractive for gamers.
4.3 Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
The increasing popularity of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) gaming presents new opportunities for Linux gaming. With the growth of open-source projects such as OpenXR, which aims to standardize VR and AR development across platforms, it is likely that more VR and AR titles will become available for Linux in the future. This will further expand the range of gaming experiences available to Linux users and help solidify its place in the gaming ecosystem.
The world of Linux gaming has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the 1990s. With the support of the open-source community, improved graphics drivers, and compatibility tools like Proton, Linux has emerged as a new frontier in the gaming landscape. As the platform continues to grow and evolve, it is poised to attract even more gamers and developers, solidifying its position as a viable and exciting option for gaming enthusiasts.
Future of linux gaming
Recently, what with Valve’s big recent push with TF2, Portal, and now Dota 2, a lot of people have been saying that Linux’s time has come. Soon, I’ve even see people comment, they might move to completely non-Windows gaming.
I really hate to dash such high hopes, but, if my experience with Linux is anything to go by, it isn’t going to gain dominance any time soon. People have been saying that Linux is about to take over for years, decades. People have also been saying that PC gaming is dead for decades, and look how accurate that’s turned out to be. The plain fact is that Linux is most gamers’ nightmare.
To give you some idea of where I’m coming from with this, let me explain my experience with Linux. I recently decided that I had a large enough Steam library, and a crappy enough laptop, that it was worth upgrading to a proper gaming desktop. After spending many hours trying to put together a decent parts list, and then several minutes on Amazon buying one of the r/buildapc recommended builds, I sat down to wait. The components began to arrive, and I suddenly realised that, this being my first PC, I had forgotten two fairly important things: a screen, and a copy of Windows. The first was fixable, with a little scrabbling in a friend’s basement, but getting hold of a free (legal) copy of Windows isn’t so straightforward, and I was already too close to my budget limits to immediately order a new copy. And so, I grabbed a memory stick and a friend’s laptop, and decided to see if Ubuntu, which I knew Valve was championing, might be the solution to all my problems.
It wasn’t. I’m sorry, but Ubuntu is simply not a consumer-grade product. For a start, let’s just say that Valve alone is not enough to fill a Steam library. I own 60+ games, my Linux library: 14. And if that doesn’t sound so bad, remember that Team Fortress 2 Beta, Team Fortress Classic, and so on, all count as separate games. Let’s just say that I ended up playing a hell of a lot of TF2, Towns (Alpha), and FTL, and not much else. Bringing Dota 2 across is a nice move by Valve, but I really doubt people are that keen to throw away the majority of their games. Many Linux-pros will, at this point, start talking about such workarounds as Wine. My attempts to use these sorts of lashups were inconvenient, ineffective, buggy, often filled with such major memory leaks that the computer would freeze, and particularly seriously there is some sort of bug that stops the user from interacting with the unlocking screen should they wander off for a couple of minutes, leaving you with no option but a hard reset.
Beyond just the issues of a limited library, which are, arguably, fixable, Linux is simply painful to use. Most of us will have had those occasions where something goes weirdly wrong with our PC; perhaps it’s a memory leak, or one of the drivers doesn’t update properly, or one of the key bits of the operating system isn’t where all your programs expect it to be. Fixing these issues usually takes an hour or two on google, lots of risky and uncomfortable poking around in assets and code you don’t properly understand, maybe, if you’re very unlucky, some fucking around in the command line trying to splice together two badly understood lines of code you found on different threads of various forums. Linux requires that you do that all the time, for everything. Every time you want to try and run a program you haven’t run before, it will likely require that you download lots of bizarre code packages you don’t understand from the command line, even when things don’t go wrong.
I am pretty good with technology; I put together my first PC in 6 hours and my friend’s in much less, I am the person that my elderly relatives ask to fix and maintain their IT stuff. Linux, quite frankly, defeated me. It was the most painful technological experience I have ever had: almost nothing worked properly until you’d followed bizarre instructions on some forum, the operating system itself has numerous issues such as the aforementioned inability to enter your password to unlock your PC and the fact that the driver-installation UI doesn’t work properly, and even when you do get something working even the process of reopening the program next time can require a trip to the command line.
I managed with Linux for a month before I could afford a copy of Windows. Most people will not have my patience.
Perhaps my experience with Ubuntu was particularly bad, but I really doubt it. At the end of the day, it is 2013, and I should not have to use the command line to do such basic things as use and play games on my PC. I’m interested to know whether and why others have a different angle on this, because all I can say for Linux is to warn new users away in no uncertain terms. It may be the future of PC gaming, but I sure as hell don’t think it’s the near-future.
EDIT: Wow, Reddit really likes controversy. How the fuck is this still on the subreddit front page nearly 2 days after I posted it, with only 139 upvotes?!
Gabe Newell: «Linux and open source are the future of gaming»
“It feels a little bit funny coming here and telling you that Linux and open source are the future of gaming” are the words that Valve Co-Founder and Executive Director Gabe Newell opened with during a panel at this year’s LinuxCon held in New Orleans. Fortunately, Mr. Newell took the time to elaborate on what he meant by that statement, and how he thinks we’ll get there. The short answer: You.
During his 20-or-so minute talk, Newell analyzed how the roles of users are shifting ever closer to that of a developer. The obvious example that comes to mind is Steam Workshop and the growing modding community as a whole.
“We’re going to see a significant sort of democratization in the content creation process,” Newell said. “The distinction between a content creator and a content consumer will get blurrier and blurrier.
“The one entity we wouldn’t ever want to compete with is our own users. They have already outstripped us spectacularly. You can’t compete with them once you give them the tools that allow them to participate in the creation of the experiences that they find are valuable.”
Newell accused companies like Microsoft and Apple’s proprietary systems of stifling innovation through sluggish certification processes, among other things. With Linux being a free and open platform, it was only natural for Valve to shift its gaze to more unrestricted pastures .
“The point is that the connected groups of users are going to be way more successful if they’re properly enabled and supported than any of the individual game developers are going to be.” Newell said.
Newell also announced that Valve is developing a Linux debugger to aid game developers who were looking to make games compatible with the Linux platform.
The talk concluded with Newell teasing that Valve will have an announcement next week laying out how the company will introduce Linux into the living room. It’s tough to say whether this has anything to do with the rumored Steam Box everyone was talking about way back when, but you never know when it comes to Valve.
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