Check out our Monthly Survey Page to see what our users are running.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

Steam Play allows Linux gamers to use many different compatibility layers like Proton for running Windows games but Luxtorpeda instead makes games use an available native Linux game engine. It's a thoroughly clever and awesome project, as there's a number of games that just run better (regardless of the platform) on an up to date native game engine.

Quite a few games are supported with it including: Arx Fatalis, Caesar 3, Chris Sawyer's Locomotion, multiple Doom games, Descent 1 / 2, Freespace 2, Ocean's Heart, PowerSlave, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Warzone 2100 and the list goes on.

The new version 40 that's out now moves over to a more modern Steam Runtime (Soldier). The developer mentions that this "leads to better tooling with the newer starting point, less extra dependencies, and will be much more future proof".

Some of the changes over the last few versions includes:

  • Adds support for running games in Steam Runtime Soldier. Engines have been re-built for the new runtime. See https://luxtorpeda-dev.github.io/packages.html for the package list
  • Support using rust-gtk, which gives greater control over the UI shown. Progress still uses zenity.
  • Support Automatic Detection of Game Folders For Dependent Games - Detect game folders based on VDF files, for things like the source sdk games, so that manual picking is not required. Will fallback to original picking if not found.
  • Log Client Version At Launch
  • Remove legacy support for original packages, so that runtime is now the default.

For all the game engines used by Luxtorpeda, they've been upgraded (where possible) to the latest code "especially in cases where normal tagged releases aren't done in upstream and relying on new development commits".

How do you actually use it? It's easy enough to download and install too with a few quick steps:

  1. Download the tar archive file from the GitHub releases page.
  2. If this folder does not exist, create it: ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/
  3. Extract the archive downloaded in Step 1, and place the contents into the above directory.
  4. Restart Steam if it's open which refreshes the Steam Play list for Luxtorpeda to show up.
  5. Right click on your game, go to Properties, Compatibility and ensure the box is ticked named "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool" then select Luxtorpeda from the dropdown box that appears.

The next time you launch that game it will use whatever native game engine Luxtorpeda supports for it. Sometimes there's multiple so it gives you a choice and it sets it all up for you.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
28 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
17 comments
Page: 1/2»
  Go to:

Perkeleen_Vittupää Oct 18, 2021
Very nice since The Knights of the Old Republic still requires swkotor.ini file tinkering (to set "FullScreen=0" and to add the line "AllowWindowedMode=1" under it).

https://github.com/seedhartha/reone
AsciiWolf Oct 18, 2021
  • Supporter Plus
Still waiting for the Flatpak version. :-)
ewertonurias Oct 18, 2021
Ocean's Heart? But it's borked on ProtonDB
Liam Dawe Oct 18, 2021
Quoting: ewertonuriasOcean's Heart? But it's borked on ProtonDB
Which means nothing for this, because it's not Proton, the article does explain this.
dpanter Oct 18, 2021
Quoting: ewertonuriasOcean's Heart? But it's borked on ProtonDB
ProtonDB is not relevant here.
dziadulewicz Oct 18, 2021
Quoting: AsciiWolfStill waiting for the Flatpak version. :-)

YES! Or a SNAP.
ewertonurias Oct 18, 2021
Quoting: Liam Dawethe article does explain this

Thanks, I don't understand English and I was working, I just had time to study the article now.
Ocean's Heart looks great, maybe I'll get it from Winter Sale.


Last edited by ewertonurias on 18 October 2021 at 3:48 pm UTC
F.Ultra Oct 18, 2021
View PC info
  • Supporter
Quoting: Perkeleen_VittupääVery nice since The Knights of the Old Republic still requires swkotor.ini file tinkering (to set "FullScreen=0" and to add the line "AllowWindowedMode=1" under it).

https://github.com/seedhartha/reone

What I find fascinating is that reone supports KOTOR2 as well even though that one does have a native port (Aspyr), wonder if there are any benefits of either here, I do know that the official port of KOTOR2 have sound issues with newer versions of OpenAL so I had to LD_PRELOAD in the one from Ubuntu 14.04 but other than that it worked quite well.
elmapul Oct 18, 2021
this is cool, but i can see it breaking as soon as anyone install a mod or the engine support external code (plugins, addons, usinglibraries that arent multiplatform) to do something.

i hope it dont corrupt any save data, and dont spoil the experience of anyone (imagine geting to the end of an game, only to realize that you cant play it and you will have to restart the game from scratch using either proton or even worse, windows to finish the last 1% of the game...)

one nice thing to have would be: auto detect what compatibility tool may work with an game.
eg: dosbox, luxtorpeda, proton, retro arch...

an tool like this can be chosed by the same manner:
d "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool"
Phlebiac Oct 19, 2021
Quoting: elmapulone nice thing to have would be: auto detect what compatibility tool may work with an game.
eg: dosbox, luxtorpeda, proton, retro arch...

I don't know how it could be implemented, but... "yes please"
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.