As we speculated previously, Valve have now officially announced their new version of 'Steam Play' for Linux gaming using a modified distribution of Wine called Proton, which is available on GitHub.
What does it do? In short: it allows you to play Windows games on Linux, directly through the Steam client as if they were a Linux game.
What many people suspected turned out to be true, DXVK development was actually funded by Valve. They actually employed the DXVK developer since February 2018. On top of that, they also helped to fund: vkd3d (Direct3D 12 implementation based on Vulkan), OpenVR and Steamworks native API bridges, wined3d performance and functionality fixes for Direct3D 9 and Direct3D 11 and more.
The amount of work that has gone into this—it's ridiculous.
Here's what they say it improves:
- Windows games with no Linux version currently available can now be installed and run directly from the Linux Steam client, complete with native Steamworks and OpenVR support.
- DirectX 11 and 12 implementations are now based on Vulkan, resulting in improved game compatibility and reduced performance impact.
- Fullscreen support has been improved: fullscreen games will be seamlessly stretched to the desired display without interfering with the native monitor resolution or requiring the use of a virtual desktop.
- Improved game controller support: games will automatically recognize all controllers supported by Steam. Expect more out-of-the-box controller compatibility than even the original version of the game.
- Performance for multi-threaded games has been greatly improved compared to vanilla Wine.
It currently has a limited set of games that are supported, but even so it's quite an impressive list that they're putting out there. Which includes DOOM, FINAL FANTASY VI, Into The Breach, NieR: Automata, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and more. They will enable many more titles as progress on it all continues.
To be clear, this is available right now. To get it, you need to be in the Steam Client Beta.
There will be drawbacks, like possible performance issues and games that rely on some DRM might likely never be supported, but even so the amount of possibilities this opens up has literally split my head open with Thor's mighty hammer.
Holy shit. Please excuse the language, but honestly, I'm physically shaking right now I don't quite know how to process this.
Update #1: I spoke to Valve earlier, about how buying Windows games to play with this system counts, they said this:
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.Hey Liam, the normal algorithm is in effect, so if at the end of the two weeks you have more playtime on Linux, it'll be a Linux sale. Proton counts as Linux.
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The comments on this article are closed.
I don't really have the time to deep dive these comments on this right now, so I'll just leave some comments on this and the first few pages of comments and a few questions here.
Finally! This is something I've wanted as part of Linux Steam quite often since it first dropped. I have no real issue setting things up to game using Wine, but it has never been optimal due to limits on my free time.
On the "but it's going to potentially hurt native support" comments, consider the fact that this counts the game as a Linux purchase if you buy those non-native games and run them through the builtin Proton. It doesn't help what's already out nor near future upcoming titles (potentially nothing will for a long time or possibly ever) but as the publishers and indie devs will now have a report of hard numbers of their Linux users from Valve, that'll be another potential piece of ammunition to use in the fight to get more native releases and in the fight to eliminate intrusive DRM.
On that front, if you're boycotting non-native releases I understand, but I hope you are actually taking the time to make the publisher/dev aware of that fact for every game you'd buy but for it not being native since that is statistically the only way such boycotts actually do any good in convincing them to release more native ports. That's been a big sticking point around the people intending to boycott Guardians of the Galaxy 3 or all future MCU films over James Gunn's firing, and it's no less true here.
I really want more details of how they're handling things under the hood here. Considering how many tricks and tweaks some games require (or historically have) to get running well under Wine and how many are mutually incompatible with one another, are individual games being essentially run under their own prefix or is everything under a single monolithic prefix? If the former, how easy is it to adjust the prefix compared to standard Wine? What about titles that don't run or don't run correctly unless you change the Windows version?
Last edited by vlademir1 on 23 August 2018 at 9:54 am UTC
Finally! This is something I've wanted as part of Linux Steam quite often since it first dropped. I have no real issue setting things up to game using Wine, but it has never been optimal due to limits on my free time.
On the "but it's going to potentially hurt native support" comments, consider the fact that this counts the game as a Linux purchase if you buy those non-native games and run them through the builtin Proton. It doesn't help what's already out nor near future upcoming titles (potentially nothing will for a long time or possibly ever) but as the publishers and indie devs will now have a report of hard numbers of their Linux users from Valve, that'll be another potential piece of ammunition to use in the fight to get more native releases and in the fight to eliminate intrusive DRM.
On that front, if you're boycotting non-native releases I understand, but I hope you are actually taking the time to make the publisher/dev aware of that fact for every game you'd buy but for it not being native since that is statistically the only way such boycotts actually do any good in convincing them to release more native ports. That's been a big sticking point around the people intending to boycott Guardians of the Galaxy 3 or all future MCU films over James Gunn's firing, and it's no less true here.
I really want more details of how they're handling things under the hood here. Considering how many tricks and tweaks some games require (or historically have) to get running well under Wine and how many are mutually incompatible with one another, are individual games being essentially run under their own prefix or is everything under a single monolithic prefix? If the former, how easy is it to adjust the prefix compared to standard Wine? What about titles that don't run or don't run correctly unless you change the Windows version?
Last edited by vlademir1 on 23 August 2018 at 9:54 am UTC
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I'm liking this. There appears to be a common problem with sound. I can't get all the sound on mass effect 1 other than the intro swoosh sounds. Skyrim works lovely other than the standard freeze on quit which we are used too. No mans sky works great. Interestingly when I switch to 4k resolution on Ubuntu then run it I get a black screen with sound. Anyone getting sound but no video try out 1080p. Exciting. I deleted the wine install. If it keeps working well the windows partition is on borrowed time.
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"So, while I can see how Valve thinks this is a good thing for getting games on Linux, and getting gamers over to Linux, it in turn has a big impact to those of us who were bringing games over to Linux officially. I don't see how Proton is going to help us with the big issue of getting publishers interested in Linux as a platform... in fact, I see it doing the opposite.[/quote]"
I agree and disagree with your point it could go one of two ways either game developers will see that there is a healthly market for their game under linux and at least consider using VP or Feral to do the port or They will say well they buying our stuff anyway and we dont have to support it cha ching. I think smaller game publishers will continue to support linux.
I do think this is going to impact VP and Feral no two ways about that its just a question of how much. Ultimately it becomes a question of are valve willing to invest further not only in dxvk and wine but perhaps going beyond maybe by buying Feral or vp to offer a in house porting company. Time will tell but like always its an interesting ride being a linux gamer.
I agree and disagree with your point it could go one of two ways either game developers will see that there is a healthly market for their game under linux and at least consider using VP or Feral to do the port or They will say well they buying our stuff anyway and we dont have to support it cha ching. I think smaller game publishers will continue to support linux.
I do think this is going to impact VP and Feral no two ways about that its just a question of how much. Ultimately it becomes a question of are valve willing to invest further not only in dxvk and wine but perhaps going beyond maybe by buying Feral or vp to offer a in house porting company. Time will tell but like always its an interesting ride being a linux gamer.
4 Likes, Who?
Quoting: GuestIf Proton allows gamers to play already-purchased games, cool, but No Tux No Bux going forward. Until the Linux/SteamOS icon is shown on a game, it has no official Linux support, you have no guarantee it will run, and you have no right to post negative reviews when it doesn't. Proton is just a tool that will help Windows gamers switch to Linux, and nothing more, unless Valve and/or game devs want to start officially supporting Proton-wrapped games and thus officially support and release for Linux.
I hope they will start doing the latter, and that we also start seeing Pronton/Wine-bottled releases on GOG and elsewhere too, but until that happens, this is just a platform transition tool.
But valve have already confirmed that if you buy a game for windows and play it under proton after two weeks its counts as a linux purchase in their stats. Sure you dont have the option to complain to the developer and say this is not working and you are not getting the support you are essentially relying on the valve funding to continue so the wine and dxvk teams to fix the issue.
1 Likes, Who?
Quoting: musojon74I'm liking this. There appears to be a common problem with sound. I can't get all the sound on mass effect 1 other than the intro swoosh sounds. Skyrim works lovely other than the standard freeze on quit which we are used too. No mans sky works great. Interestingly when I switch to 4k resolution on Ubuntu then run it I get a black screen with sound. Anyone getting sound but no video try out 1080p. Exciting. I deleted the wine install. If it keeps working well the windows partition is on borrowed time.Kosh? Is that you?
Aren't you going to say "...and so it begins"? :)
Last edited by Boldos on 23 August 2018 at 2:04 pm UTC
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Quoting: jarhead_hLinux only has to be the second biggest and we still get the AAA titles, the creative suites, Fusion360, etc. We'll be large enough to be catered to like the Apple cult. That's all we need.I wonder about that. Perception is a hell of a drug. Even if Linux earns more share than Mac on the desktop, I wouldn't be surprised if it remains marginalized for a good while because it's free and liberating (vs Apple's high-paying consumers who are used to being restricted and led by a leash) and associated with nerds (vs Apple's image of luxury and style). I'm not saying we won't get there, mind you, but I'm not at all certain that being the second largest userbase will cut it on its own.
Quoting: oldeschoolLooks likes this is happening a bunch of people have been requesting a Linux port of City of Brass; the developer finally replied with a link to the announcement of Steam Play.On the other hand, that doesn't have to be the end of the conversation. People can try it on Proton, find out what doesn't work, and report back to the dev. Knowing that they only need to fix a few issues that can't be handled by a default compatibility layer and seeing first-hand how many users are trying to play their game, what's to say the dev won't cave in and finally put some time into making their game more compatible with Linux, even if they don't truly port it? If they do, not only is it good news for their existing players who run Linux, but it puts the OS on their mind for future releases. Even if they won't port, they might consider choices that make their games more compatible with Steam Play, such as Vulkan. The snowball effect could be interesting.
This is an opportunity for Linux gamers to advocate the platform and work hand in hand with devs.
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RussianNeuroMancer Aug 23, 2018
Quoting: oldeschoolLooks likes this is happening a bunch of people have been requesting a Linux port of City of Brass; the developer finally replied with a link to the announcement of Steam Play.I did what I can.
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Quoting: musojon74I'm liking this. There appears to be a common problem with sound. I can't get all the sound on mass effect 1 other than the intro swoosh sounds. Skyrim works lovely other than the standard freeze on quit which we are used too. No mans sky works great. Interestingly when I switch to 4k resolution on Ubuntu then run it I get a black screen with sound. Anyone getting sound but no video try out 1080p. Exciting. I deleted the wine install. If it keeps working well the windows partition is on borrowed time.I have to confirm, that running some of the games on 4K is problematic...
...that is why it feels like I'm almost the only guy on the planet, for whom Doom is not working out of the box... (and yes, before you ask - I have a pretty standard config of Ubuntu 18.04 with GTX 1060 on 396.51). But after several tries/fights I won and I can shoot the whole Mars hell into oblivion.
Crysis is also reported to run ok, but on my 4K it is again a nogo..
1 Likes, Who?
Mohandevir Aug 23, 2018
Reading Lin_Soldar's comment made me realize that I might be able to play games that I got in my humble monthly bundles... Games that I never claimed because they are Windows only... I guess I will have to update my humble inventory. :)
Last edited by Mohandevir on 23 August 2018 at 4:20 pm UTC
Last edited by Mohandevir on 23 August 2018 at 4:20 pm UTC
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Quoting: BoldosQuoting: musojon74I'm liking this. There appears to be a common problem with sound. I can't get all the sound on mass effect 1 other than the intro swoosh sounds. Skyrim works lovely other than the standard freeze on quit which we are used too. No mans sky works great. Interestingly when I switch to 4k resolution on Ubuntu then run it I get a black screen with sound. Anyone getting sound but no video try out 1080p. Exciting. I deleted the wine install. If it keeps working well the windows partition is on borrowed time.Kosh? Is that you?
Aren't you going to say "...and so it begins"? :)
We have always been here
Last edited by musojon74 on 23 August 2018 at 5:17 pm UTC
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