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Red Dead Redemption 2
1xok Oct 5, 2019
Hello folks!

Many of you have surely noticed that Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) will be released in November for Google Stadia and in December for Steam.

Because of Stadia you can assume that there will be a Vulkan based Linux version of RDR2. I dare not hope that Rockstar Games will port the game to Desktop Linux or SteamOS, but it should be possible to make the Vulkan renderer available in the Steam version or not?

Would that be too much to ask? A game like RDR2 sells in the tens of millions. We are only one percent. But one percent of a million is still 10,000 players. And if RDR2 sells as well on the PC as it does on the consoles, hundreds of thousands of Linux players would buy it. That's millions of dollars in profits for Rockstar and maybe Valve if they take over the support for an official support via Proton.

Does anyone have contact to Rockstar and can ask there? RDR2 is a fantastic game. I played it on my PS4 about a year ago. It is really epic and would be an enormous enrichment for playing under Linux. I would love to be able to play the game with the Steam Controller or mouse and keyboard. But if it doesn't run on Linux, I won't buy it for the PC.

What do you think? How do you assess the situation? Will we be able to play RDR2 on Linux? Will there be a Linux version or at least an official support based on Proton and maybe Vulkan.

Regrads
1xok
chui2ch Oct 5, 2019
There is no steam version of RDR2. RDR was never released on PC(Windows) so I do not have any hope for RDR2 being release on steam. I would say the best bet for playing RDR2 on Linux (not including Stadia) will be PS4 emulator.
1xok Oct 5, 2019
Quoting: chui2chso I do not have any hope for RDR2 being release on steam.
But it was officially announced by Rockstar:
Quoting: RockstarRed Dead Redemption 2 for PC will also be available to purchase on Steam this December.
https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/61153/Red-Dead-Redemption-2-Coming-to-PC-November-5th
wvstolzing Oct 5, 2019
Quoting: 1xokBecause of Stadia you can assume that there will be a Vulkan based Linux version of RDR2.

Frustrating though it is, I think we can never make that assumption. A desktop Linux version requires additional effort (additional to whatever the Stadia version requires) in testing, ironing out hardware compatibility issues, and whatnot - and if companies consider that effort to be too much for what it's financially worth, they won't make it.

Currently there exists an Assassin's Creed (Odyssey) that runs on Vulkan as well; it's been in existence for a while actually -- but there's not the slightest hint that it could come out on desktop Linux.

If the Windows version too is based on Vulkan, though, then it would probably play nice with Wine/Proton. Though again I don't think we have any kind of reassurance as to this being the case. Maybe the Debian-Vulkan versions of games will end up being as isolated as whatever proprietary system Sony uses for graphics -- and the windows versions will default back to directx.
jens Oct 5, 2019
  • Supporter
I would be very much surprised to see a Linux Desktop version of RDR2. I guess the most Linux users can hope for is that the Windows Version offers a Vulkan Renderer. Though I even doubt that.
1xok Oct 5, 2019
Quoting: jensI would be very much surprised to see a Linux Desktop version of RDR2. I guess the most Linux users can hope for is that the Windows Version offers a Vulkan Renderer. Though I even doubt that.

But it would mean that they would forego 1% sales for which they hardly have to do anything. Actually, all they have to do is make the Vulkan renderer available. How hard can that be?

Sure, there's the Not-invented-here syndrome. But Rockstar is part of Take 2 Interactive. It's just a stock company. With their 2K games they also bring a lot of Linux ports. Even big titles like Civilisation. Such companies pick up every penny. That's their only purpose. And as a shareholder, that's exactly what I expect.
sub Oct 6, 2019
Quoting: 1xok
Quoting: jensI would be very much surprised to see a Linux Desktop version of RDR2. I guess the most Linux users can hope for is that the Windows Version offers a Vulkan Renderer. Though I even doubt that.

But it would mean that they would forego 1% sales for which they hardly have to do anything. Actually, all they have to do is make the Vulkan renderer available. How hard can that be?

Sure, there's the Not-invented-here syndrome. But Rockstar is part of Take 2 Interactive. It's just a stock company. With their 2K games they also bring a lot of Linux ports. Even big titles like Civilisation. Such companies pick up every penny. That's their only purpose. And as a shareholder, that's exactly what I expect.

Guess it's not that easy.

If they'd expose the Vulkan renderer you can, ofc, also use it under Windows.
And that will lead to additionaly support costs, because some Windows people will also use it.
slaapliedje Nov 10, 2019
I can now confirm that RDR2 on Windows uses Vulkan.
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