I hope Linux will grow more interesting platform for game developers than Mac. At the moment the latest OSX version supports 4.1 while still much used older version OpenGL 3.3 - I guess that is the reason why Linux ports are OpenGL 3.3 as well (vs Windows versions Direct3D 11).

Linux is moving already towards OpenGL 4.5, although Intel drivers is a huge problem (Intel IGPs getting very good for gaming on Windows).

That said ... I personally hope Linux is going to get native OpenGL 4.5 version. Time to drop legacy and open source driver support for now if Linux wants to be competitive with consoles and Windows. Open source drivers are improving fast and will catch up eventually anyway, but I don't think now is good time to wait them.

Yet another wrapped or OpenGL 3.3 port would be very big disappointment.

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This game was really positive surprise to me. The port has some issues but it is still very enjoyable experience (GTX 750 Ti).

Btw. I think they disabled high-textures for now to "fix" high-texture problem. At least I don't see any differences between medium and high textures. I had the same problem on Windows 8.1 so I guess it is not related to Linux port.

The graphics are fine but I wouldn't say they are good even compared to many other indie games.

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Quoting: EKRboiI suggest you give the UE4 linux demos a try if you have not. I still fire them up just to see them and get excited for what is to come. I keep reading people saying that OpenGL is every bit as capable as DX11 to produce sweet looking visuals.. until those demos I was not completely convinced and the engine isn't even done yet for linux. Now I don't think OGL is as optimized as DX in general as it always seems to be more taxing on my system, but things are bound to get better.

https://wiki.unrealengine.com/Linux_Demos [External Link]

Thanks for reminding. I have not tried UE4 demos yet but I have heard only good so far.

I'm not an expert in any way but as far as I know OpenGL is very much as capable as Direct3D and with extensions even more. DX12 should fix many problems developers are facing today but I hope upcoming(?) OpenGL 5.x is going to have many improvements as well. Lately there has been many blogs and articles about weaknesses of OpenGL so hopefully a new version will address those problems as well.

What comes to games I think one big problem is that most of the games on Linux seems to support only OpenGL 3.x while Windows versions uses DX11.

Personally I wouldn't mind if developers would drop OpenGL 3.x support and use OpenGL 4.x only. Of course it would mean that open source drivers would be useless at this moment and drop support for older GPUs but if that would help to get Linux versions par with Windows I'm OK to pay that price.

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Quoting: EKRboiObvisouly I don't have any data to back any of this up but it's what makes sense to me from my experience, that said..

Well said.

I still need Windows for gaming just because there are lots of titles that doesn't run on Linux - on most likely never will. I do use SteamOS for all gaming I can (there is Linux version available) despite the fact the quality of Linux versions are much worse compared to Windows versions.

There is still very long way to go for Linux gaming. Personally I believe SteamOS is not going to be successful among big masses for many years. More likely we will have articles like "How to make your Steam Machine a good gaming device - install Windows".
Consoles are living their own lives and I don't believe console games would be interested about PC/Steam Machines at all.

I believe Valve is able to make SteamOS successful in the long run. It just takes some time.

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Quoting: Speedster

Quoting: edqe

Quoting: Imants

Quoting: edqeI hoped this update would have been fixed the mouse stuttering problem but unfortunately it didn't.

Long long way to go but I hope these kind of problems will be solved before the first official release.

I think mouse is low priority fix for them as OS is intended to be used with gamepad

Well, that's sad to hear. There are already lots of games for SteamOS where gamepad is totally useless; 4X, strategy, RTS, simulation, complex cRPG, FPS, etc.

One theory is that the Valve controller won't be useless for those other types of games, since that was exactly Valve's purpose in bothering to design a new controller.

Yeah, that could be possible. Persnally I don't believe that their controller can beat keyboard+mouse but still be useful in many genres analog-stick gamepads are useless.

Windows + Steam Big Picture works perfectly and I hope Valve will achieve that with SteamOS as well.

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Quoting: Imants

Quoting: edqeI hoped this update would have been fixed the mouse stuttering problem but unfortunately it didn't.

Long long way to go but I hope these kind of problems will be solved before the first official release.

I think mouse is low priority fix for them as OS is intended to be used with gamepad

Well, that's sad to hear. There are already lots of games for SteamOS where gamepad is totally useless; 4X, strategy, RTS, simulation, complex cRPG, FPS, etc.

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I hoped this update would have been fixed the mouse stuttering problem but unfortunately it didn't.

Long long way to go but I hope these kind of problems will be solved before the first official release.

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Any news if it will use OpenGL 4.x instead of OpenGL 3.x ?
It would great to have games for Linux with same graphical fidelity as Windows versions.

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Quoting: commodore256I see turn based RPGs as games an accessibility to people that have no ability to think on their feet.

Quoting: HyeronI see FPS as games for people that have no ability to think at all.

I like both genres and I would like to see as many turn-based RPGs and FPS games available for Linux as possible - with or without DRM. Unfortunately at the moment Linux is lacking both so there's no much choice. Personally I don't care about COD or JRPGs but I would like to have them for Linux just that gamers would have more choice.

(games I really like are Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Civilization, Supreme Commander, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Wasteland, etc.)

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Of course. It doesn't matter if *I* like their games or dislike DRM. Ubisoft's games are pretty much mandatory to have to make SteamOS/Linux a viable gaming platform.

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