Quoting: Purple Library Guy

Quoting: Mountain ManThere's already a large number of Linux gamers on PC, but that hasn't compelled a critical mass of publishers to start paying for native Linux builds

No there isn't. We've been at ~1% on Steam. Literally a rounding error.

Quoting: Mountain Man, and I doubt the Steam Deck is going to change that even if it sells Nintendo Switch numbers.

I disagree with you. At numbers like that, Linux would no longer be a rounding error, it would be a sizable and fairly high profile platform. Despite the impact of Proton, I think that would prompt serious consideration of Linux as a native target.

Quoting: Mountain ManProton has been both a blessing and a curse in that respect. It's made games on Linux more accessible than ever before while eliminating the need for developers to focus on Linux because they get access to that market for free. Notice that porting houses like Feral and Aspyr essentially closed up shop after the introduction of Proton. That's just the reality of the situation.

That effect does exist, I'm not going to claim otherwise. But it's not the only effect happening. Whether it's the actual increase in numbers, the impression that numbers will go up further, or just the buzz and higher profile, the fact is that despite the Steam Deck's general reliance on Proton, some developers seem to have targeted Linux natively in part because of the Steam Deck.

Small and indie developers have always had a soft spot for Linux. I just have my doubts that major studios will ever support Linux directly no matter how many Steam Decks are sold when Proton gives them zero-effort access to the Linux and Steam Deck market.

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Quoting: Purple Library Guy

Quoting: Mountain Man

Quoting: Purple Library Guy

Quoting: pete910

Quoting: CorbenNow we "just" need the slow transition of devs actually doing native Linux build with it

Yea, Not going to happen. We will still be reliant on Proton. The days of the big publishers doing native builds just ain't coming.

Depends how many more Steam Decks get sold.

Since developers already get Steam Deck support for free with Proton, what incentive do they have to release native Linux versions?

More control, potentially better performance, good PR.

And I mean, some developers are already specifically releasing native Linux builds for the Steam Deck. I've seen a few articles right here on GoL about games doing exactly that. So whatever their incentives might be, there clearly are some. Not big developers at this point, but if the current number of Steam Decks is enough for some smaller developers to go native, many more Steam Decks would presumably be enough for larger developers to try it.

So as I said, depends how many more Steam Decks get sold.

There's already a large number of Linux gamers on PC, but that hasn't compelled a critical mass of publishers to start paying for native Linux builds, and I doubt the Steam Deck is going to change that even if it sells Nintendo Switch numbers. Proton has been both a blessing and a curse in that respect. It's made games on Linux more accessible than ever before while eliminating the need for developers to focus on Linux because they get access to that market for free. Notice that porting houses like Feral and Aspyr essentially closed up shop after the introduction of Proton. That's just the reality of the situation.

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Quoting: Purple Library Guy

Quoting: pete910

Quoting: CorbenNow we "just" need the slow transition of devs actually doing native Linux build with it

Yea, Not going to happen. We will still be reliant on Proton. The days of the big publishers doing native builds just ain't coming.

Depends how many more Steam Decks get sold.

Since developers already get Steam Deck support for free with Proton, what incentive do they have to release native Linux versions?

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Come on, Valve, enough of this VR novelty BS. You know what we Half-Life fans really want.

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Seems like every time I go to play Stellaris, I have to learn it all over again because Paradox has been regularly introducing significant changes since day one. While I appreciate that they are clearly vested and wish to improve the game, it has killed my desire to play, because I hate having to relearn the rules every time start a new game.

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Quoting: mattaraxia

Quoting: TuxeeI have yet to understand the usefulness of lighting with opaque keycaps...

(Apart from that I wouldn't like the cursor keys arrangement and the lack of a proper ins/del/home/end/pgup/pgdown block.)

It's actually really great. When you hit either function key to activate another layer, just the keys active in that layer light up, with a different color for each layer.

(I have the first gen launch, and love it so much I registered just to answer that question.)

The complaint is not about the RGB lightning but that the keycaps are not shine through, so you can't see the legends in the dark. The key caps also appear to be a non-standard size, so you can't replace them with something off the shelf.

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I personally have no problem with companies taking legal action to protect their intellectual property. A lot of people like to use the "grey area" defense, but I don't understand why they think that something that arguably exists in a legal grey area should only ever benefit the consumer and not the corporation.

I also have to laugh at people saying, "If Nintendo ran their business the way I think they should, then they would be successful!" when Nintendo has consistently been one of the most successful and profitable companies in the game industry.

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I started playing Civ 6 in Proton because performance in the native Linux version is atrocious. In Linux, it struggles to hit 40fps even on an empty map. In Proton, it's pretty much a locked 60fps even in the end game.

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That's what I refer to as "stupidly expensive".

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These games are so old that even a modest system could already max them out, so any performance gains from this update will be invisible.

I wish Valve would just give us Half-Life 3 already. They know we want it.

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