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Latest Comments by whatever
Minecraft Java will move to Microsoft accounts in 2021, gets new social screen
22 Oct 2020 at 9:59 am UTC Likes: 3

Quoting: tmtvlIf there ever were a reason to switch to Minetest, this is it.
Why? What's the difference between having a Microsoft account, or a Mojang account, or a Steam account, or a Google account...

But I can agree that Minetest would be a better choice regardless.

My experiences of Valve's VR on Linux
20 Oct 2020 at 12:44 pm UTC

Quoting: scaineI think it's the equivalent of shader compiling as I only notice it when the game starts up, as you describe.
It's like the geometry moves erratically for the duration of just 1 frame, sometimes only on one eye, and it happens multiple times for 1 or 2 seconds.
Fortunately, when it stops it then works flawlessly.

Quoting: scaineIf you haven't already, check out my Forum post on how to remotely turn on/off your Lighthouses.
I'll do! It's probably a better solution than the unofficial Android app.

My experiences of Valve's VR on Linux
20 Oct 2020 at 9:20 am UTC Likes: 3

10 hours of soul-destroying googling to get [VR working]
I can report that it took me minutes to get the Index work on my system.

So as of 20 October 2020 the situation has vastly improved.
Well, at least on my system: Ryzen 3900X, Radeon 5700XT, Ubuntu 20.04, Linux 5.8.15, Mesa 20.2.1, SteamVR stable.

But it's still not perfect:

  • to get the HMD to work (Direct Mode) I had to first select "Devices -> Restart headset" command on SteamVR.

  • to get audio to work I had to use pavucontrol and manually move the volume slider.

  • sometimes I have to reboot the system because Steam "gets confused" (?) and can't properly launch games from SteamVR or simply acts weirdly or even locks up (this happened once, while trying to use the desktop inside VR).

  • For the first couple of seconds after a VR program has been started I experience weird flashes, as if the tracking needs to adjust or something (doesn't happen on Windows).


Apart from that, I can play Alyx for hours on end and the overall experience in game has been nothing short of fantastic.
I haven't been so enthusiastic about videogames for maaany years. So many years that I was ready to give up on the subject completely, until VR that is.

AMD reveals Zen 3 and the Ryzen 5000 series - out November 5
8 Oct 2020 at 8:49 pm UTC Likes: 1

So now Intel is the new value option? How the turntables...

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is out today, some details for you (plus new driver release)
17 Sep 2020 at 3:01 pm UTC

This card's wattage is ridiculous and waaaay beyond my power budget.

I'll wait for RDNA2. Being on TSMC 7nm+, it'll probably be more reasonable.

Get your first look at the AMD Radeon RX 6000 series
15 Sep 2020 at 1:05 pm UTC

Quoting: tuubi
Quoting: barottoIf AMD's track record with the 5000 series is of any indication, I wouldn't consider the RX 6000 as usable in Linux with the open drivers for another 6 months after launch, minimum.
You could be right. Although the fact that RDNA2 is basically just a refresh of RDNA might shave off a few months.
I wouldn't call a +50% perf/watt jump on the same 7nm node a simple refresh... and RDNA2 will have ray tracing support in the asic as well.

But I hope you're right, because day-1 RX 5000 support was tragic.

Get your first look at the AMD Radeon RX 6000 series
15 Sep 2020 at 11:32 am UTC

If AMD's track record with the 5000 series is of any indication, I wouldn't consider the RX 6000 as usable in Linux with the open drivers for another 6 months after launch, minimum.

Intel's dedicated gaming GPU releases in 2021, plus 10nm SuperFin is coming
13 Aug 2020 at 9:40 pm UTC

Quoting: x_wingThere is a third player. VIA still owns the rights to produce x86 arch CPUs but (afaik) those rights are not transferable by companies purchase and the last CPU I heard from them was released circa 2007 so I really doubt that we will see a new real contender in the x86 market any time soon (Intel will simply not allow it).
Zhaoxin, a joint venture between VIA and the Shanghai Municipal Government, is developing new x86-64 CPUs.
Their performance is abysmal, and they are for the chinese market, but still...

My experiences of Valve's VR on Linux
13 Aug 2020 at 11:35 am UTC

Quoting: bekoI never expected so much discussions on this topic at all. I guess the interest in VR is really high for such a niche?
I'm super interested in VR, but not at the current price and level of support. I consider it still beta at best.
I hope it won't disappear before reaching maturity though...

My experiences of Valve's VR on Linux
12 Aug 2020 at 3:51 pm UTC Likes: 2

I think this experience should be added to the wiki.

Also, don't get used to Elite Dangerous on VR too much, as the next big Odyssey expansion will not support it.