sorry i like to play video games
Same here, and in over two years (since I completely abandoned dual-booting), I haven’t encountered a single issue using Steam (with native Proton and the GE variant) and the Heroic launcher for GOG and Epic’s free games. The real problem, as I mentioned, is with multiplayer games that use anti-cheat, but aside from that, there are no significant difficulties, and even support for Nvidia cards is no longer an issue. It’s time to move past certain preconceptions tied to an outdated view of gaming on Linux; in this regard, the Steam Deck has been a game-changer.
Personally I have, for example being unable to launch Venetica at all, and getting hard crashes in earlier Atelier games playing cinematics, or couldn't resolve a microphone drivers bug trying to co-op DOS2. These are not preconceptions, but verified experience on my part, as I've gamed on Linux for 1,5 years and gave up.
What distro did you use, and when? Personally, I have several older titles that run without any issues; in fact, ironically (but not surprisingly), I’ve read online that they actually have issues on recent versions of Windows. Anyway, I’m not trying to convince anyone—trying it out costs nothing in terms of time or money, so everyone can make their own decision. I just think it might be worth a shot, as long as you don’t fall into the cases I mentioned earlier.
ArchLinux, SteamOS in particular. This year and last.
You're engaging in convincing tactics, the argument that X is missing out on stuff
If you used SteamOS on a PC, meaning an unofficial derivative, I’m not surprised you encountered issues. This approach isn’t really recommended, especially if you don’t already have sufficient prior experience.
Avoiding a potential opportunity (in various ways) based on prejudice or insufficient information is, in my opinion, always a loss. But, as I said, everyone should make their own choice. Personally, I have nothing to gain from one more or one less Linux user; I'm simply trying to offer an option for those who don’t want to switch to Windows 11.You're engaging in convincing tactics, the argument that X is missing out on stuff
I used it on a Steam Deck LCD though, it was my primary gaming device until I moved to a full-scale rig.If you used SteamOS on a PC, meaning an unofficial derivative, I’m not surprised you encountered issues. This approach isn’t really recommended, especially if you don’t already have sufficient prior experience.
Avoiding a potential opportunity (in various ways) based on prejudice or insufficient information is, in my opinion, always a loss. But, as I said, everyone should make their own choice. Personally, I have nothing to gain from one more or one less Linux user; I'm simply trying to offer an option for those who don’t want to switch to Windows 11.You're engaging in convincing tactics, the argument that X is missing out on stuff
I'm actually starting to consider it.
Ok, at this point I think the best option for you is to stay on Windows.
Trying doesn’t cost anything. I suggest starting with Linux Mint (Cinnamon desktop) and using a secondary drive, avoiding installing it alongside Windows on the same one.
As far as new releases go, can you run them on Linux without Steam or other launchers? I don't have a problem with having to use some sort of VM or other middleware, but nothing with a storefront account or the like, I don't wanna swap one brand of corporate malware for another.
Why's that? I've got a new SSD coming in a day or two and planned to partition 250GB for a Mint install alongside the main Windows install. I only use that drive for OS setups, applications go onto a separate SSD, which I assumed can stay NTFS for either OS to access.
Not looking to go back into piracy, been out of the scene for twenty years now, but I assume I can just run my legit GOG binaries on WINE, right? Whenever I heard it mentioned, there were always quibbles that this doesn't work right or that doesn't work at all, but if that's in the past, I'm happy.
Thanks, that's very comforting to hear! Actually, Drakan's already reliant on dgvoodoo on Windows as well.
You can go to Lutris and select the gog file as an executable and that's it, it just works.
Running new releases on Linux without Steam or other launchers can be tricky, depending on the game. Many modern games are designed to work with Steam or other launchers, and they rely on DRM or account-based features that are tied to these platforms. However, it’s possible to play some games without needing a storefront, especially if you can get access to the game files directly, such as through DRM-free versions like from GOG. Personally, for the titles I own on GOG, I use Heroic as a launcher, and I’m very happy with it. There are also other options, such as Lutris and PlayOnLinux.
https://www.protondb.com/
That's a perfectly valid approach, and if you're comfortable with it, it can work fine. My suggestion to use a secondary drive was just to avoid any potential complications with dual-booting on the same drive, particularly when it comes to partitioning and bootloaders. Sometimes, resizing partitions or configuring bootloaders can lead to issues if something goes wrong. If you're confident in managing partitions and handling the boot process, partitioning the same SSD should work without major issues.
I agree that anti-cheat systems are a big hurdle for Linux gaming, but I think it's unlikely we’ll see anti-cheat solutions at the kernel level anytime soon. One of the main reasons is that Linux is an open-source operating system, and anti-cheat systems typically need a high level of control over the system to detect and prevent cheating. Implementing such systems at the kernel level could raise security and privacy concerns, as it would give these anti-cheat solutions far-reaching access to a user's machine. Additionally, it would be difficult to integrate with Linux's open nature, where users can modify and customize their environment. The balance between security and openness makes it tough to implement anti-cheat at that level without compromising the core principles of Linux.
Yeah, you can also run the GOG installers through Wine and install the games that way.
No no, I don't expect devs to suddenly start caring about Linux, all the opposite. I think incidents like the CrowdStrike meltdown from a few months ago may be a sign of these type of garbage systems being declared illegal somewhere in the near future.
Implementing anti-cheat directly at the kernel level would be almost impossible for game developers, because the kernel is maintained by the community with strict standards for transparency, security, and user control. Any kernel-level code would need to be reviewed and approved by official maintainers, who are unlikely to accept invasive, closed-source anti-cheat mechanisms due to privacy and security concerns. Certainly, this places a significant limitation on gaming on Linux, and I already mentioned this in my first response. Personally, I only play single-player games, but I fully understand how this could be a deal-breaker for many people considering a switch to Linux. I don't have high hopes for change in this area, as it feels like a classic catch-22: as long as the market share remains (almost) insignificant, developers won’t look for solutions, but without solutions, it’s very unlikely the market share will ever become significant.
I mostly play single-player games as well, but i have had some games not work in linux, like Project IGI 2, FA Premier League Manager 99 (though this fucker doesnt seem to run in anything but native win 98, so no fault of Linux in this case) and Klingon Honor Guard. These are a bit more obscure though.
