Steam On Linux

Happy 6th Anniversary to Steam On Linux

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It was six years ago today that Steam announced that they were working on a beta client for Linux. The beta was limited to only a little over 60,000, though later on in the month they would invite another 5,000, and I was among one of those that was honored to receive an invitation. I installed Ubuntu as that was the recommended Linux distro at the time, and began using Linux as a desktop alternative to Windows on the side much as I do now but with Mint instead, as well as Fedora and CentOS over the years.

I remember my library only having a couple of GoldSrc titles in it, but eventually that would expand and improve. Looking at back when I started, and then looking at my library today things have changed dramatically. I have more options for gaming under Linux thanks to certain developers keeping Linux in mind, the introduction to Vulkan (formerly AMD’s Mantle graphics api)and Proton as an added compatibility option to play Windows games under Linux. I can now look at my library and have access to a good chunk of it despite platforms, and depending on an older game it can sometimes run better under Proton instead.

This has also lead to other programs being developed under Linux, such as OBS Studio for making it easier for gamers to record their gameplay. There are also now more video editors for Linux (the video I released yesterday was entirely edited on the Linux version of Shotcut, as well as some others I have planned ahead).

These changes and improvements over the years may not have come at a fast pace, Windows may still hold the crown for PC Gaming, but people need to remember that Windows wasn’t always considered a gaming platform either. There were people like me back in the day having to exit Windows to use DOS which still had a larger game library at the time.

For some people who only play certain games, and having those games available on Linux could be a game changer for them. Me? As I’ve said many times before I still have certain things holding me back from switching completely… But I am using it now more than ever. If something becomes available under Linux, and it runs just as well if not better, that’s one less reason for me to use Windows.

Steam Play Test Results 8/22/18

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Now that I’ve had more time to play with the new Steam Play feature I’ve decided to make a list for what I tested last night and this afternoon:

  1. DOOM 2016: Default OpenGL version failed to load; had to rename DOOM64VK.exe to DOOM64.exe in order for it to launch. Everything but the mouse worked.
  2. Quake Champions: Locked up solid, had to reset.
  3. Hard Reset Redux: Worked perfectly.
  4. Obduction: Same result as Quake Champions.
  5. Blade Kitten: Didn’t even try to run.
  6. Tomb Raider Underworld: Keeps steady frame rate for the most part, but dislikes the Steam Overlay no matter which monitor I run it on (which it kept deciding for me). It also didn’t like me clicking mouse buttons during certain sessions.
  7. MGSV:TPP: Everything but the sky is black.
  8. Commander Keen, but that runs on the Windows version of DOSBox, so kinda hard to fuck up.

I don’t expect every game to work out of the box instantly considering this update only took place yesterday, and the fact we’re able to even attempt this at all is amazing. I feel like it’ll only get better from here. Like I said in my previous post, if anyone has a suggestion for what to test next feel free to let me know, you can have a look at my game library if you’re not sure. I think I’ll take a break from it today to focus on some other stuff. :happy: