Valve may be working on running Windows games on Linux.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018...-tools-to-get-windows-games-running-on-linux/

Could be very interesting if Valve puts their weight behind WINE, or something similar, and makes it an option in the store. There is also a new project name DXVK, which lets DX run on top of Vulkan. It's been developing at a very rapid rate, and I wouldn't be surprised if Valve were involved.

Well if Linux finally becomes popular and supported that's a good thing. Especially after what Microsoft has done with Win 10. So hopeful but very skeptical right now.

I think Valve probably moved too soon with its SteamOS initiative. There were too many key pieces (Vulkan chief among them) not in place at the time. But, they have continued to develop it, and they've talked about "exciting" things coming with the 3.0 release. They know what MS is up to with Win 10 and its software store, and I'm sure they're still working on things.

The big problem with Linux, is that there's no such thing as Linux - by which I mean that it is not one clearly defined and predictable OS. In the enterprise space, Redhat really defines the reference OS, and keeps things stable and supported for long periods of time. But, no-one has really done the same for a home-user Linux with a focus on gaming. You really need a big company to define the reference version, so developers know this is the target to aim at.

So it's been a bit of a chicken and egg problem. But if this news pans out, it would signal that Valve is still very serious about pushing in that direction.

Games are just about the only reason I use Windows. If that actually happens and works well, I just might switch.

Interesting.

I agree with the ripper in his analysis. One additional issue is that people use windows computers at work. Many places, like where I work, other OS's is not an option.

pibbux

I’d switch to Linux if it can offer a better experience for all the software and hardware that I use, otherwise I wouldn’t switch or dual boot just to game on it.

Even if I didn’t switch though, I’d welcome some competition for MS.

I'm a fan of options at most times, so I only see this possibility as a good thing for all of us involved.

Yeah, and that's why I don't actually recommend Linux for everyone, just yet. There are still too many paper cuts in the way a new user is first likely to experience it. And I think they'd return to Windows pretty quickly.

If the right company actually assembled the best possible Linux desktop, with what's available today, I think a very compelling experience could be created. I actually think that's what Valve should do - abandon the Steam Machine concept, and create the reference Linux desktop for home users and gamers.

I suspect they would just be enhancing wine. Wine is pretty good but there are some ms program it won't support (specific library issues or license issues).
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I'm mixed as to whether linux is better or worse for the average user. I moved my parents to window - the biggest problem is that some drm content will not run on linux (comcast streaming for example) because linux end ot end support for video drm is still broken.
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For me it is better to have my parents on linux because when they have an issue it is easier to identify the issue and fix it. I'm not the sort that likes the - if it is broken reinstall.
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One of the issues with linux remains the critical mass. Because so few people run linux the social support is weak (technical support is strong). Also linux is too configurable which can be an issue with novices esp as the configuration if done ad hoc can break things.

There's another project that might be of interest to some. Lutris is a game organizer for Linux that aims to get everything working in one place, from native Linux games, through Windows games, to C64 emulators. It plugs into a community database that specifies the best configuration, runtimes, etc, for every game. That might be helpful for people having difficulties with a game on their particular setup.

It's not another new technology in itself, it just tries to bring it all together in a user-friendly way.