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I can’t see how native Linux support is getting worse. Linux users are good at bug reporting. Maybe some developers should care more about compatibility. And ye

I can’t see how native Linux support is getting worse. Linux users are good at bug reporting. Maybe some developers should care more about compatibility. And yes, especially the heterogeneous setups used by some makes support difficult. I’m worried that Valve puts too much resources into Proton (derivate of WINE) instead of tooling for native ports. Yes, Proton is needed to provide initial compatibility. But Proton is another layer of complexity (more bugs, integration, system resources) which requires more programming. I started playing CS again after it was ported natively in 2014, it runs well and all issues with WINE were gone. If Proton becomes to “good” we end up in a situation with a high maintenance burden for Valve. Game developers will rely on it and Valve has all the constant work. Instead game developers should treat Linux as first-class platform for AAA-Titles, for which the need appropriate APIs, compatibility and tooling. As Valve does itself support Linux as first-class platform from HL2 to CSGO. The target shall be official support from the very first day. Anyway. Looks like Valve has chosen a special implementation for TF2? What I miss here is a link to a bug report. Ideally opened months ago :)

pjmlp 4y ago
Game studios already know Linux distributions quite well on the server, and most AAA games on Android are basically only using the NDK, meaning ISO C and C++, OpenGL ES, Vulkan, OpenSL. Besides that, PlayStation OS is based on FreeBSD. Even if the 3D API is different, it is just yet another backend. They don't port them, because the QA and support aren't worth the sales, that is about it.
danbolt 4y ago
I think Valve has a financial incentive to keep Proton compatibility in a positive state, as it increases sales of the Steam Deck and encourages players to remain in their ecosystem. Or, I think it's more likely than the majority of AAA game developers having a financial incentive to maintain Linux versions of their products.

pjmlp 4y ago

Game studios already know Linux distributions quite well on the server, and most AAA games on Android are basically only using the NDK, meaning ISO C and C++, OpenGL ES, Vulkan, OpenSL. Besides that, PlayStation OS is based on FreeBSD. Even if the 3D API is different, it is just yet another backend. They don't port them, because the QA and support aren't worth the sales, that is about it.

danbolt 4y ago

I think Valve has a financial incentive to keep Proton compatibility in a positive state, as it increases sales of the Steam Deck and encourages players to remain in their ecosystem. Or, I think it's more likely than the majority of AAA game developers having a financial incentive to maintain Linux versions of their products.