Bonum Certa Men Certa

GNU/Linux Rapidly Becoming a Gaming Platform of Choice, Offering Better Performance

Chess



Summary: Not just cost but technical edge too seemingly help drive GNU/Linux as a choice for gamers and game makers

Gabe Newell from Valve believes that GNU/Linux is the future of gaming. He helped promote GNU/Linux as a platform for games in the very recent LinuxCon [1-4], almost stealing the thunder from the "Cloud Computing" hype [5] (surveillance computing).



What's really noteworthy is that over the past week there have been quite a few announcements about games that are coming to GNU/Linux, not just via Valve (“SteamOS” is in the headlines right now [6,7], along with more Steam titles [8] that make headlines [9-13]). Performance under Ubuntu 13.04 is said to be much better than under Vista 8 [14]. The same goes for OpenGL versus DirectX [15].

Some GNU/Linux are not really news [16-18], but those that newly arrive at the platform [19-24] are, 'big' titles like Doom 3 [25] matter, and various other games [26-35] help show how GNU/Linux was transformed into more of a gaming platform, with even more devices being build around it [36]. Perhaps Newell was right and GNU/Linux is the future of gaming [37]. It took a whole to see this dream materialising. A new version of Wine has come [38,39] with further improvements [40], bridging the gap for some games whose developers have not used cross-platform APIs [41], so through Wine too -- despite performance penalties -- games continue to land on GNU/Linux even if they were never build for it.

Related/contextual items from the news:



  1. Linux Is the Future… For Learning And Gaming?


    Thanks to the Raspberry Pi and gamers, Linux is all set to come out on top, says Sean Michael Kerner


  2. The State of Linux: Game On at LinuxCon


  3. Video: LinuxCon - Linux and Gaming


  4. Steam's Gabe Newell: Linux is the future of gaming; SteamBox may be announced next week
    "Linux is the future of Gaming" are the words loud and clear during the keynote by Gabe Newell, the CEO of Valve Software, at Linux Foundation's 2013 North American LinuxCon event.


  5. FOSS and Linux Fuel the Future of Gaming, Cloud Computing and the Rest of Tech
    Technology has entered a new era in which software is no longer a differentiator, but the foundation that the "big winners" are building their services on, Jim Zemlin said today in his annual State of Linux speech at LinuxCon and CloudOpen North America in New Olreans.


  6. Valve announces Linux-based “SteamOS” as basis for living room gaming
    The Linux-based living room gaming announcements Valve co-founder Gabe Newell promised last week began today with the unveiling of SteamOS, a new Linux-based operating system focused on living room gaming.


  7. Valve Has Announced The SteamOS Built On Linux


  8. New Batch Of Titles Greenlit On Steam 18th September


  9. Valve promises three announcements this week – SteamBox and more?


  10. Calm Down, Internet -- Valve Isn't Building Their Own Steam Box


  11. Valve To Reveal Linux-Powered ‘Steambox’ News Next Week
    Valve – the company behind gaming distribution behemoth Steam – are to reveal more details on their up-coming ‘Steambox’ gaming console next week.


  12. Postal 2 DLC Details Revealed
    Running With Scissors has revealed some but not all of the details of what will come with the Postal 2 (Steam, Desura) DLC!


  13. Fortix 2 is Hitting Linux
    Fortix 2 is finally hitting the Linux platform! As of September 17, 2013, Fortix 2 will be available on Steam. Now all three platforms can enjoy the classic arcade gameplay of Fortix 2. It has been a long time coming for this event, and we would like to thank the Linux community for the patience on the matter.


  14. How Does Left 4 Dead 2 Perform On Ubuntu 13.04 Compared To Windows 8?


  15. Valve: OpenGL is faster than DirectX — even on Windows
    In a scary twist that reinforces Valve’s distaste for Windows 8, it turns out that the Source engine — the 3D engine that powers Half Life 2, Left 4 Dead, and Dota 2 — runs faster on Ubuntu 12.04 and OpenGL than Windows 7 and DirectX/Direct3D.


  16. Free Turn-Based Strategy Game `Freeciv` 2.4.0 Released


  17. SUPERHOT FPS Where Time Only Moves When You Do


  18. The Fall A Dark, Story Driven Exploration In An Alien World UPDATED


  19. PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate coming to Mac and Linux on September 30th!


  20. iRacing Adds Linux to Existing MAC and PC Platforms


  21. Mac and Linux Versions of 'Rogue Legacy' Coming Soon, Says Dev


  22. Neverending Nightmares to hit PC, Mac, Linux, Ouya at same time
  23. Based on a true story
    Developed by Polypusher Studios for PC, Mac and Linux, Montague's Mount is a first person psychological rollercoaster ride through isolation, desolation and one man's tortured mind all set against the bleakness of an isolated Irish island. The player regains consciousness on a windswept beach, with no memory of the past.


  24. The Fall, Story Driven Exploration Game, Could Arrive on Linux in 2014
    The Fall is a dark, action platformer based on the unison of atmosphere, adventure and exploration.


  25. Doom 3 BFG Edition Linux Port Is Still Being Developed


  26. Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut Dated in North America
  27. Humble Indie Bundle 9 Adds New Games, Two Brand New To Linux
  28. What I'm Playing: More like, Lame Theft Auto


  29. Legend of Dungeon Released


  30. We Review Indie Game Fez on Linux – Is It Worth The Hype?
    Playing as an unidentifiable creature named Gomez, your goal is to find the missing pieces of a Hexahedron scattered across the world before it’s too late. Though the world looks 2D, FEZ has a trick up its sleeve that makes it far more unique than the platformer lets on at the start.


  31. Democracy 3 Pre-Order's Are Up With Beta Access
    Have you ever wanted to be president? or prime-minister? Convinced you could do a better job of running the country? Let's face it, you could hardly do a worse job than our current political leaders.


  32. Fields Of War Online Mech Combat Game New Release


  33. BlastEm - The Fast And Accurate Genesis Emulator
    BlastEm has the goal of being an extremely accurate Genesis emulator while still running on relatively modest hardware by using advanced techniques. Currently, there's a lot of work left to do on the accuracy front and there are a lot of optimizations I want to do, but BlastEm is still quite usable for certain purposes. Many commercial and homebrew 3 run well and the performance seems to be good on my relatively modest AMD E-350 powered laptop and Intel Atom based HTPC.


  34. ‘Legend of Dungeon’ Impressions and Gameplay Video


  35. Alien Arena: Combat Edition v7.66 Is Available Now
    Alien Arena is a is a free first-person shooter computer game similar to the Quake, Doom, and Unreal Tournament series. You can play Alien Arena online with other players or if you don’t feel skilled enough you can choose single-player matches and play against bots. The game’s content is proprietary, but its engine is open source (CRX engine). An internal server browser helps you to find other players online and there is also an IRC client for chat between players. Alien Arena is available Microsoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and OS X.


  36. OpenPandora - Gaming and more
    Hopefully, you remember my escapade with Pandora, which was given to me by the company's CEO for evaluation. In the first installment, we discussed mostly the look & feel and the amazing hardware of the test unit. In the second, we focused on the Xfce build and the modded Android port. So far so good, with some points for improvement.


  37. Valve CEO: Why Linux is the future of gaming
    Gabe Newell, CEO of Valve declared that proprietary software and closed platforms are gaming's past, its future is open and on Linux.


  38. Wine 1.7.2 Brings A Couple Of Changes
    The latest bi-weekly Wine development release, Wine 1.7.2, is now available.


  39. Wine 1.7.2 released
    The Wine development release 1.7.2 is now available.


  40. Wine Testing: Does The D3D Patch Boost Performance?


  41. Iracing Online Racing Game Comes To Linux In Alpha Via Wine
    An online car racing game that PC Gamer voted "Best racing game of all time" has hit Linux in the form of an alpha version that uses Wine.




Recent Techrights' Posts

GAFAM Loyalty Has Come to an End, Morale Low, People Whose Future is Uncertain Choose to Become "Lifers"
morale is low and there's no loyalty anymore
SLAPP Censorship - Part 152 Out of 200: Injunctions Do Not Cover Criticism, They Have Scope
self-incriminating communications
A Vortex of Beacons (or "Bluetooth Everywhere" Vision)
If someone (or someones) calls you paranoid for taking about "beacon"-like functionality, there will be no lack of authoritative citations (e.g. Web links) they can be provided to prove them wrong
IBM May be Sued for Mass Layoffs Via PIPs
Some whole threads (with all the long comments in them) recently got nuked by thelayoff.com
 
Cuba and Venezuela High in Adoption of GNU/Linux
some of the "communist" nations
Links 17/08/2026: Myanmar’s Cholera Outbreak, China Sends Commercial Vessels Through Arctic
Links for the day
Clownflare Sees About Quarter of Web Requests in Ireland Coming From GNU/Linux
Well, in Ireland it seems like many people adopted GNU/Linux
Clownflare: In Australia and New Zealand GNU/Linux Peaks at Over 10% During Working Hours
That right there is interesting in its own right
Slowing Down by Intention
At the moment we have 6 or 7 ongoing series
Gemini Links 17/08/2026: Chamboree, Partial Solar Eclipse, Lady Macbeth
Links for the day
Links 17/08/2026: "Bluesky Is Down Again!" and "Anti-Social Media"
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, August 16, 2026
IRC logs for Sunday, August 16, 2026
Falkland Islands: GNU/Linux Elevated to 6%
GNU/Linux usage seems to have increased a lot there
Links 16/08/2026: Reading Outside, Going Offline More, and Art of Computer Programming
Links for the day
The Question of Patience
Is there a lesson here somewhere?
Links 16/08/2026: Ceuta Reports Social Control Media Used as a Weapon
Links for the day
Links 16/08/2026: Europe in Crisis of Droughts While Energy- and Water-Consuming, Pollution-Emitting Chatbots Are Spread by GAFAM (US) to Keep a Ponzi Scheme Going
Links for the day
GNU/Linux is a Platform for Work (Usage Surges in Daytime)
GNU/Linux 15% in daytime
We Need Rain, Not Chatbots
There's no "anti-AI" (it's not even AI), there's opposition to fraud, to plagiarism, and to companies that profit more when there's global warning (caused in part by their business activities)
SLAPP Censorship - Part 151 Out of 200: Dealing With Sleazy People and Companies That Steal (While Employing These Sleazy People)
we offer a quick summary and we're reflecting
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, August 15, 2026
IRC logs for Saturday, August 15, 2026
Gemini Links 16/08/2026: Sterrenkijker Releases, Solar Gemini Server
Links for the day
What I Learned in London
some ministers still help us in our fight for press freedom in the UK
At IBM, Workers 'Expire' Early ("Next Step" is 'Voluntary' Layoffs Decades Before Retirement Age)
It seems like the "new normal" is layoffs not existing or barely existing because companies hide them
EPO "Cocaine Communication Manager" - Part XVI - The German State Does Not Enforce the Law Against European Patent Office Officials
It's not acceptable that Europe's second-largest institution can get away with crime time and time again
Germany's National Broadcaster (DW English) to Air Julian Assange Film This Coming Week
It seems rather sad that we live in a world where rich thugs can get away with so many horrible things
WordPress is Bloatware and Bloated Software Guarantees Security Incidents
This site turns 20 in about 11 or 12 weeks from now and it was never cracked, not even when it ran WordPress
Too Many Chiefs (or Chefs) at IBM, They Don't Know How to Run a Company (With a 100+ Year or Century-Old Brand Recognition Advantage)
It seems like a consensus opinion; some line managers or middle managers are too selfish or self-deceiving
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on Gym Equipment Can Endanger Several Parties
Joy oh joy! Give us more "smart" things
Microsoft Silent Layoffs This Month (PIPs and More "Buyouts", Driving Out the Workforce), According to Insiders
They know it's happening because they see it and fellow workers talk about it, even if the media keeps mum
Clacton's Election Was a 'Show Election'
At least some people squeezed out some "free press" out of this charade [...] That the media kept boosting parodies as the alternative/s to the bigot is a topic we wrote about a great deal over the past 3 weeks
Omarchy is Already Dying
Same as the life cycle of slopfarms
Windows is Burning
Windows is the "burning platform" of the year
Gemini Links 15/08/2026: Stress, Jetlag, and GPU Hype (Waste of Energy for Amusement, Fake 'Currencies', and Now for Mass Plagiarism)
Links for the day
Links 15/08/2026: XBox Rotting Further, "France’s Top Court Strikes Down Ban on Social Media for Children"
Links for the day
SLAPP Censorship - Part 150 Out of 200: Always Independently Verify What People Claim to Be (or Find Yourself in a Jason Arday-Type Moment/Dilemma)
I'm not a cardiologist and Garrett was never a security expert
Links 15/08/2026: "There Is No A.I." (Slop Plagiarism Isn't Intelligence) and Its "Impact on the Environment Is Absolutely Horrifying"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 15/08/2026: Gratitudes, "Microflier" Drones, and Literate Programming
Links for the day
IBM's PIPs and RAs (Layoffs) Going on, Interns as 'Scabs'
It seems like a consensus (also in Reddit, we took a quick look)
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, August 14, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, August 14, 2026