I would, except there’s always some software or some feature missing. And there’s always the FOSS app that “might” meet “some” aspects of what native software does but it’s almost always never “native” support.
Sure, I know I can play MOST games on Linux, but I know for a fact they’ll launch on windows.
Or things like, sure, I know that my corsair Hardware MIGHT be controlled by signal RGB, but what about controlling the pump in my AIO? Or the sound levels on ny headset? Or the DPI in my mouse?
Then you have things like drivers. I’m not using any Nvidia GPUs right now, but the nvidia support for Linux is atrocious and you lose access to things like RTX-HDR and RTX Voice, and hell, even in AMD you lose access to certain features like AMFM2.
Then the software, not only does things like Adobe or Office just don’t exist, the FOSS solutions are not industry standard, so sure, I can learn to use LibreOffice, but that’s worth absolutely nothing when you apply for a corporate job and they expect you to know how to use outlook as a bare minimum, hell, even the Google office suite is being adopted faster… Ah, but if the software is available there’s still a chance it doesn’t work because it’s missing a dependency or something and you have to ask people to use the terminal and… Sigh
All in all, it’s just behind in many ways, sure, for some people it’s ok, and for laptops I’d think is mostly ok, great even. But I know I could deal with Linux, and I don’t want to troubleshoot a whole PC to play a game when I already spend the whole day dealing with solving issues or servers or services on my job.
I’m rooting for Steam OS to release to desktops because my living room PC is LITERALLY just for gaming, so that “could” work nicely.
in AMD you lose access to certain features like AMFM2
FSR Frame Gen works just fine, not sure why you need fake frames in more games.
the FOSS solutions are not industry standard, so sure, I can learn to use LibreOffice, but that’s worth absolutely nothing when you apply for a corporate job and they expect you to know how to use outlook as a bare minimum
There is also OnlyOffice and online MS Office. Not sure what you need to know about Outlook to open it and use your eyes to read the mails.
even the Google office suite is being adopted faster
Good news, it runs in a browser and works on every OS!
Ah, but if the software is available there’s still a chance it doesn’t work because it’s missing a dependency or something and you have to ask people to use the terminal and… Sigh
I have not fixed dependencies issue on Linux since the early 2000s. Flatpaks are your friend https://flathub.org/ .
All in all, it’s just behind in many ways, sure, for some people it’s ok, and for laptops I’d think is mostly ok, great even.
I run it on my high end PC and I disagree. It’s ahead in many ways.
The graphics drivers are included and don’t need any bloated software to work
It has a banger OpenGL driver, which makes games like Minecraft run significantly faster.
It has a very active community for game support for games where the developer does not care
It translates older DirectX versions to Vulkan automatically, resulting in a performance uplift and more stability. People on Windows are installing DXVK just so older games work. Look up DXVK in the Steam forums.
It downloads shader caches from Valve, preventing shader stutter in games that don’t do it on their own
That list could go on for a while and it’s only for gaming.
I haven’t even gone into installation and not having to run ShutUp10 every time just to make the OS usable. Or how KDE is so much cleaner than Windows. Or how I don’t have any ads in my start menu, don’t have to force download Candy Crush on first boot, don’t have pre-installed apps I can’t remove, don’t have to block my own OS in its firewall to get rid of telemetry, don’t have to be told that I need to upgrade to Windows 11 constantly.
For work: Docker just works, complex networking setups are not a pain to setup, creating VMs is so much easier and has so many more features. VPN is so seamlessly setup. I can read almost every file system on the planet and use ROCm without jumping through hoops. Not to mention I don’t get Copilot and Recall shoved down my throat.
Are there issues on Linux? Sure, lots of them. But if I find them I can tell somebody about it and don’t have to deal with them for centuries.
I’m rooting for Steam OS to release to desktops because my living room PC is LITERALLY just for gaming, so that “could” work nicely.
SteamOS is just a modern Linux distro with Steam pre-installed and in autostart. If stuff works there, it works on regular Linux just as well.
And on top of all that, the article is specifically about Microsoft urging people to get rid of old hardware, which I take to mean NOT current-gen, bleeding-edge gaming hardware. So my suggestion was about not being forced to upgrade your hardware to keep having a usable computer.
Yeah, this is why I never got into VR, the Linux support blows even if you get a supported headset because the games aren’t made for Linux. There are some games, sure, but it’s not worth spending $1k+ on an Index.
I’ll use it once the barrier to entry drops or Linux support improves.
As someone who routinely used to sink thousands of hours into games, and by that I mean 3000 hrs. on R6-3, 2500 hrs. on Squad and so on, the predatory practices of Microsoft, Steam and game developers have just turned me off gaming completely.
There are still good game publishers like CD Projekt Red and Warhorse Studios. Plus lots of open source and indie gems. Gaming is a lot more than AAA and MOBAs.
Translation: “Install Linux.”
I would, except there’s always some software or some feature missing. And there’s always the FOSS app that “might” meet “some” aspects of what native software does but it’s almost always never “native” support.
Sure, I know I can play MOST games on Linux, but I know for a fact they’ll launch on windows.
Or things like, sure, I know that my corsair Hardware MIGHT be controlled by signal RGB, but what about controlling the pump in my AIO? Or the sound levels on ny headset? Or the DPI in my mouse?
Then you have things like drivers. I’m not using any Nvidia GPUs right now, but the nvidia support for Linux is atrocious and you lose access to things like RTX-HDR and RTX Voice, and hell, even in AMD you lose access to certain features like AMFM2.
Then the software, not only does things like Adobe or Office just don’t exist, the FOSS solutions are not industry standard, so sure, I can learn to use LibreOffice, but that’s worth absolutely nothing when you apply for a corporate job and they expect you to know how to use outlook as a bare minimum, hell, even the Google office suite is being adopted faster… Ah, but if the software is available there’s still a chance it doesn’t work because it’s missing a dependency or something and you have to ask people to use the terminal and… Sigh
All in all, it’s just behind in many ways, sure, for some people it’s ok, and for laptops I’d think is mostly ok, great even. But I know I could deal with Linux, and I don’t want to troubleshoot a whole PC to play a game when I already spend the whole day dealing with solving issues or servers or services on my job.
I’m rooting for Steam OS to release to desktops because my living room PC is LITERALLY just for gaming, so that “could” work nicely.
OpenRGB to the rescue: https://flathub.org/apps/org.openrgb.OpenRGB
What do you need to control about your pump? I sure hope it works without OS support.
Move the volume slider up or down?
Save them to the mouse as profile if it can or use Piper: https://flathub.org/apps/org.freedesktop.Piper
FSR Frame Gen works just fine, not sure why you need fake frames in more games.
There is also OnlyOffice and online MS Office. Not sure what you need to know about Outlook to open it and use your eyes to read the mails.
Good news, it runs in a browser and works on every OS!
I have not fixed dependencies issue on Linux since the early 2000s. Flatpaks are your friend https://flathub.org/ .
I run it on my high end PC and I disagree. It’s ahead in many ways.
That list could go on for a while and it’s only for gaming.
I haven’t even gone into installation and not having to run ShutUp10 every time just to make the OS usable. Or how KDE is so much cleaner than Windows. Or how I don’t have any ads in my start menu, don’t have to force download Candy Crush on first boot, don’t have pre-installed apps I can’t remove, don’t have to block my own OS in its firewall to get rid of telemetry, don’t have to be told that I need to upgrade to Windows 11 constantly.
For work: Docker just works, complex networking setups are not a pain to setup, creating VMs is so much easier and has so many more features. VPN is so seamlessly setup. I can read almost every file system on the planet and use ROCm without jumping through hoops. Not to mention I don’t get Copilot and Recall shoved down my throat.
Are there issues on Linux? Sure, lots of them. But if I find them I can tell somebody about it and don’t have to deal with them for centuries.
SteamOS is just a modern Linux distro with Steam pre-installed and in autostart. If stuff works there, it works on regular Linux just as well.
Bazzite achieves the same thing right now: https://bazzite.gg/
Excellent breakdown. Well done!
And on top of all that, the article is specifically about Microsoft urging people to get rid of old hardware, which I take to mean NOT current-gen, bleeding-edge gaming hardware. So my suggestion was about not being forced to upgrade your hardware to keep having a usable computer.
I really want to put Linux on my gaming PC, but I’m doubtful I can get my Rift S working on there. :/
Apparently there is an openxr driver for it, though, so I suppose I should at least give it a shot.
There’s absolutely no way I’m going to win11, though.
Nobara or Pop! OS would be good choices.
Yeah, VR is still catching up, but I feel like (dual) booting to Win 10 just for specific purposes would greatly reduce the risk.
I’d just be scared of windows trying to clobber my nix partition.
Use separate disks.
Personally, I’ve never had trouble even with partitions, but Windows isn’t going to mess with drives that aren’t NTFS.
Just installed ZorinOS on my PC (dual boot with Windows 11) and I’m playing Diablo 4 on Linux. How cool is this?
It’s so cool. We’ve been waiting for Linux to cover gaming and it really has with the push from Steam.
Bazzite is better imo
I’ve heard people like that one. I didn’t try it, but I love Nobara as my primary OS.
Yeah, this is why I never got into VR, the Linux support blows even if you get a supported headset because the games aren’t made for Linux. There are some games, sure, but it’s not worth spending $1k+ on an Index.
I’ll use it once the barrier to entry drops or Linux support improves.
Your best shot is with Monado, which supports the Rift S: https://monado.freedesktop.org/
I only have an Index, so I can’t speak for how well it works or how easy it is to setup.
I got my meta quest 2 working on Linux, so you should definitely just try :)
I did read that there were some input issues with the d-pads not working, but that was also 2 years ago so it could’ve been fixed by now.
So you’re right, I should!
Pretty sure I’ve got an old drive around somewhere that I could toss it on.
As someone who routinely used to sink thousands of hours into games, and by that I mean 3000 hrs. on R6-3, 2500 hrs. on Squad and so on, the predatory practices of Microsoft, Steam and game developers have just turned me off gaming completely.
There are still good game publishers like CD Projekt Red and Warhorse Studios. Plus lots of open source and indie gems. Gaming is a lot more than AAA and MOBAs.