Every so often, when an online game gets support on Linux I give it a go. I almost immediately remember why I stopped playing them, most of them are cesspools of toxic pkayers, predatory micro (and mavro) transactions and the works. 100% of games worth playing run on linux already.

If it doesnt work on Linux I aint buying. Fucking manchilds without self respect.

This has been a common mode of discourse since the 90’s.

Who cares.

Folks that’re going to use Linux already are. Folks that are curious about it are trying it, and occasionally they post asking for help. Everybody else is using what they use and has no interest in changing.

I’m the other way around. I switched to Debian on my main around a year ago now and I’m like “oh, this game works, and this game works too, oh and that works as well, wow!”. Honestly, any game I threw at Debian, it just… worked. Granted, I don’t play very recent games and most of them either single player or does not have any serious anti cheat measures. Even VR works with ALVR and Steam VR, wirelessly on my (or rather my homie’s, just borrowed) Quest 2.

And not just games, a lot of Windows software just works with Wine.

So, before the change, I thought I need or use Windows exclusive software, and I did, but all of them are now have decent alternatives. Maybe except for Notepad++. (I use Kate and KWrite, but… I really don’t like those softwares, but they get the job done the same way np++ did)

So, I’m really surprised how well this past 1 year went without any issue.

But that’s kinda valid that if something doesn’t run, then people won’t change. You are talking about people who doesn’t care libre/FOSS software and all that jazz, they won’t change if it’s just simply worse.

I simmarily roll my eyes when people volunteer “I’ll go vegan as soon as lab grown meat is cheap, healthy and indistinguishable.” Every meat eater says this to me at some point.

Like okay, that’s nice? Lots of us live and thrive just fine without it, but even when all your hurdles are passed you’ll find some other reason.

Just own it and say you don’t care. Stop lying.

Hey it’s just like EVs or any other new technologies. The enthusiasts or believers will dive in first and deal with all the complicated setups. If it is actually better, these enthusiasts will form a company or already be a company who will create a product that will dominate the industry because they have a better product. Valve is definitely setup to be that company with the funds and competitive reasons to compete with Microsoft (windows/xbox store vs steam store). Steam store is their money maker but they face risks from Microsoft. Luckily Microsoft has to be careful due to antitrust issues because of their size, ie, Apple Store.

Be a cheerleader, encourage these people to take the dive. If you’re hating on people who want their stuff to just work you’ll never grow to get the casual pc / gamer user. Change is hard, most people are not looking to tinker.

I can’t believe I bought a windows license in July, back when I built my new PC - was planning to use Windows for games exclusively and Linux for everything else.

Haven’t booted into Windows since at least November, it’s a great feeling. Every game I play (including new releases) runs fine on Linux.

What a time to be alive!

(note: the only game I can’t play is Valorant, but that’s the same on Windows, too, as it requires secure boot)

Linux should have been a developer’s platform. Sadly it’s incredibly commercial now. Won’t be long before it becomes like Windows for the gAmErS.

If your computer is mainly a toy I really DGAF what you put up with to use it.

Why is it a lie if people don’t want to switch, because their games are not there yet? Maybe someone plays a lot League of Legends, or Fortnite, or Valorant, or Destiny 2 or whatever [insert your game here]. They don’t know what awaits them in Linux and think its a similar operating system without the bullshit of Microsoft. Lot of people would happily switch, if they have the courage to install it themselves (with burning iso or boot disks). If the games are the most important thing, then its hard to argue to switch, if their games are not working in Linux. Because doing so would mean leaving friends behind too.

Its not a lie. My brother is in a similar situation. He purchased a Steam Deck in a situation where he was thinking about getting a laptop. First it was nice, but then more and more he could not play the games he wanted to, besides a few software compatibility issues like Discord. Now the next PC he purchased (I build it for him) has Windows. Windows bugs him, but its a necessary evil. He will switch, if his games are working in Linux and if he can be confident that future games he want to play will work on Linux as well.

I’ve used linux on my laptops and non-gaming devices for a long time, but it took me a long time to switch my gaming desktop over. I’ve felt i could use linux full time most of the last 8 years (and especially for games since 2020 as i rarely play anything with anti-cheat anyway), but i only went linux on all devices as of 2 years ago when i built a new gaming PC so it required starting from scratch anyway, and aside from a few components i intended to retain for the new one, i could easily drop back to play a game if i ran into problems.

They won’t do it, whether they just fear change or think it’ll break stuff or they can’t bother

Not everyone has the time nor feels the need to just rip and replace on a dime. Not everyone has the luxury of multiple devices to gain confidence. Some people only have a handful of hours a week to play games, so switching OS isnt going to be an immediate priority sven if its their desire.

And I’m not going to lie, I don’t hate them or debate with them for it, I just hate the bold lies they tell just to get with the crowd

The world already has enough things to tear us all down, why flip a table and possibly be unable to game for a time just because doing it right away, according to you, is the only way to be honest or whatever. A vocal desire to dump windows doesnt equate to lying. Let people be excited about linux even if they dont make the switch themselves. Maybe their excitement inspires someone else to take the plunge who wouldn’t have done so otherwise.

Also, if you felt the need to write this rant, seems like you do kinda hate them.

At least don’t lie that you’ll move to Linux at a goal post that you’ll just move whenever you get close, maybe say that you’ll move to Linux when you finally get a new pc with a new disk or something?

even tho i knew i was “done” with the windows since like 2018, I just simply waited until it was convenient to switch. Should i have qualified every conversation where i discussed linux gaming with this? Idk, maybe just let people be excited about something, even if it takes them a long time to get to it.

Maybe they will, due in fucking 2028 or something when they invent a really easy way to use built in Linux tools to move your files from NTFS to Linux and then when you launch steam you have a perfect library of Linux compatible games that are as good or better than windows

Uh… This has existed a long time. Mounting ntfs on linux is rather easy. Even a windows boot disk. Just point steam at the library folder. In fact, my steam library is installed on ntfs in case i ended up dual booting or using gpu passthrough to a windows vm for a few items. If you’re gonna sit here and virtue signal about who is a real linux gamer or not maybe you’d at least know something as basic as mounting ntfs in linux…

As a Linux user, this post is exhausting.

SteamOS is exciting. Many people had their first proper experience of using Linux with the steamdeck and many of those thoroughly enjoy the experience. I imagine its a great comfort to know that your OS is being supported by the same people who gave you such a great experience in the past.

I’m sure theres a tiny fraction of people who absolutely are just moving the goalpost over and over, but most people just want something that works for them with minimal friction. SteamOS will do that, and it’ll be familiar.

I’m having ca 20 servers at home and the majority of those are linux. I love it. My main rig is still windows and will probably stay that way unless win12 won’t finally cure what pisses me off so damn much with 11. They won’t, obviously. But migration would be very hard. Most of my tools won’t run, most of my self made tools won’t run, most of my games won’t run, most 4 decades of internalization of shortcuts won’t cut it short anymore. And I won’t even start with the domain migration horrors as this one’s still MS. I would end up dual booting for eternity until I stop booting up one of the two.

So…my point is. I use the right tool for the right job.

I’m finally moving myself and my parents over to Linux this weekend. I’m putting them on Mint and I think I’ll probably be using Debian 12.

For the longest time it was games that prevented me from moving, but with what MS has been doing as of late, and especially with them trying to force copilot/recall onto systems/my Win 11 install refusing to get security updates anymore, I went and checked my entire game library on steam against the proton db and found the following.

95 of my games run natively on Linux. 31 of my games are rated platinum. 73 of my games are rated gold. 12 are rated silver. 3 are rated as bronze. 3 are unplayable.

This shocked me a little when I counted it out as this is a huge improvement compared to a few years ago.

The actual difficulties I will be facing are getting all of my music/sound production stuff functioning well enough to use.

But yes, anyone who claims they won’t move to Linux due to gaming in the contemporary is either sorely out of the loop or hard stuck silver in a game like Valorant which they cannot bring themselves to drop and artificially refuses to run on anything where it can’t have kernel level anti-cheat.

modern games are trash and slop

better to install linux and play retro games made by creative game devs