| News | Features | Interviews |
| Blog | Contact | Editorials |
| Valve: L4D2 runs faster on Linux than on Windows |
| By Thom Holwerda, submitted by aargh on 2012-08-02 16:48:08 |
| From Valve's Linux blog: "That the Linux version runs faster than the Windows version (270.6) seems a little counter-intuitive, given the greater amount of time we have spent on the Windows version. However, it does speak to the underlying efficiency of the kernel and OpenGL." If it wasn't obvious before, it should be now: Valve has started its marketing campaign for Linux. With the Windows platform in the process of closing itself off, Valve has to look to greener pastures. This is all to motive third parties to get their stuff ready for a possible Linux-powered 'Steambox' - not a console, but a set of generic PC specifications. Remember: the Xbox is the only machine tied to DirectX - OpenGL runs everywhere else, including Windows (the PS3 is an oddball, and has a sort-of Sony-specific FrankenOpenGL). OpenGL simply makes more sense for developers, and now Valve is working very closely with Nvidia, AMD, and Intel to optimise their Linux drivers. Do the math, people. |
|
| OpenGL under Linux needs boost |
| By wigry on 2012-08-02 16:55:10 |
|
I am happy to see that OpenGL under Linux will get some more attention. I am an aviation enthusiast (both simmer and real pilot) and so far the OpenGL performance under Linux has been a problem to run X-Plane at full speed. So far the vendors (NVidia, AMD, Intel) have had not much interest to invest effort into tuning the OpenGL under Linux in their drivers. Valve is a serious force however to highlight the performance issues and hopefully the situation will get much much better. After that, other game producers will probably see a future in Linux as well and DirectX can be started to phase out. Edited 2012-08-02 16:56 UTC |
 - Score: 3 |
| RE: OpenGL under Linux needs boost |
| By smashIt on 2012-08-02 17:03:53 |
|
> Valve is a serious force however to highlight the performance issues and hopefully the situation will get much much better. valve is a serious force as a distributor, but not in games let's be honnest: as good as valves games are, they are few and far between |
| - Score: 3 |
| Not too fast |
| By fretinator on 2012-08-02 17:51:43 |
|
I am glad to hear OpenGL/Linux is faster that Windows/DirectX. However, a lot of Devs will only code for Windows. The question is (and maybe I missed it) is - is OpenGL/Windows faster than DirectX/Windows? A secondary question is how hard it is to code OpenGL for Windows Devs. If DirectX is still faster than OpenGL on Windows, there won't be a mass exodus. In addition, if OpenGL isn't somewhat easy for Windows Devs using Visual Studio and Microsoft libraries, they will continue using what they have. The bottom line, is once someone can convince Windows devs to use OpenGL, a good part of the battle is over. |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE: Not too fast |
| By robojerk on 2012-08-02 17:59:51 |
|
Linux, Android, iOS, PS3, Wii, and MacOS don't have Dirext3D/DirectX. All use OpenGL in some variant. As more people buy non Windows products, the demand for OpenGL games rises. If I were a game developer in today's world and wanted to maximize my potential customer pool I would definitely be looking at OpenGL, but I would still have a D3D port for Xbox and Windows. |
| - Score: 6 |
| RE[2]: OpenGL under Linux needs boost |
| By robojerk on 2012-08-02 18:06:14 |
|
True, but Valve isn't the only developer making Linux compatible games. Steam is a very healthy distribution platform, all the games using any of the idTech engines shouldn't require a lot of work to get running on Linux, all the CoD games have heavy roots from idTech3 so if the developer wanted to port their product to Linux it's not a great leap of the imagination. |
| - Score: 6 |
| aleluia |
| By Risthel on 2012-08-02 18:07:51 |
|
And finally the "Chicken or the Egg dilemma" was solved. Industry didn't developed Linux games cause of "poor device drivers", and on the same way, ATI, Nvidia and Intel didn't made better graphic drivers because there was no market for desktop games. Blizzard guys already said that they have a Linux native WOW client, used just by employees, and if they noticed that Windows 8 market is getting worse for distributing software out of the "Windows market", would not be do difficult to port games... |
| - Score: 4 |
| RE[2]: OpenGL under Linux needs boost |
| By przemo_li on 2012-08-02 18:14:10 |
|
Whatever you say the fact is that as soon as Valve expressed its interest in OSX, its users got better OpenGL drivers. Situation repeats itself when Valve start interesting in Linux. And if Valve is powerless, than I wish them more of it ;) Its good for Linux users ;) |
| - Score: 9 |
| RE: Not too fast |
| By przemo_li on 2012-08-02 18:16:27 |
|
Yes. After NVIDIA improved their drivers, OpenGL+Win started to be faster than DX+Win. (300 vs 270 vs 315 on Lin). Now with being said, Valve team thinks that they can speed DX too. So they will contact MS or Nvidia (or both) so they can work some nice solution. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[2]: Not too fast |
| By Kroc on 2012-08-02 18:16:27 |
|
Middleware my good man; it’s not 1996 any more. Many AAA games are done using middleware platforms because they don’t want to invest the time/talent doing raw ports to the different platforms; the game has to be released across platforms at the same time. (crappy, laggy ports ho!) Already the OpenGL/DX divide is for the most part non-existant other than for smaller titles and those developers who want/need custom/speed. What Valve may help drive is a _focus_ on OpenGL as the primary source of effort instead of DirectX. Traditionally OpenGL games on Windows have always been second fiddle to DirectX and that trend may eventually swing the other direction due to the weight of iOS/Android/PS3 vs. PC/XBox/WinPhone; even with middleware (optimisation is everything for mobile systems) Honestly, if it wasn’t for XBox, Microsoft would have already lost that grip. |
| - Score: 9 |
| The world will have changed |
| By Gone fishing on 2012-08-02 18:18:49 |
|
If valve make a Linux box to run games and make it easy to run games on desktop Linux. If this sells other games makers will port to Linux and the world will have changed. Soon everyone will be porting their apps to Linux. |
| - Score: 3 |
| News | Features | Interviews |
| Blog | Contact | Editorials |