Linux gaming is faster because Windows APIs are becoming Linux kernel features

Post by peesem » Thu, May 14, 2026, 1:01 AM UTC

asveikau wrote: post #339

This is a fluffy, non-technical article so I googled NTSYNC. It seems like they implement Win32 events, semaphores, mutex and WaitForMultipleObjects. It's curious that they didn't do this as file descriptors that can be epolled. For example I think you could do semaphores and events with eventfd(2), which always struck me as inspired by those Win32 objects somehow. But maybe this is a simpler purpose built interface.

Post by 12_throw_away » Thu, May 14, 2026, 1:01 AM UTC

funimpoded wrote: post #56

jdubs1984 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft/Xbox is in the process of losing the living room permanently in the next gen if you ask me. I don't know what they could do spanner tossing wise to really screw w/ Linux gaming at this point that wouldn't just drive more frustrated customers off their platform.

That might make room for Apple to finally try. The AppleTV is already in a similar tier to modern consoles, as far as specs and benchmarks go. Most of what's missing is a first-party controller and a marketing push. Disk space is tight, too, I guess. Still, they're most of the way to having a horse in the race, if they want to. I reckon a successful launch of the Steam box (or whatever they're calling it) with its en…

Post by globalnode » Thu, May 14, 2026, 1:07 AM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #330

bonzini wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At the time of DOS, x86 didn't have multiple privileges. The system call instruction was typically INT, the software interrupt instruction. Later on the 386 Intel added virtual 8086 mode which trapped to the kernel privileged instruction exception also for certain instructions that had to be virtualized, among them INT.

Yes, exactly. We used a set of INT instructions in well-known low memory addresses that all jumped to the same place. We had an ASM file that you linked with, that had sixteen different address combinations for each. The common entry point would look back on the stack and calculate from the return address which entry point had been called, and run the appropriate kernel call. We called it the CS:IP hack. In the conte…

Post by Gigachad » Thu, May 14, 2026, 1:11 AM UTC

Mariajaved906 wrote: post #212

9x39 wrote: post #211

Finding a way to get the multiplayer studios to get Linux support for their competitive games like Valve does could crack a wedge in the market for mainstream users to get in, particularly in those who don't want to pay the Windows tax (not everyone is willing to experiment or go unlicensed). I can't prove it, but the Steam Deck has probably torn down a lot of barriers for mainstream use among the crowd that care abo…

Yeah, anti-cheat support is probably the biggest barrier right now. The Steam Deck already showed that many gamers do not really care about the OS as long as their favorite games work smoothly.

Post by eightysixfour » Thu, May 14, 2026, 1:14 AM UTC

harry8 wrote: post #329

KennyBlanken wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Online multiplayer games keep trying to allow linux users in and keep having to lock them out because there's an instant influx of cheaters. The Nintendo Switch (which runs Linux) was a favorite of cheaters after jailbreaks came out. When anyone can compile and run their own kernel with god knows what for modifications, that makes it substantially easier for cheaters and substantially harder for anti-cheat. I don't s…

The status quo's days are numbered. Online chess shows how. An AI will play these games like a human but better. The AI can be totally separate from the windows box wearing anti-cheat ankle bracelets just as your brain a separate thing to the windows box when when you play. It can interact with the box via keyboard, mouse or controller. No windows kernel module is useful in detecting and deterring chess cheating no m…