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ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

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Re: ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

#51

Post by devilsdata »

Gigachad wrote: post #44
zozbot234 wrote: post #42

On the other hand, Linux still lacks a gamepad-focused UX out of the box, which is the real selling proposition of this device. These handheld PC's are not inherently "gaming" machines, they could have all sorts of interesting enterprise-focused uses out in the field if we managed to find a nice way of centering the whole UX interaction on those weird chorded buttons and analog controls.

This is not true of SteamOS and Bazzite. The entire OS is controller supported. I have my desktop running Bazzite plugged in to the TV with no kb/m. Can do everything from updating the system, changing the screen resolution, formatting sd cards, etc with just a controller.

As for the enterprise part of OP's comment, Bazzite is a community-contributed OCI container (similar to a Docker container) running on top of a Fedora bootc spin with GNOME or KDE. It is trivial for a company to add their own RUN instructions to the OCI Containerfile.

Here's a working one that I prepared earlier that installs 1Password on Bazzite GNOME and Bluefin:

https://github.com/lkdm/Phoenix

Re: ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

#52

Post by heavyset_go »

klipklop wrote: post #31

I know this is extreme, but people buying these Xbox handhelds over a Steam Deck are directly harming the future of gaming on PC. It's time that the PC gaming ecosystem breaks free from its dependency on Windows. Proton and SteamOS, combined with the unpopular mess that is Windows 11 is the perfect opportunity to do so. The long-term end goal for Microsoft is to lock down Windows and force signed code. Once users are…

> The long-term end goal for Microsoft is to lock down Windows and force signed code

Defender already forces binaries to be signed by developers that spent money on certs from Microsoft-certified CAs.

Pull those certs, or don't use them at all, and 99.999% of users will not figure out how to run what they want, because the OS will trick them into thinking they're about to get owned by Russian hackers for just thinking about running something that wasn't blessed by Microsoft.

Re: ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

#53

Post by gjsman-1000 »

Uvix wrote: post #50
klipklop wrote: post #31

I know this is extreme, but people buying these Xbox handhelds over a Steam Deck are directly harming the future of gaming on PC. It's time that the PC gaming ecosystem breaks free from its dependency on Windows. Proton and SteamOS, combined with the unpopular mess that is Windows 11 is the perfect opportunity to do so. The long-term end goal for Microsoft is to lock down Windows and force signed code. Once users are…

Steam is doing the same thing as Microsoft, between DRM-locking everything so you don't own it, and gatekeeping what titles are actually allowed in their store. They're both locking you into their vision of the future.

If Gabe Newell gets hit by a bus, what happens when his estate sells majority control to pay the inheritance and estate taxes?

With federal taxes of 40% over $15 million, there's no way his estate maintains majority control, no matter Gabe's good intentions. After that, we can look forward to Microsoft Steam. Or, if the FTC is annoyed, Amazon Steam.

Re: ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

#54

Post by Uvix »

Gigachad wrote: post #44
zozbot234 wrote: post #42

On the other hand, Linux still lacks a gamepad-focused UX out of the box, which is the real selling proposition of this device. These handheld PC's are not inherently "gaming" machines, they could have all sorts of interesting enterprise-focused uses out in the field if we managed to find a nice way of centering the whole UX interaction on those weird chorded buttons and analog controls.

This is not true of SteamOS and Bazzite. The entire OS is controller supported. I have my desktop running Bazzite plugged in to the TV with no kb/m. Can do everything from updating the system, changing the screen resolution, formatting sd cards, etc with just a controller.

How do you install non-Steam games (e.g. from GOG)? Last I tried that still required dropping to desktop mode and using mouse/keyboard.

Re: ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

#55

Post by zozbot234 »

Gigachad wrote: post #44
zozbot234 wrote: post #42

On the other hand, Linux still lacks a gamepad-focused UX out of the box, which is the real selling proposition of this device. These handheld PC's are not inherently "gaming" machines, they could have all sorts of interesting enterprise-focused uses out in the field if we managed to find a nice way of centering the whole UX interaction on those weird chorded buttons and analog controls.

This is not true of SteamOS and Bazzite. The entire OS is controller supported. I have my desktop running Bazzite plugged in to the TV with no kb/m. Can do everything from updating the system, changing the screen resolution, formatting sd cards, etc with just a controller.

Bazzite does include the Steam frontend but that's a proprietary system, it's not something that the Linux/FLOSS community came up with. The KDE folks are starting to look into remote-control focused "10-foot" media center interfaces (see the Plasma Bigscreen project) that are also somewhat applicable to gamepad control (though these handheld devices generally come with touchscreens too, and this creates additional affordances) but that's a bit of a too little and too late situation. We need far more than that to make this novel class of devices usable for genuine production uses.

Re: ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

#56

Post by jay_kyburz »

cortesoft wrote: post #47
klipklop wrote: post #31

I know this is extreme, but people buying these Xbox handhelds over a Steam Deck are directly harming the future of gaming on PC. It's time that the PC gaming ecosystem breaks free from its dependency on Windows. Proton and SteamOS, combined with the unpopular mess that is Windows 11 is the perfect opportunity to do so. The long-term end goal for Microsoft is to lock down Windows and force signed code. Once users are…

I love my Steam Deck, but it is really frustrating how many of the games i regularly play can't be played on it - Madden, EA FC, PUBG, all won't run even though the hardware is plenty to play them. The limitations of anti cheat on Linux might be insurmountable

I love the idea of my Steam Deck, but most steam games just aren't make for tiny 720 screens. I'm an old man now, I can't read tiny fonts.

Also, the face buttons are just to far to the right. My thumb will begin aching after 15 mins or so. Other controllers are far more comfortable.

To be honest. I like my Playdate more than my Steam Deck.

Re: ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

#57

Post by Gigachad »

Uvix wrote: post #54
Gigachad wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not true of SteamOS and Bazzite. The entire OS is controller supported. I have my desktop running Bazzite plugged in to the TV with no kb/m. Can do everything from updating the system, changing the screen resolution, formatting sd cards, etc with just a controller.

How do you install non-Steam games (e.g. from GOG)? Last I tried that still required dropping to desktop mode and using mouse/keyboard.

I hardly ever do that, but the one time I did (for Minecraft) I did just drop down to desktop mode and used the trackpad and touch screen. This wasn’t really to do with Linux though. Minecraft does not provide any way to install and log in with controller support.

After I installed it one time, I added it to Steam and could launch and update it with a controller. In theory GOG could integrate with Bazzite to offer a controller friendly store and UI. But considering they haven’t even bothered with a desktop Linux client, I’m not holding my breath.

Re: ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

#58

Post by someNameIG »

vondur wrote: post #30
guidedlight wrote: post #4

I wonder if this is why Xbox Series X never achieved a noticeable performance advantage over PlayStation 5, despite having more capable hardware.

I also heard that the PlayStation 5 graphics API's are more optimized to the hardware than DirectX is. Not sure if that's true though.

I've heard that too. And also Xbox had 2 different DirectX APIs, one more customised to the console, and one that's the standard Windows DirectX which is not as performant. From what I've heard most devs used the latter as it made porting the PC version of the game easier, and sales on Xbox would be tiny compared to PlayStation (1/3rd the install base, sales even less than that due to Xbox users not buying games and just using gamepass) there was less incentive to optimise.

Re: ROG Xbox Ally runs better on Linux than Windows it ships with

#59

Post by ZenoArrow »

cortesoft wrote: post #47
klipklop wrote: post #31

I know this is extreme, but people buying these Xbox handhelds over a Steam Deck are directly harming the future of gaming on PC. It's time that the PC gaming ecosystem breaks free from its dependency on Windows. Proton and SteamOS, combined with the unpopular mess that is Windows 11 is the perfect opportunity to do so. The long-term end goal for Microsoft is to lock down Windows and force signed code. Once users are…

I love my Steam Deck, but it is really frustrating how many of the games i regularly play can't be played on it - Madden, EA FC, PUBG, all won't run even though the hardware is plenty to play them. The limitations of anti cheat on Linux might be insurmountable

> The limitations of anti cheat on Linux might be insurmountable

Why is it insurmountable? It's not like it's impossible for the companies that produce anti-cheat solutions to get them running on Linux.

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