Gaming At Its Best

I had an amazing day in the world of computing today! As a long-time Windows gamer, I never thought I’d say this, but thanks to my newfound understanding of the power of Wine and Lutris, gaming on Linux has become a whole new experience!

I used to struggle to get games running smoothly under Linux, but now I’m hooked! With Wine’s prefix in games, I’ve been able to play titles that are impossible to run natively on Windows. Klingon Horror Guard, anyone? The possibilities are endless!

Lutris – it’s like having a superpower at your fingertips! With its intuitive interface and seamless integration with Wine, I can play any game I want without worrying about compatibility issues.

I’ve said goodbye to BF5 (RIP) but hello to the nostalgia-filled world of BF4 and 42! The thrill of online multiplayer combat is still alive and well in my gaming heart. And let’s be real – EA might need to rethink its approach with those anti-Linux patches, which are clearly anti-cross-platform kernel patches in disguise.

So here’s to Wine, Lutris, and the power of open-source gaming: may it forever change the way we play and enjoy our favorite games!

Good bye forever with windows.

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Can you explain Wine’s prefix?
I am not a gamer. It seems to me this must be something new in Wine or others would have found it?

Your enthusiasm is infectious.

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Edited, in the screenshot ending 47 you will see the wine glass, in the game that showing, this is where you will setup all the features for the game.
When you create a Wine Prefix, you’re essentially setting up a custom environment for running a specific Windows-based game or application. This allows Wine to simulate the exact same environment that would be present if you were running it natively on Windows. No more compatibility issues or patches needed!

For example, let’s say you want to play Klingon Horror Guard, a game that’s only available on Windows. With Wine Prefix, you can create a custom environment for this game and run it without any issues. It’s like having a mini-Windows setup within your Linux system, tailored specifically for each individual game or app.

So here’s to Wine, Lutris, and the power of open-source gaming: may it forever change the way we play and enjoy our favorite games!"




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So why has the gaming community not fallen in love with this?
Is it slow maybe?

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When Valve did a native Linux client and native Linux version of L4D2 (killing zombie game) and Serious Sam 3 - some 13ish years ago - I stopped dual booting… and never looked back…

Then even more top shelf games got native Linux versions, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands The Pre-Sequel…

Then Valve pumped money into wine and we got Steam Play and Proton…

Then we got the Steam Deck…

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@daniel.m.tripp

So is the old idea that you need Windows to run games well and truly gone?

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I do not think so!!!

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Thanks for answering that part, i had seen it but never used it, I now have a solution for an app I had tried running and failed as I was missing one windows part.

@nevj
It is because of the learning needed to be done, most just one to click and play

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@callpaul.eu
Learning to use winetricks properly often leads to that exact realization: “Why didn’t I learn this sooner?” It significantly reduces the friction of running non-native software and makes the Linux environment even more self-sufficient.

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I hope this guide help every buddy become a better linux user and feel confident enough to ditch windows :grinning_face: I will be adding in more like how to configure for Lutris to see find your cd rom for those games that need Insertdisk when lutris cant find the CD rom device and more. This is a basic guide only. Setting Attributes

How-To: Get Started with Lutris and Configure Specific Audio Devices

Are you new to Lutris? Do you want to know how to set up and play your favorite games on this fantastic platform, and also configure specific audio devices for Wine/Lutris games? Look no further! This guide will walk you through the basic steps of using Lutris and configuring specific audio devices.

Step 1: Set Up Your Game Options

To start, open Lutris and navigate to the game you want to play. Right-click on the game icon and select “Configure.” From there, choose “Game options” at the top of the window.

Here, you’ll set up the locations of the executable where the Wine Prefix will go. You can choose between 32-bit or 64-bit architecture for your game. This is only setting up the attributes for that game only - each game requires its own setup.

Step 2: Configure Runner Options and Enable Winetricks

Next, navigate to the “Runner options” tab in the same window. Here, you’ll find a dropdown menu labeled “Wine prefix.” Select the desired wine prefix from the list. Additionally, make sure to enable Winetricks by checking the box next to it.

Step 3: Find the Name of Your Audio Device

Step 1: Find the Name of Your Audio Device

Important, Most you can leave at default

Open your terminal and use the following command to list all your audio sinks (output devices) and their exact names:

bash

pactl list short sinks

The output will look something like this:

0   alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo    module-alsa-card.c  s16le 2ch 44100Hz   SUSPENDED
1   alsa_output.usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Siberia_350-00.analog-stereo    module-alsa-card.c  s16le 2ch 44100Hz   RUNNING

Identify the exact name of the device you want to use. In the example above, the SteelSeries headset name is:

alsa_output.usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Siberia_350-00.analog-stereo

Copy this name exactly.


Step 2: Configure Lutris Runner Options

Now, tell Lutris to use that specific device when launching your game.

  1. Open Lutris.
  2. Right-click on the specific game you want to configure.
  3. Select Configure.
  4. Navigate to the Runner options tab.
  5. Scroll down to the System options section (or find the area to add environment variables).
  6. Add a new Key-Value pair:
Key Value
PULSE_SINK alsa_output.usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Siberia_350-00.analog-stereo

(Replace the Value with the exact name you copied from Step 1).


Step 3: Verify and Play

  1. Click Save or Apply in the Lutris configuration window.
  2. Launch your game.

The game should now bypass the system default and play audio through your specified headset or speakers. If you switch back to your system’s default setting later, simply remove the PULSE_SINK key from the Lutris configuration.

The game should now bypass the system default and play audio through your specified headset or speakers. If you switch back to your system’s default setting later, simply remove the PULSE_SINK key from the Lutris configuration.

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I saw this today about Linux, Wine, and gaming.

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I’ve found Steam’s Proton layer to be a real game changer for gaming on Linux. Admittedly, there are still some applications (Sims 4 for example) that I run through Wine directly, but it really is so unbelievably plug-and-play for virtually everything in my Steam library. I previously used Wine, but haven’t found in the last few years that I’ve had as much need for it.

I’ve recently had the opportunity to spend a bit of time using a Mac; with the death of Whisky and the cost of Crossover, it really seems so much easier to just use my Linux desktop as the sole gaming driver. Unreal how much Linux Gaming has come on since I started playing with Linux; long may it continue :slight_smile:

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I see 2 factors helping increase Linux’s desktop share

  • gaming improvements
  • Win requiring a new machine every time they make a release.

Can you add any others?

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I definitely think Valve investing so heavily in Linux compatibility for their Steam Deck has helped massively. I remember it being quite a faff to individually run each game with wine; it can temperamental if you switch between windows on your computer, anti-cheat stuff at the kernel level is a pain, and if you use mods or trainers you’re in for a right ball–ache… You had some native porting, but it was few and far between.

Whereas now, if there’s a game in my Steam library? Regardless of who developed it, whether they were thinking about Linux or not, at least 9/10 times it literally just works from the launcher. I tend to play a lot of older games, indie stuff, so things with solo devs who typically don’t have the manpower to port or even just check out compatibility. So it’s great to just plug and play. And then you’ve got community efforts like ProtonDB where you can quickly troubleshoot and get solutions from thousands of other players, rather than troubleshooting some obscure VN from 2002.

The Windows 11 push helped a bit too, with the months after Windows 10 EOL prompting a new record for Linux players on Steam in the following months.

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Sadly F1 which are EA is the only game I play that doesn’t work, I have a racing sim setup and have to use Windows for this one game. Every other game I play, Linux all the way. First thing I did when I purchased an ROG Ally X, put Bazzite on it. I now refer to Windows as a compatibility layer (when I’m not calling it Microslop :rofl:)

Welcome to the team!

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