From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
A big reason that a lot of end-users --especially in the home market--
stick with Windows is that a lot of games just don't run on Linux,
even with compatibility shims and emulation layers like Proton and
Wine. This is less because of any deficiencies with Linux and more
because publishers use Windows-specific (and proprietary) hacks that
they never bother to port to alternate operating systems. These
include DRM technologies like Denuvo, and anti-cheat technologies like
Easy Anti-Cheat. And a lot of the big triple-A games use stuff like
that, and are thus incompatible with Linux.
So gamers don't flock to Linux because the games aren't there, and
games aren't ported because there are no gamers.
But there's one less excuse now because publisher Pysonix has gotten
the Easy Anti-Cheat system working on Linux with their own game,
Rocket League.* And kudos to Epic (who own the Easy Anti-Cheat
software) for one-upping Valve (and other publishers) by helping them
with this.
(although to be fair, Psyonix did manage this bit of high-end hackery
using Proton, a compatibility layer that itself was developed in part
by Valve).
Still, this gives publishers one less reason not to offer Linux
versions. Any claims that if they port to linux they'll be unleashing
hordes of cheaters into their games because anti-cheat software can't
be made to work with that OS have been now debunked.
While I don't see 2026 as being The Year Of The Linux Desktop, I think
we are slowly moving closer to that long-expected date. Customers are
becoming increasingly dissatisfied with Windows itself, even as the
actual platform the game runs on becomes less and less important.
Between mobile gaming, streaming and new alternatives like SteamOS,
the once-dominant Windows monopoly is slowly starting to erode.
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* story:
https://www.techradar.com/gaming/steam-deck/rocket-league-has-a-new-easy-anti-cheat-addition-and-it-still-works-on-the-steam-deck-its-about-time-for-other-game-devs-to-follow-suit
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