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Games: Boutique Linux PC, Steam Runs On Nintendo Switch Using Valve's Proton Linux Beta, More on Valve's Proton 11 Beta
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Notebook Check ☛ Playnix: Boutique Linux PC released with better gaming performance than Valve Steam Machine
Valve has still not confirmed pricing or availability for the Steam Machine. In the meantime, the developer of EmuDeck is selling an alternative called Playnix, which should outperform the Steam Machine thanks to an AMD Radeon RX 9600 XT 16 GB GPU.
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Hot Hardware ☛ Steam Runs On Nintendo Switch Using Valve's Proton Linux Beta
BlueSky user aagaming posted a proof-of-concept video that shows Steam running on the Nintendo Switch. This feat required lots of manual tweaking, but actual game support is fairly limited despite how far along Proton, the compatibility layer Valve has developed that allows Windows software to run on Linux-based operating systems, has come. This is because the Arm branch of Proton integrates FEX, a utility for running x86 games on Arm architecture, and the Switch kernel is simply not able to handle that kind of heavy-duty workload.
In theory, the system should be able to play native Arm games on Linux just fine, but those are few and far between on Steam. What's most interesting about this story isn't that recent versions of Arm64 Linux, Steam, and Proton can be made to run on Nintendo Switch. Rather, it's the implications for the rest of the Arm-based PC market, ranging from budget gaming handhelds to premium thin-and-light laptops.
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TechSpot ☛ Valve's Proton 11 beta boosts Linux gaming with better performance and classic game support
Linux gaming is in a strong position right now, and things are likely to improve further in the foreseeable future. Valve is actively working to enhance Proton, the compatibility layer that enables Steam and many Windows games to run on Linux-based operating systems.
Valve has released a new beta version of Proton, the company's official compatibility layer for improving Linux gaming. Proton 11.0-beta1 is a notable update for several reasons, including improved support for running classic games from the 90s. The release also lays the groundwork for further improvements expected in the near future.