Abedsbrother: I recently switched from Linux back to Windows. The OC software for Radeon is still subpar on Linux, and I couldn't play the games I wanted to play. It's that simple. I ran RebornOS, which is basically GUI-based Arch.

Even adding the additional boot parameter to enable Radeon overclocking, programs like CoreCtrl and radeon-settings just don't have enough options for overclocking / undervolting Navi. I either had to let the gpu clock itself - which resulted in the fans running at max b/c it was so hot - or massively down-clocking it to 1750mhz (which is the default 'game clock' and can be selected in Radeon settings). I wasn't expecting the full Radeon Software suite on Linux, a default driver app with some basic clock & fan functionality would have been appreciated.

And yes, CoreCtrl only offers 3 sliders for controlling Navi clock speed - 300mhz, 800mhz, or 2000mhz. I want more functionality than that. Already had that argument half a dozen times in various forums with the supposedly-great "Linux community."

Here are some of the games I wanted to play that wouldn't run (or ran poorly):
- Agents of Mayhem (2 fps)
- F1 2014 (crash at launch)
- RAGE (texture corruption)
- Saints Row 2 (crash at launch, native & Proton versions)
- Saints Row 3 (crash at launch, native & Proton versions)
- The Bureau XCOM Declassified (crash at launch)
- Just Cause 2 (crash at launch)
- Empire Total War (crash at launch, native & Proton versions)
- Far Cry Primal (red texture flickering, no sound & low fps)
- Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (failed to request key)

Both Saints Row 2 and 3 ran fine in their GOG versions, but I wanted to run the Steam versions to play co-op with people on Steam (something about CEG drm made them crash? That's what ppl told me). There were some surprising successes - Halo MCC ran perfectly, though only only in mod mode since EAC compatibility wasn't a thing at the time. SMAA actually works in the Linux version of Rise of the Tomb Raider. And Singularity ran perfectly in Proton but needs additional tinkering in Windows.

In the end, Linux wouldn't let me do what I wanted to do. Which for each individual user is all that matters. So goodbye Linux, welcome back Windows.

Orkhepaj: Similar experience, and I really don't want to constantly search how to fix games. Wish games would be just click and play.

.Keys: As you know by the other post, Im starting to use Linux Mint, and, as a rookie, I admit that it requires a lot of work to make things function properly. Still, if we weigh it, Linux gets more positives than negatives, making that extra work valid.

Magmarock: Yeah that makes a lot of sense. I'm sure if Linux getting better at gaming would be a good thing. On one hand you'd have something other than Windows to play PC games on; but on the other you'll probably end up with the same kind of issues.

Magmarock: Perhaps a repository like googleplay would help. You could also implement a feature similar to apk extract to get DRM free game working. Either way I think that's how it could work.

Magmarock: From time to time I decide to give desktop Linux another try. It’s differently gotten a lot better over the years but I still think it is perhaps the worst choice of platform for gaming.

Magmarock: However, if it’s closed source or premium (something you pay for) it’s code can’t be looked at by the POP staff. So when they update the OS the close source stuff which worked before gets left behind while everything else gets updated to work with the new version of the OS.

Orkhepaj: so what are the positives?

timppu: I mainly like using Linux because it takes minimal amount of control away from me, the user. I don't get a similar feeling with consoles, and less and less in Windows too, that I am in control.

Magmarock: I don’t have much experience with Proton but I do plan to check it out. However knowing that it works off of WINE has me concerned. I absolutely hate WINE and anything based on it. They say Wine is not an emulator but maybe if it was it would work a lot better. Wine does in fact synthesize a Windows environment and even use some of Window’s dll files to work. In my experience WINE and everything based on it has been slow, glitchy and in consistent so I stay away from it.

timppu: I am not sure if it is the "worst" platform for gaming, as I am unsure what platforms you are comparing, and what your criteria are (e.g. I personally don't like console gaming overall because of their over-reliance on controlling the gamer, DRM etc., and also the generally higher price of games, which is why I have only bought one game (Minecraft) for our Nintendo Switch so far)...

...but if you are specifically comparing Linux to Windows, then it is a rather easy win for Windows because "Linux gaming" mostly means trying to run Windows games, outside of Windows. So of course Windows has a home-field advantage in PC gaming, regardless of how good WINE, Lutris, Proton etc. have become.

I mainly like using Linux because it takes minimal amount of control away from me, the user. I don't get a similar feeling with consoles, and less and less in Windows too, that I am in control.

When my Nintendo Switch gets a firmware update, I quite naturally presume its main point is try to make it harder for the user to hack the device (like some firmware version did, and Switch modders advice using older Switch models with older firmwares), ie. the updates are mostly to serve the interests of Nintendo, rather than the user, and with Windows updates I quite often get a similar feeling, e.g. MS adding some telemetry for its own interest.

When my Linux systems get updates, by default I feel they are coming to directly benefit me, the user. Security enhancements, new features I might find useful etc. Not more telemetry, restrictions, control...timppu: I am not quite sure what your point is there. Do you mean to say new Windows updates or versions never break backwards compatibility? After all, even GOG warns in many of its games:

"Please be advised that Windows 10 operating system will receive frequent hardware driver and software updates following its release; this may affect game compatibility."

If anything, Linux is better in this regard because it is much easier and straightforward to just freeze your Linux system to a certain version, never receiving any more updates... while Windows tries to push and even force updates to the user (at least Home users).

.Keys: Imo, the FOSS concept is worth enough:

- The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose
- The freedom to study how the program works and change it so it does your computing as you wish
- The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
- The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others

https://itsfoss.com/history-of-foss/

Free as freedom of spech, freedom of expression, etc. This alone creates an environment of learning.

Also:

.Keys:

Orkhepaj: I bet you are just an alt

Magmarock: Wrong again, I can play a game from 98 called Heart of Darkness in Win 10 without any mods or patches. You can’t do anything like that with anything else. The fact that Microsoft was able to tap into the Console market with the xbox, (despite what you may think of it) proves that they know what they’re doing. When you like at things like Visual Studio Dot Net Direct X you can not deny thing. No sir, Window’s high backwards compatibility is due to the way Microsoft built it. It’s not perfect, but nothing else comes close to it. Except perhaps the xbox.

timppu: I have the opposite experience, and WINE has worked surprisingly well for me, at least for older (GOG) games where I've tried it. In some cases, like Icewind Dale 2 and Dark Reign, it has worked even better than real Windows (at least Windows 10, and even Windows 7).

For new games, I'd primarily try to run them on Windows 10 because that is their target system.

Orkhepaj: Similar experience, and I really don't want to constantly search how to fix games. Wish games would be just click and play.

timppu: Yeah, but still I've had lots of issues getting Star Wars: Dark Forces 2 (GOG version) to run passably on Windows 10. I wish it was just click and play, but no it isn't. Instead it is about experimenting and researching dgVoodoo2 config files, or JKGFXMOD, just to get that old Windows game work on Windows 10.

I had much more problems getting e.g. the GOG version of Icewind Dale 2 to run passably on Windows 10, than in Linux Mint with WINE. And in the end it runs smoother on Linux Wine, than Windows 10 with a dxwin dll fix.

.Keys: Im still trying to make Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen work well in WINE.
Graphically, it's nice, no artifacts, nor glitches, but the game is running in slow motion.

Orkhepaj: muh win10 is not perfect... and still better than linux

timppu: Yeah, I'd probably try to run it primarily on Windows too, as I consider it a relatively new game (a Windows 7/10 era game).