Experiences of LINUX games running in PC-Mode (or via SteamOS etc.)

[justclaws]

For this thread, LINUX games - natively installed, or installed via a service.

One of the key points about the new VCS over a normal console is that you can run other platforms on it,
via PC-mode. e.g. Ubuntu Linux, Fedora Linux, SteamOS, GamerOS. (Even AtariOS installed to another disk).

The most popular games service is probably Steam, but I shop around for Indie games.
As SteamOS is only an older version of Ubuntu, it can be problematic, due to out-of-date drivers etc..
The VCS chip is far newer than the last release of SteamOS. 
IMHO it is better to use Ubuntu directly, and install Steam client as normal. I use an external USB 3.1 SSD.

Some gamers just prefer to use a keyboard and mouse, and the machine has 2 USB ports under the front edge.
In PC mode any USB device should work, as it supports USB 3.1, and so this opens up a lot of interesting options.

The first demonstration is linked here. This is not my video.
I myself also have Ubuntu Linux running on my VCS, as a dual-boot.
 

 

He also posted a follow-up.

 

[justclaws]

Tonight, I installed Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on an external SSD (USB 3.1), and installed Steam on that.
Lots of updates to get Steam working these days, but eventually had all the 32-bit packages added.
It's a bit irritating to install Steam direct from the website, then need dozens of updates to that...

Ubuntu was a bit flakey with the VCS WIFI, so I plugged a USB WIFI dongle in a USB port also.
No problems at all with the Ethernet, but I didn't want to run a cable so far across the room. ?
On the lounge TV, I tried it on Ethernet and WIFI, and no problems, but for this, I needed a table.

Also, incidentally, I'm using a Logitech K400 wireless keyboard+touchpad. It just worked straight
away on both AtariOS and Ubuntu (but I knew that in advance of course). It uses a USB dongle.

Also I paired the Atari Classic controller no problem with Ubuntu, and it just worked. No problem.
Likewise with the controller. For the people who decide that for whatever reason they must wipe
AtariOS completely, and purge the internal SSD, they should think of the controller updates... 

So, as it was one of the fastest things to install, and it was late, I installed "Fox n Forests" as I
saw rave previews for an Amico sequel. Yeah, it was $1.99, it is OK at that price. It's pixel art,
and it looked a lot better on my laptop. I found out for some functions I needed the gamepad. 

While I was playing that, Missile Command was installing in the background. VCS fan was idle.
I have several other Linux games to install, but not tonight. I didn't start until late because I
was playing with "A Fart for Melusina". I keep think Melania for some reason. It's a fun game!

So, a few minutes later, I launched Missile Command Recharged via Steam. It does seem it's the
classic controller which needs an update for consistency, not AtariOS, as the cursor didn't move
on Bluetooth, but it worked fine in other games on BlueTooth. The other things is that the game
looked so much LESS nice from Steam under Linux, than then AtariOS version on the same box.
I will do some screen comparisons. I don't think I imagined the differences. ?
Also, I soon found that I need to update the video-driver too, as it had multi-coloured glitches.

Now though it's late, and I'm not taking photos, screenshots or video today. It's 1:17 am here.

I'll fix everything on Ubuntu for Steam, and then install another SSD with Windows 10 so that
I can play the other game in my Steam library, my GOG titles, and my Humble Bundle stuff.
Also, I have some Xbox games, so I'll install one of the Xbox emulators, under Linux if I can.
It's actually Android-X86 which intrigues me most. It will be funny running up Android games
on it, when so many people thought the VCS was had a low-cost Arm CPU running Android. ?

I work with Linux every day usually, but just because a server has a 48 core CPU, 256 GB RAM, 
and hundreds of GB of SSD attached, doesn't make it a good games machine. Mostly, when I
connect to them remotely, it's only via SSH. I like having a console I can SSH into, remotely.

Cheers, to anybody who cares about this. Richard.

[zzip]

13 hours ago, justclaws said:

Tonight, I installed Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on an external SSD (USB 3.1), and installed Steam on that.
Lots of updates to get Steam working these days, but eventually had all the 32-bit packages added.
It's a bit irritating to install Steam direct from the website, then need dozens of updates to that...

The Steam client will update itself every week, sometimes with sizeable patches.  It's annoying, but get ready for that

[justclaws]

For the Atari AND Intellivision retro fans, this is a nice free shooter on Itch.IO.
It isn't a final version, but it was already fun for a quick blast, for a few minutes.
Linux or Windows or MacOS.
https://fortyseven.itch.io/lasersmash

 

[leech]

On 12/21/2020 at 9:53 AM, justclaws said:

For this thread, LINUX games - natively installed, or installed via a service.

One of the key points about the new VCS over a normal console is that you can run other platforms on it,
via PC-mode. e.g. Ubuntu Linux, Fedora Linux, SteamOS, GamerOS. (Even AtariOS installed to another disk).

The most popular games service is probably Steam, but I shop around for Indie games.
As SteamOS is only an older version of Ubuntu, it can be problematic, due to out-of-date drivers etc..
The VCS chip is far newer than the last release of SteamOS. 
IMHO it is better to use Ubuntu directly, and install Steam client as normal. I use an external USB 3.1 SSD.

Some gamers just prefer to use a keyboard and mouse, and the machine has 2 USB ports under the front edge.
In PC mode any USB device should work, as it supports USB 3.1, and so this opens up a lot of interesting options.

The first demonstration is linked here. This is not my video.
I myself also have Ubuntu Linux running on my VCS, as a dual-boot.
 

 

He also posted a follow-up.

 

Just a nitpick, SteamOS is Debian based, not Ubuntu based.  They also haven't even updated it to the current Debian base.

 

I need to verify, but I think as long as you are running a current version of Mesa and xorg, you should be fine on using most games / programs without corruption.  Pretty sure people should be installing Ubuntu 20.10 instead of 20.04 due to the mesa libraries.

 

As far as performance?  GTA V runs great through Proton.  I set it to mostly high settings at 720p and it still ran at 45-65 fps.  I think the PS3 version caps at 30, and the PS4  version is more like the VCS one running Linux.

Other people had managed to get Doom (2016) to run, but it froze for me.  But Tomb Raider remake looked very good on it.

 

I also benchmarked Civ VI.  Seemed to work fine, just of course slower than by beast desktop (2080 RTX, i9-9900k, 64gb of ram) but that is to be expected.  It might really bog down with a lot of AI and stuff going on!

 

PCSX2 and Dolphine also run 40-60 fps, so not too shabby!

[justclaws]

I accidentally posted this in the Windows thread at first. Oops.
This is just a video about installing GamerOS.

There is a comment about setting up secure boot stopping AtariOS booting.
I have not tested that myself, or GamerOS. I guess I have to try GamerOS too!
 

 

[Zoyx]

Disabling secure boot doesn't prevent you from booting into AtariOS. Switching from UEFI boot type to Legacy boot type does.

1 hour ago, justclaws said:

There is a comment about setting up secure boot stopping AtariOS booting.
I have not tested that myself, or GamerOS. I guess I have to try GamerOS too!

 

 

[leech]

Not sure exactly what it was I had changed, but there was a setting that prevents the eMMC from booting right, so you could not see them in the AltOS.