Linux Gaming: Are We There Yet?

"Over the past few years, there has been a common question on the Linux vs. Windows desktop front: does the Linux desktop have the ability to play various major release games, and if so what is the performance difference between the two? Linux is commonly overlooked as a viable gaming platform in most communities. Our intention today is to shed some light on what does and does not work inside Linux, as well as give solid performance data for those looking for another option in the gaming world. Each OS has areas where it shows superiority over the other, but for the sake of staying true to the purpose of this article we will only be focusing on the game performance/functionality differences.

"Unfortunately there are very few game releases that support running inside Linux natively. To combat this issue there are a few Linux projects that will allow Linux users to run Windows applications - note that we did not say "emulate Windows". We have selected three Linux projects in order to complete our initial round of testing. Our open source project selection "Wine" is a free, easily downloadable project that is created to support both Windows games and applications. The second selection, "Cedega", is a closed source implementation of Wine focused on gaming. The final selection is Crossover Games which like Cedega is a closed source implementation of Wine allowing for enhanced usability and gameplay over Wine.

"Some are probably asking at this point, what is Wine? The Wine project was started in 1993 to allow Windows applications to be run under Linux."

Complete Story

Related Stories:

• DNS Benchmark with Wine(Dec 28, 2009)
• Google Map Saver on Linux with Wine(Dec 21, 2009)
• Install MS office2007 on ubuntu using PlayOnLinux(Dec 17, 2009)
• How Necessary Is Windows Part 5 Crossover(Nov 27, 2009)
• Linux Got Game: Blob Wars ( Blob And Conquer)(Nov 24, 2009)
• Win a CodeWeavers Linux Gaming Rig(Nov 20, 2009)
• CodeWeavers releases CrossOver Games 8.1 for MAC and Linux(Nov 19, 2009)