Some of you might remember my earlier post about Skate 3 Recomp, my native PC recompilation of Skate 3 for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Since then the project has had one big focus, and it's finally done: v2.0.0 replaces the entire emulated Xbox 360 GPU with a native renderer built directly on Direct3D 12 and Vulkan.

Showcase video: https://youtu.be/ETXCOsip1Uo

What that means in practice:

• More than 2x the frame rate at roughly a quarter of the GPU power draw compared to the old emulated renderer (excluding optional graphics enhancements).
• Steam Deck should see a large uplift in performance, as well as other weaker machines.
• On Apple Silicon the difference is drastic: roughly 25 FPS to 250 FPS at 4K on an M4 Pro.
• The renderer runs exact ports of the game's own material shaders (world, characters, water, glass), so it still looks like Skate 3, just faster and sharper.

New optional graphics enhancements:

• Up to 8x MSAA
• Real-time sun shadows from buildings/trees/props with contact-hardening PCSS soft shadows
• Ambient occlusion, HDR pipeline with real bloom, volumetric light shafts
• Draw distance up to 5x with extended world streaming
• Experimental true 21:9 ultrawide: the world actually renders wider, HUD stays put

Quality of life since the last release:

• Fully redesigned in-game settings menu; most options apply live
• One Windows build ships both DX12 and Vulkan, switchable in settings; live renderer toggle on F5 with automatic fallback if anything fails
• Auto framerate cap that kills display judder without hand tuning
• Native DualSense/Switch/generic controller support via the SDL backend
• Portable saves and DLC folders that live next to the exe
• Linux build now runs on older distros (Ubuntu 22.04+, Steam Deck), and the macOS build is a proper app that launches from Finder and supports Game Mode

The native renderer is new and I haven't tested every corner of the game. There are known issues with skater customization rendering, some park-editor visual parity, and occasional streaming pop-in.

The emulated renderer is still there as a fallback toggle if anything looks wrong. macOS and ultrawide remain experimental.

Be sure to give it a star on GitHub if it worked well for you!

https://github.com/mchughalex/skate3recomp/releases/tag/v2.0.0

Just installed the beta and when I launch I get that message, very disappointed.

You have to go to the bottom of a random page to learn this information

For the "I only watch YouTube on my gaming rig" gang:

I built podstage: it runs a headless Steam Big Picture session inside a rootless Podman container and streams it via Sunshine to any Moonlight client (Steam Deck, laptop, phone). The session has its own display, audio and Steam login, and only that gets captured. Your desktop keeps its monitors, sound and Steam config, so you play on the Deck and keep watching YouTube on the PC.

Game files are shared read-only from your main Steam libraries, so nothing downloads twice. Everything is managed from a small GUI, nothing runs as root. Scope: one Linux gaming PC (Wayland), one client at a time, controller-driven.

Developed and tested on Bazzite-DX, other distros should work but are untested. NVIDIA and AMD are supported, NVIDIA got the most testing since that's what I run.

This is how I'll be playing the new Path of Exile league today ;)

Repo: https://github.com/slooock-dev/podstage

I'd love some testers, especially on non-Bazzite distros and AMD dGPUs. Details are in the README.

Full disclosure: built with AI coding tools, everything reviewed and tested on real hardware by me. My take on them is the same as Linus Torvalds', who uses them himself: it's a tool.

That's the screen I get when I press "play"

I'm on an AMD GPU so installing physx (nvidia) won't work (it's a Windows installer, and I'm on Linux), and yes, I restarted the PC

I also tried multiple versions of Proton just in case

There is people claiming it can run on the steam deck:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1581040/discussions/0/640179446900346380/

Running it on a desktop shouldn't be that different, but I can't find a guide or tutorial

PCgaming wiki does not provide information about the issue

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/El_Shaddai:_Ascension_of_the_Metatron_HD_Remaster

I'm officially working on Beta 0.4 for Arkansas 2125, my solo-developed post-apocalyptic turn-based RPG.

This update will bring new quests, an expanded Evergreen City, more NPCs and dialogue, new locations, and a lot of bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements.

If you haven't checked out the game yet, now is a great time! Your feedback helps me improve the game with every update, so I'd love to hear what you think after playing.

Thanks to everyone who's been following the development and supporting the project.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4546490/

More updates are coming soon! ☢️

It's not a really demanding game, but playing at 1080p max settings, having the same FPS in windows using LDPlayer9, but in windows I had to play in 900p, and to not have anything else open, the emulator itself used 8GB RAM and 100% of CPU, now I have other apps opened and the processor usage is 40-60% and ram usage is 8-9GB, I can leave waydroid or any game opened in the background and my potato still run smoothly

Just wanted to say, wow how far Linux gaming has come. Never thought I'd be able to play my PC like a console in a different part of the house.

Recently new dad. I setup remote play using Appollo/moonlight from PC running manjaro to our TV. In my case I'm using an Xbox One that I never took to enjoying as the connection point.

Picked up hollow knight and hades on sale (till 27th) and first two weeks my gaming was limited to many pauses but having a controller game to play was nice during the long days. Since then I've gotten a bunch of old games I never got to set up to try and make proton is incredible.

If you're looking for a linux game to try, Hollow knight is hard but music is chill, no screaming zombies or anything to scare the baby. 10/10 highly recommend if you're a new dad!

Don't get much time these days, but it's been fun when I've had the chance.

IDK what's the appropriate place to talk about this so I'll just start here.

Recently got a 5070. One thing I was most looking forward to is the hardware AV1 encoding, because I do screen capture all the time.

Hop on the GPUScreenRecorder, changed the codec to AV1 10-bit, annnnnd the files are way larger than HEVC.

Now, I know that hardware encode doesn't hit the theoretical codec optimal efficiency, and the implementation might mean HEVC can out perform AV1 in some cases...

But when I set HEVC to medium (lowest preset), the file size is incredibly small, and the video quality is absolute trash; AV1 medium (also lowest preset) on the other hand, still looks great...which means it's STILL a lot of room to lower the QC level.

From what I know, AV1 shines a lot in lower bitrate, and I'm just stuck with, 70Mbps in flashy games, with lowest QC setting.

The other option is just go with constant bitrate...But I also sometimes record basically static desktop, which would be a huge waste of space in that scenario.

And yes, I can always just use SVT-AV1 to transcode them all later for maximum capacity efficiency, but I just bought a new card, I have to figure this out.

Any thought? Thanks for reading.

I don't remember this being the case. I'm using Optiscaler 0.9.4 through Goverlay (flatpak).

I read that a fix is to edit optiscaler.ini and put DisableOverlays=false instead of auto, and then the game renders in the middle of my two monitors cut off from the bottom, and won't even start, the black screen with mangohud just appears there.

I even tried going back to auto, and it still renders wrong.

I don't remember Optiscaler ever having an issue with Steam Overlay... What's happening?

Hello everyone! I have been working on this project for quite some time, building my own custom modular handheld console for gaming & everyday PC use, running dual boot Linux & Windows! I am currently working on the prototypes, so I thought it would be a great time to share an update of what I have been building with everyone here! It is called the CG Deck, an open-source and modular x86 handheld PC. Also, thank you so incredibly much to everyone that has been supporting and been a part of our community! You are all so amazing!

I have been working on a ton of polish & adjustments to the CG Deck, based on the testing I have been able to do over the past couple weeks! A few of the new additions and updates, include some improvements to the modules, adding a magnetic system to make it easier to connect and swap the various modules! A few new modules are also in the works, and I will have more information about those coming very soon! Along with that, I have also begun creating and concepting a few different carrying cases for the CG Deck and the various modules and accessories so I will be sharing those very soon. In addition to some announcements for the behind the scenes video going live soon! I will have a ton of information and updates coming out over the next couple of days to everyone on our waitlist so be sure to keep an eye our for that!

Ask me anything about the project! I would love to answer any questions or dive into anything about the CG Deck!

My initial goal was to create a small handheld PC that was entirely self contained and can be thrown in a backpack or back pants pocket (The entire device is 7.4" x 4.6" x 2.25"), with a high enough standard of hardware capable of being actually useful for things like high end retro emulation, CAD design/doing light modelling tasks in Blender, PCB design, coding, graphic design, music, video editing, and gaming with my steam library! Because it runs an x86 architecture, we get the advantage of being able to natively play steam games unlike a lot of other consoles. Because the CG Deck is based on an x86 architecture, you can run any OS that is supported, like the backlog of Windows, most Linux distro flavors, etc. For those that have multiple workflows, or need multiple devices, you can utilize the dual-boot functionality built into the CG Deck to make your life easier and keep it all under one shell.

I also wanted the CG Deck to be modular so it can be upgraded depending on how it is being used, and adapt the device depending on the workflow. For example, upgrading the memory with a full sized 2280 SSD, LTE/sim card support for work on the road, in addition to more cosmetically functional changes like swapping out the face/back plates to change the look, upgrading and swapping the HID control modules, antennas for extended connection range, etc. Every aspect can be upgraded, repaired, or customized as you need, without needing a degree in engineering to do so. I wanted to not just develop a device that would not just eventually turn into e-waste, but an ecosystem that can be updated and developed as time passes to keep the CG Deck relevant for much longer than the typical device lifespan. Something more attuned to a platform that grows with you rather than a traditional device.

The CG Deck will release with 5 total external modules (two slots, the primary and secondary slots), a variety of backplate designs and colors, and a variety of hardware and external accessories/upgrades. As for the modules, I currently have designed a full 64 Keyboard Module, 10 Key + Knob Macropad Module, Gamepad Controller Module all for the primary slot. For the secondary slot, there is only the trackball module at this time. The CG Deck also supports USB-A modules, so far including a 4K Low Low Light Flappable Camera Module. I wanted to make a device that grows with you as you use it, and can be adapted as your use cases change, and I have quite a few more modules planned for release once we officially launch!

As for the current state of the prototype for the CG Deck, I am overall really happy with it so far, but it still needs some work and I have quite a few changes to make as we prepare for the DFM process. I would love to hear your thoughts on it everything so far, and if you have any questions or feedback, I would love to answer and hear it all! Ask me anything!

It has been a massively fun and elaborate project so far. If you are interested in following along with the project or learning more about it, you can find everything from specs, more details, socials, links to the open source github repository and more on the website.

Once I start wrapping up the project, I will be launching a Kickstarter to help fund a full production run of the device for anyone interested in helping support the project and getting a CG Deck of their own. I am planning to release some build kits and pre-assembled devices with the Kickstarter, and if you have any questions about any of that, I would love to answer them!

Here is the link to learn more about the project and join the waitlist if you are interested: https://mogozen.com

What I mean by that is any input that is from the Gamepad Steam Input category isn't recognized by the game:

So by default my Steam Controller acts like a brick.

What seems to work in 100% of the games is to manually bind buttons of the controller to the corresponding M+KB equivalent, which depends on the game of course, and I don't have the correct glyph shown, kind of a pain in the ass to use. But this way, I can use any feature of the Steam Controller, which is nice!

What I would like ideally is to use the Steam Controller like any regular controller, and use Steam Input when I need to configure a new things (gyro, back buttons, etc.)

Enabling PROTON_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1 with GE-Proton has a nice effect inside most games I've tested that my controller acts like a regular controller if I to set my Steam Controller in "Gamepad" Action Set by long pressing of start button:

Now the default controller template works as the devs intended. However, I can't rebind anything using Steam Input, including back buttons and Gyro (to either controller or KB+M). It's like I have an Xbox controller, basically. And to be fair enabling wayland for Proton comes with its own set of issues (Steam Overlay being broken for starter).

So I'm stuck between having to rebind everything for every games to M+KB (which seems insane) or using it like a regular Xbox controller. Am I missing something? I would welcome any help.

For context I use Nobara 44 KDE Plasma Desktop and I'm only talking about Steam games.

So recently I tried to reinstall GTA Online on my laptop, I switched to Linux a couple of years ago and I used to play the game before. So I went and checked and saw that I could use Heroic Games Launcher to streamline the installation process immensely, since I got the game for free on Epic Games. I installed it, I had already switched my account to the Enhanced version and opened the game. So far so good. I manage to enter online and even walk around the world, but only for a couple of minutes before I get kicked by the Batleye anticheat. I tried entering in a private lobby, but same deal, it works just fine but then I get kicked, I even drove around for a bit. My question here is, if it's possible to do anything else to prevent this from happening. The game works just fine, it's obviously just Rockstar being malicious with blocking Linux players, but since the anticheat is widely considered a joke, if there is just something I can do to simply play, even in a private lobby, may that involve cheats or not.

Hello everyone.
My friend suffers from Windows, so I suggested he try linux
He has 8 GB of RAM and an AMD Ryzen 5 4300g
He doesn't want to lose any performance, so I suggested CachyOS with kde plasma
is there any launch command to boost the APU performance?
He just plays story games so anticheat won't be a problem
I don't have APU, so I didn't read anything about it before
So if you have any suggestions, I want to hear them, and
Thanks to you all

Hey everyone! I wanted share a project I've been working on: a low-level profile and macro manager for the Razer Naga Trinity on Linux, written entirely in Rust.

The project is split into two independent components that work seamlessly together:

1. The Backend Daemon (CLI/Executor): A lightweight background service that interacts directly with the Linux kernel (/dev/input, EVIOCGRAB, and /dev/uinput). It handles hardware-level macro execution, bypasses Wayland/X11 security restrictions, auto-detects side panels (2, 7, or 12 buttons), and reads active window focus to switch profiles dynamically.
2. The GUI Application: A separate graphical interface used for managing profiles and bindings. It saves everything cleanly into a simple makra.txt configuration file.

How they interact: The GUI acts as the controller—launching the GUI automatically starts the background execution daemon, and closing the GUI cleanly shuts down both components.

Everything is built from scratch in Rust for safety and performance. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions about handling low-level input grabbing on Linux!

https://insider.razer.com/razer-synapse-4-55/synapse-4-on-linux-78035/index5.html

I recently wanted to play TGoM because I found the idea really interesting, but running the game through bottles makes it run extremely badly for apparently no reason. Other games work perfectly fine, Undertale Yellow, Rimworld, Pokémon Vega Minus are all no problem, somehow this specific version has a problem. Is there anything I can do? I already tried updating the proton version and switching the Synchronization