Will SCS ever use DXVK-Native for the Linux port?

[SimplyTadpole]

ETS2's Linux port is only available on OpenGL. This is understandable, as DirectX is proprietary and only available on Windows, and having to re-design an entire port to Vulkan only for Linux when it's completely unnecessary on Windows and useless on MacOS is not worthwhile for SCS, as it would cost too much money for too little gain.

However, Valve has recently developed DXVK-Native, which allows a Linux-native game written with DirectX to translate all those calls to Vulkan without having to rely on Proton or Wine at all. This can be witnessed on multiple of Valve's games; for example, Portal 2 is written on DirectX 9 even on its Linux port, but it's natively translated to OpenGL via ToGL, and they recently added an option to natively translate it to Vulkan as well; all this without having to rewrite Portal 2 for either OpenGL or Vulkan. This was developed precisely to help game developers port their games to Linux, as if they develop on DirectX they will not have to go through the effort of reprogramming it to use OpenGL or Vulkan.

I think it could be interesting for SCS to utilize this on the Linux ports of ETS2 and ATS; not only could it be a better experience for Linux players given how DXVK tends to run better and lacks the graphical artifacts that often appear when running custom textures in OpenGL mode, it could also spare them from having to maintain an OpenGL port on Linux, as Valve has already done most of the heavy lifting for them.

[xXCARL1992Xx]

SCS already moved to DirectX 12 that should come in the future, so Vulkan is a must if the games should run on Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1, so SCS has to port it to Vulkan anyway especially because OpenGL starts to get funky (macOS user can sing a song of it) and for macOS there is a "translator" from Vulkan to apples Metal API, so Vulkan has to be done one way or another, it would be total nonsense to make the game DX only and then use a translator to Vulkan only to have this translate to Apples Metal API via another translator (MolenVK)

[hippo]

I am a linux user for a while now, and I need to keep a windows computer for my driving. ETS2 and ATS both need windows so I can use my VR headsets. Also it is sad as the sled (motion platform) I use only has windows drivers, the steering wheel, and other peripherals etc all need windows atm. It makes me sad.

Tonight for a wheeze I broke out my unused HTC Vive and plugged into my Linux box to see what would work. VR works fine, but no SCS games as they rely on DirectX. Actually I seem to be able to run any game I like in Linux, but as soon as I meddled with VR, my little wins stopped. But for flat screen gaming, Linux just works now for me. I really would like to leave windows behind, but so many blocks and hurdles.

But replacing OpenGl with Vulkan would replace the reliance on DirectX also? I know the need was strong to move from D9 to D11/12, but if it was a change to Vulkan, it would have solved all the problems, been faster than DirectX and worked across all platforms. The Steam Deck is a sign of the times. Valve recommends developers use Vulkan as the primary API for Steam Deck because the Steam Deck uses Linux. Times are a changing.

[xXCARL1992Xx]

did you try Proton? maybe VR will work with it ?

[Kuski79]

This is an old thread, but just to give some closure to this: VR works with Proton. I've been playing it with Valve Index. HTC Vive should also work and possibly some Oculus products with ALVR.
I hate to say this, because I would like to see more native Linux games, but: the Proton version of the game runs better than the Linux native OpenGL-version (When playing the flat version. There is no VR in OpenGL version of the game).

[Berniyh]

I am a linux user for a while now, and I need to keep a windows computer for my driving. ETS2 and ATS both need windows so I can use my VR headsets. Also it is sad as the sled (motion platform) I use only has windows drivers, the steering wheel, and other peripherals etc all need windows atm. It makes me sad.

Does the steering wheel really need drivers? Usually FFB devices these days are HID FFB devices and should just work™.
Also, with recent wine versions, you might get them working using hidraw, which allows Windows applications to directly access HID devices. This way, I managed to get my Brunner CLS-E FFB Joystick (the only input device I have that is not just plain HID) working using wine and the windows control program. Also I can now use my Simucube steering wheel with wine including FFB via hidraw.
If you're interested, I could write a couple of sentences on that.

Regarding the actual topic: depending on the time the DX12/Vulkan port will take, DXVK-Native could be an interesting solution to get rid of the old OpenGL rendering path sooner, so depending on how much time such a project would need, it might be worth it.
Since they did DX11 first, I suspect that this might be the case, otherwise they would've done it directly.

If however DX12/Vulkan might appear on the horizon sooner than later (which I doubt), then it doesn't make sense.

[Berniyh]

I've tried out the native version once more and just realized how much it is behind the Windows version, not only regarding graphics, but also other stuff.
Did they say anything about whether there will be updates to it at all? e.g. once there is a Vulkan port available (which might happen this year?), would there be an update to make it more usable?
Like … not necessarily specific plans, but just a "yes, at some point"?

(I know that you can use the proton version, that's not the point here.)

[Maximum Overdrive]

They must have already switched to it bc now every time I run the game Steam reads "processing Vulkan shaders". That message used to appear only on Windows games run via Proton, now I see it on a native Linux game as well, which means SCS must have already switched to DXVK Native.

[SchulzX777]

They must have already switched to it bc now every time I run the game Steam reads "processing Vulkan shaders". That message used to appear only on Windows games run via Proton, now I see it on a native Linux game as well, which means SCS must have already switched to DXVK Native.

Good day.


As far as I know, the native Linux version still uses OpenGL, which is not bad. ETS2 version 1.47 is now very stable and even much better performing than in previous versions. I myself prefer the native Linux version because it performs tasks in menus very quickly etc.... Than the Proton version. The whole meanwhile under KDE Plasma (Manjaro) with Wayland. They have definitely made optimizations to the Linux version. If you use Linux distribution that provide current graphics card drivers, you get to enjoy good performance etc.... I also use the following Steam variables for ATS and ETS2 for stable gameplay, where I always have V-Sync on and I use a Full HD monitor because of the resolution:


gamemoderun gamescope -f -W 1920 -H 1080 -r 30 -- %command%


You don't need 120 or more FPS, it does feel a bit laggy at 30, but ETS2 is not a car racing game.

[robert42]

It's bad for me now directx11 doesn't work directly in the proton 8.0-2
and the old proton 7.0-6 doesn't run the game anymore which was the best option to me directx11 worked
I have already tried all the protons and I have no success
now which option would be best???