It's been awhile since I posted anything. There's been a lot of things
going on lately. I wanted to finally do a final review of GamerOS.
GamerOS: Verdict
Pros:
GamerOS is meant for a dedicated machine. All the drivers and operating
system files updated in the background automatically. Hardware
detection and installation of graphics drivers are smooth. Windows
games that are whitelisted by Valve or by GamerOS will be installable
out of the box. GamerOS ships with RetroArch and a ton of retro console
emulators.
Cons: GamerOS is meant for a
dedicated machine. There’s no dual booting between Windows or other
Linux distros. At this time there is no way to easily use forks of
protons. No way to install Lutris.
Test system..
CPU: Ryzen™ 7 2700
GPU: Powercolor Red Dragon RX 5700
RAM: 16GB (2 x 8GB) (PC4 19200)
MOTHERBOARD: ASRock AB350M Pro4 (BIOS 5.90 2019/7/5)
STORAGE: Intel 545s Series 2.5" 256GB +WB Blue 1TB 7200 RPM
HORI Fighting Commander for Xbox One wired USB controller.
Microsoft Xbox One wired USB controller.
Black Web wireless keyboard.
Zelotes T-90 USB wired Gaming Mouse.
GamerOS 21 uses..
- linux 5.9.9
- mesa 20.2.2
- nvidia 455.38
Over
the past few months I've had a lot of time to look over the ends and
outs of GamerOS. In fact I have played through its various updates. I
started out on version 17 and now it has been upgraded to the latest
version 21. All the drivers and operating system files were updated in
the background automatically.
For those who
don't know GamerOS is an Arch based operating system that provides an
out of the box couch gaming experience. It runs SOME windows exclusive
games. This is possible due to the Proton compatibility layer that helps
translate Direct-X windows-only games to Vulcan on Linux. Many Windows
exclusive games that don’t work are due to various anti-cheat software
bulit into them. To know how well a Windows exclusive game will run
under proton you need to go over to the website ProtonDB. They hosts an
extensive database of user-submitted reports on the compatibility of
various games and hardware that you can use to check beforehand. So
depending on your system setup your mileage may vary.
After
installation, boot directly into Steam Big Picture. It is not all open
source software. It ships with valves Steam Client program, which is
proprietary software, in addition to proprietary 3rd party drivers like
for NVIDIA graphics cards. It is not a replacement for a desktop
operating system. GamerOS is being designed and optimized for a standard
high definition television.
Final conclusion
GarmerOS
just works. However depending on your graphics card certain Linux
native games will not work on GamerOS. One notable example is Divinity:
Original Sin - Enhanced Edition. It does not work with AMD cards. Runs
perfectly with Nvidia cards.
A dedicated
physical computer is needed because dual booting and virtual machines
are not supported. GarmerOS focuses solely on making AAA games on Steam
available GNU-Linux. It cannot be used as general usage PC. All you can
do is gaming.
At this time there is no way to
easily use forks of protons. No way to install Lutris. One benefit of
using Proton forks? In some cases custom proton can do things Valve
can't. It's just another option to get your games running directly in
the Steam client on GNU+Linux.
If you want to
play some classic games from classic systems retroarch is pre-installed.
RetroArch is a front-end for emulators, game engines and media players.
You can install classic games through its graphical interface. Settings
are also unified so configuration is done once and for all. Ever wanted
to know how bad E.T. for the Atari 2600 really was? You can now with
RetroArch.
In an update since this summer.
Streets of Rage 4 is now officially a GNU/Linux game, and has Vulkan
support in FNA. In other words it's guaranteed to work on GamerOS. Also
Deep Silver and developer 4A Games are working on bringing Metro Exodus
to Linux in 2021. It's not surprising since the two previous Metro games
are GNU+Linux native.
