Today’s update to GE-Proton adds some fixes to Final Fantasy XIV (seems like that game always needs some kind of patching). Specifically the intro video after the datacenter select should be fixed (apparently this isn’t the first time this has happened). The patch notes mention that this may also fix WMV playback in a few other titles. Trove and Rift have been fixed as well. Wine has been updated to bleeding-edge, which “brings in numerous fixes,” DXVK has been updated to 1.

Steam Deck I did a review. Needless to say, it was controversial, as expected (though I do take back some of my opinions which aren’t fact) new beta client update fixes a few Flatpaks from not successfully quitting and improves keyboard behavior when typing on both the trackpad and touchscreen 43 of the top 50 highest-reviewed games on Steam are Steam Deck Playable over 4k verified/playable titles Native Linux Games want to force a native Linux game engine on certain titles?

If Gabe is into something, he really means it. So when he says he’s a Final Fantasy XIV fan, he’s going to get down to business. Because now the regression with said game when using different Proton prefixes should no longer be an issue. And that’s the only game that was shown any favor with this update. Talk about dedication. Gabe further showed his love for the RPG by adding a little extra special sauce for you Steam Deck fans out there.

When I had reported to Luke Short – the main developer behind WinesapOS – that his distro wouldn’t boot on a MicroSD card on the Steam Deck, he personally saw to it that he would replicate the issue and fix it. As such, we now have a new update to enjoy: 3.1.1. I can now confirm WinesapOS runs on the Steam Deck when it’s installed on a MicroSD card. Display is rotated (though I’ve found this to be a very common issue with distros outside of SteamOS).

Linux Mint version 21, codenamed “Vanessa,” has been released as a beta. Here’s the rundown for what’s new: based on Ubuntu 22.04 and kernel 5.15 Blueberry has been replaced with Blueman improved thumbnail support notes can be duplicated with the Sticky Notes application an icon now shows up in the taskbar when there’s an automated task running in the background various improvements to XApps Cinnamon has been upgraded to 5.4, with a major rebase of the Muffin window manager and improved window animations improved Software Sources manageability new wallpapers shutdown timer reduced to ten seconds Snap Store is disabled encrypted home directory is no longer unmounted on logout guest sessions is now disabled by default default touchpad driver is now “libinput” rather than “synaptics” other minor changes and improvements Keep in mind this version is currently in beta and the Mint team recommends to only use it for testing purposes.

Not only has the game enjoyed massive popularity – as it sold over one million copies in just its’ first week – but now it’s been ported over to ARM. Any retro gaming device you can think of, such as the ODROID Go Advance or the various ARM-powered devices by Anbernic, can now play this game. Looks like you’ll need to have a copy of the game on Steam first before you can copy it over to your SD card and play on a retro console/handheld.

Small update for the Steam Deck has rolled out today as beta, primarily focusing on bug fixes. Patch notes are as follows:

• Fixed a bug where some flatpak applications (like Edge) couldn't successfully quit - Fixed some issues with claiming Steam Deck digital rewards - Updated keyboard behavior for improved fast typing on trackpad and touchscreen. (pressing a key while holding another key will now commit the held key instead of waiting for first to release) Note that this is a beta client update and, as such, you will need to be opted into the Beta or Preview update branch in System Settings in order to download it.

Today’s update to Proton Experimental is a small one, but a good one for those of you who were recently experiencing issues with either Assassin’s Creed: Origins or Warframe. The former should no longer hang during gameplay after the recent update to the game, and the latter’s launcher should no longer be empty (apparently it was an experimental regression). EDIT: today’s update also enables compatibility with Rift, I had overlooked that!

Just a few minutes ago doitsujin from GitHub released a new version of DXVK, 1.10.2. It’s been a few months since the previous 1.10.1 release. 1.10.2 mostly focuses on bug fixes and adds workarounds for a few specific titles. For example, Star Wars: The Old Republic has had rendering issues fixed. Limbo now has a 60 FPS limit as a workaround for a few bugs. All of this and some other more generic fixes that I couldn’t even attempt to translate into basic English if I tried.

There’s kind of been a reason why I’ve held off from writing a review of the Steam Deck. I’ve had the device for a little longer than three weeks now, and in the process I’ve covered things such as how it handles Super Smash Bros Melee, how it handles the Portal series in comparison to the Nintendo Switch port, written a guide on how to get plugins installed and running, and covered the numerous updates that have come to the device.