Apple Silicon Macs Running Linux Receive Major Gaming Update

[MacRumors]

The Asahi Linux project has released the first conformant OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers for Apple silicon Macs in a significant update for improved gaming performance on Macs running the Linux operating system.

The Asahi Linux project is a collaborative effort aimed at bringing the Linux operating system to Macs that contain M1 or M2 chips. The OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers represent the first time that conformant GPU drivers have been made available for Apple's newest hardware running on the Linux platform.

Conformant drivers meet specific industry standards, ensuring that they function correctly with various applications. The OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers have apparently undergone extensive testing, including tens of thousands of individual tests, to ensure that they meet the necessary criteria. The drivers are recognized as conformant by Khronos, the organization responsible for overseeing the standards related to OpenGL.

Unlike Apple's proprietary drivers for the GPUs integrated into the M1- and M2-series SoCs, which do not conform to standard graphics APIs such as Vulkan, OpenGL, or OpenGL ES, the drivers released by the Asahi Linux team are in line with these official standards. This means that users running Linux on Apple silicon can expect more stable and predictable performance from graphics-intensive applications, such as games, ostensibly marking a significant milestone in the development of Linux support for Apple's latest Mac hardware.

Article Link: Apple Silicon Macs Running Linux Receive Major Gaming Update

 

[k1121j]

I really want some cool gaming brought to the Mac. It seems to be going backwards. All that there is these days is Nintendo style kiddy games in my opinion. makes me sad

 

[iAssimilated]

Good to hear! Any benefits brought about by this endeavor are welcome.

 

[neuropsychguy]

I really want some cool gaming brought to the Mac. It seems to be going backwards. All that there is these days is Nintendo style kiddy games in my opinion. makes me sad

Baldur’s Gate 3 should be coming. The timeline isn’t announced for the full release but it’s possible it’s September 6. Those who don’t want to wait can run it through Crossover or similar methods.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Note: no eGPU support.

Never had it, ha ha ha never will!

 

[maternidad]

I think not even Minecraft can run on OpenGL ES 3.1. This is definitely impressive and meaningful but it’s not a ‘gaming’ upgrade.

 

[iBluetooth]

I really want some cool gaming brought to the Mac. It seems to be going backwards. All that there is these days is Nintendo style kiddy games in my opinion. makes me sad

This summer Apple took a big step in helping game developers adopt their games to Metal, which runs natively on the mac.

 

[surfzen21]

If I could play triple A games on my mac like I can on my PC I would seriously consider dumping my PC.

But that means 170hz plus monitor support and fps in the same range.

 

[Luna Murasaki]

Really happy to hear of any progress with Asahi Linux. Someday the M1 MacBook Pro I am using is going to be out of support and it will be nice to have something available to keep it useful.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Isn’t Asashi now part of Fedora as a remix distribution? Either way, I support this. At least we will have a supporter operating system we can still use on are M1 Macs when Apple does planned obsolescence.

 

[Sappharad]

I think not even Minecraft can run on OpenGL ES 3.1. This is definitely impressive and meaningful but it’s not a ‘gaming’ upgrade.

They already support regular OpenGL 3.1. A bunch of steam games like portal are confirmed working.

 

[AppleTO]

This is great… now if only the same could be done for Windows….

I know… I know… not going to happen.

 

[GianL]

If the Asahi team cook a Vulkan driver before M3 devices _hopefully the first ones to allow a PC-like gaming experience_ are shipped, it's gonna be a bit embarrassing.
Especially for the department now trying to promote MacOs as a viable solution for videogames while deciding OGL and Vulkan are not necessary.

BTW: one of the main contributors of Asahi Linux team is hired in Valve, working on SteamOS / Linux compatibility.

 

[Kalixt]

Only apps that works on Mac are those in web browser, everything else is pain. Only games I haven't had issues with are WoW and Factorio. If your world turns around web browser, you are fine with Mac, everything else just buy PC.

 

[toobravetosave]

Will be funny when gaming on linux..on a mac…is leagues better than gaming on macos

 

[Luna Murasaki]

Will be funny when gaming on linux..on a mac…is leagues better than gaming on macos

That's probably where it's headed. 🤦🏻‍♀️

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Conformant does not imply performant. Are there benchmarks?

 

[Luna Murasaki]

Conformant does not imply performant. Are there benchmarks?

Even if performance at this stage is absolutely dreadful, I'd say this is still a huge achievement for something this early. I'm amazed this can even be done at all.

Imagine what will be possible in 3 to 6 years when the first M1s go out of support.

 

[seek3r]

Note: no eGPU support.

Never had it, ha ha ha never will!

Thunderbolt support is still WIP, but it's progressing

 

[crsh1976]

I'm no expert, but isn't OpenGL ES 3.x an old/outdated standard at this point?

 

[seek3r]

I'm no expert, but isn't OpenGL ES 3.x an old/outdated standard at this point?

It's the latest version of OpenGL ES, which helps with Vulkan support:

The final goal is a Vulkan driver running modern games. We’re a while away, but
the baseline Vulkan 1.0 requirements parallel OpenGL ES 3.1, so our work
translates to Vulkan. For example, the multisampling compiler passes described
above are common code between the drivers. We’ve tested them against OpenGL,
and now they’re ready to go for Vulkan.

And yes, the team is already working on Vulkan.

From their older announcement on 3.1 https://asahilinux.org/2023/06/opengl-3-1-on-asahi-linux/

 

[ricom2ger]

I'm no expert, but isn't OpenGL ES 3.x an old/outdated standard at this point?

OpenGL ES 3.1 is a decade old API, but it's better than nothing.

 

[SexExpert]

Isn’t Asashi now part of Fedora as a remix distribution? Either way, I support this. At least we will have a supporter operating system we can still use on are M1 Macs when Apple does planned obsolescence.

How exactly does Apple make your M1 mac obsolete? Do they do a remote-wipe on it when it reaches a certain age or what? Is this a new feature of Apple Silicon macs?

Please let me know cos I've got a 15+ year old mac i still use from time to time and don't want Apple to remotely obsolete it!

 

[groove-agent]

Part of me regrets the switch to Apple Silicon as Mac gaming took a huge a step backwards because we lost dual booting and eGPU support.

I'm hoping the AS GPUs will soon be fairly comparable to discrete GPUs. One can only hope. It would be great to ditch the PC and only have to cable one computer on my desk.

 

[AvgMrcl]

Only apps that works on Mac are those in web browser, everything else is pain. Only games I haven't had issues with are WoW and Factorio. If your world turns around web browser, you are fine with Mac, everything else just buy PC.

I have been actually thinking about it, absolutely cannot stand Xcode and FCP on a Mac. Hopefully it works better on Asahi.