1 min read
In short
Official Epic Games Store support could free Linux users from third-party launchers, but it does not guarantee separate builds of games. We look at why the depth of platform integration matters more than the launcher itself.
For Linux this is potentially more important than simply the arrival of one more launcher. Epic Games is working on official Linux support in the Epic Games Store, but there is no release date yet — all that is known is that the update will appear "soon" and will not be in the next preview build.
Right now Linux users usually get round the absence of an official client through Heroic Games and similar third-party launchers. Those download the Windows builds of games and run them through Wine and Proton.
And that is the main nuance: an official client does not by itself mean native Linux versions of games. If Epic simply opens access to the same Windows builds, the convenience of installing and managing a library will change, but not the fundamental compatibility.
For now the company's wording sounds more interesting: it speaks not only of porting the launcher but of closer integration with Linux. What exactly that means in practice — support for updates, authentication, overlays or other components — has not been disclosed.
The limitations are already obvious: there is no launch date, the nearest preview build will not get the support, and the details of the integration are unknown. So it is too early to read the news as the imminent arrival of a full Epic Games ecosystem on Linux.
Would an official client be reason enough for you to move off Heroic Games, or does such support change almost nothing without native builds of the games? Source: OpenNews.opennet.ru: General news feed