Today I’m happy to announce open beta support for running Golfing in Aether natively in Linux, and that includes SteamOS. Before this becomes official with support indicated on the Store Page, I do wish to collect feedback and fix any reported problems should they arise. For me personally I’ve found the game to be running seamless at this point.
FAQ
How do I get access to the Linux version?
Just launch Golfing in Aether from your favourite Linux distro you normally use with Steam games and you'll get the native Linux version when you install the game. This is a free update and you'll automatically have access.
Cross Platform Multiplayer?
Yes, the game is functionally identical to the Windows version. You can also play in both Vulkan and Vulkan Mobile (ES 3.1) graphics modes on Linux and they all work together in multiplayer.
Steam Deck Support?
At this stage the game should in theory be playable, however I’ve not tested it personally as I don’t have access to one. Please let me know how you get on if you do have one to hand as I’ll certainly fix any reported issues.
For reference, Golfing in Aether has full controller support, including on-screen keyboard for any text input built in. It was designed around being played on a TV for local play with a controller from the very get go, so there should be nothing here that conflicts with playing on the Steam Deck in general. If there are any problems then this should be very minor and easy to fix, so do let me know :)
My testing is done on an Asrock DeskMini with a Ryzen 3200G APU running SteamOS via holo ISO. I’d like to have access to a Steam Deck in the future but its just currently not in my budget.
Will this effect Windows development?
In short, no, not at all. The game is cross compiled meaning both platforms are done at the same time, from a single device using the same game code and assets. Linux has been in internal testing since very early in development so there are no specific workflow changes to how I've been doing things all along.
How long will the open beta last?
Maybe a week or so, it will depend if any issues are found. If it all looks good then I'll then list support for Linux on the store page. If you try it and encounter no issues at all that would be as useful to know as reporting any issues.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1914980/Golfing_In_Aether/
Known Issues
- Currently no initial benchmark to set graphics quality on first launch. I found this to crash so have disabled it currently.
- Intro video logos are replaced with fading images like running in the ES 3.1 mode. This is to do with engine / plugin issues, but not a particularly important issue overall.
- Running under SteamOS Steam wanted to force steam input enabled which would cause duplicate controllers to be detected. Disable steam input for the game as Golfing in Aether has its own input system built in.
- Having no audio in the system causes the game to take a long time to load up while it keeps trying to find an audio device. Whether this is an issue with the engine or the distro I tried it on I don't know at this point, simply having any audio device in the system or connected bypasses this issue.