Linux operating systems gives the stability and security that Windows
platform somewhere fails to deliver. But what about gaming? Linux users
understand this pain. It will be a fare game to compare both on this
aspect. Users who want
to go with gaming will rarely use Linux and users who are comfortable
with Linux operations will rarely go for Windows. Both are big
competitors to each other and both have respective pros and cons. But
when it comes to gaming then Windows leads Linux somewhere.
So, does this mean, can't we play games on Linux? Well it's not true and
today we can easily play most of the Windows games on Linux system.
Here are the some tools that will convert your Linux machine
into a gaming ware.
1. Wine
Wine is a compatibility layer which is capable of running Windows
applications in systems like Linux, BSD and OS X. With the help of Wine,
you can install and use a number of Windows games in Linux. WINE is a
free and open source that allows Microsoft Windows to run on
machines using Unix environment. WINE is quite famous for its software
library Winelib which allows users to compile and port Windows apps to
Unix platform.
2. PlayOnLinux
PlayOnLinux acts as the graphical front end for compatibility layer of
Wine software. It is a powerful tool that allows you to club almost any
Windows apps like MS Office, IE, video games with your Unix platform. It
has different interface and slightly easier to use than Wine. Like
Wine, PlayOnLinux too is free to use. You can browse the applications
and games supported by PlayOnLinux on its database.
3. Steam
Steam is a digital distribution platform for video games. It provides
you the option to buy and install games, play multiplayer
and stay in touch with other games via social networking on its
platform. The games are protected with DRM. A couple of years ago, when
Steam announced support for Linux, it was a clear indication that gaming
on Linux is being taken seriously.
Though Steam's decision was more influenced with its own Linux-based
gaming console and a separate Linux distribution called Steam OS
4. CrossOver
CrossOver is an improved version of Wine that brings professional and technical
support to Wine. But unlike Wine, CrossOver is not free. Good thing about CrossOver is that
every purchase contributes to Wine developers and that boosts
the development of Wine to support more Windows games and applications.
5. VMware
VMware allows you to use popular games like WoW and SIMS on your Linux machine.
So if you are looking towards playing high level games on your Linux machine then it is the best tool to go with.
Conclusion
These are the tools that you can try to install Windows games on your
Linux machine. I think that's pretty much what you need to know to get
started with
gaming on Linux. If you are still not convinced, I would advise you to
dual boot Linux with Windows. Use Linux as your main desktop and if you
want to play games, boot into Windows.
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