The future of gaming is not Linux, and I am here to tell you why
The gaming industry is constantly evolving, with new technologies and platforms emerging to address the limitations of existing systems.
Introduction
The gaming industry is on the cusp of a revolution. While Linux has been a stalwart in the open-source community, its fragmented ecosystem and compatibility issues have long been a barrier to seamless gaming experiences. OpenHarmony, with its vertically integrated stack and native ports, offers a promising solution. This article explores how Oniro-OpenHarmony, bolstered by the ArkGraphics 3D pipeline library, could be the future of gaming, addressing the messy stack hurdles of Linux and mitigating issues like Denuvo DRM and Proton compatibility.
The Challenges of Gaming on Linux
Denuvo DRM Issues
Denuvo DRM has been a thorn in the side of Linux gamers. Designed to protect games from piracy, Denuvo often introduces performance issues and compatibility problems. While tools like Proton have been developed to bridge the gap, they are not foolproof. Many games still suffer from performance hits, and some remain incompatible, leading to a frustrating experience for Linux users.
Proton and Compatibility
Proton, Valve's compatibility layer, allows Windows games to run on Linux. Although it has made significant progress, it is not a perfect solution. Performance issues and incompatibilities persist, making the gaming experience on Linux less than ideal. This inconsistency can deter gamers from fully embracing Linux as a gaming platform.
Messy Stack Hurdles
Linux's open-source nature leads to a fragmented ecosystem. This fragmentation results in compatibility issues, making it challenging for developers to create games that run smoothly across different Linux distributions. The lack of a unified ecosystem can be a significant barrier for both developers and gamers. Despite the progress of Linux gaming thanks to Valve's vertical integration of Steam OS and marketplace ecosystem on the Steam Deck and third-party SteamOS devices, such as the Legion Go S, showing signs of cracks in Windows’ dominance over gaming in terms of game performance benchmarks that is making Microsoft go back to the drawing board on its cancelled Xbox portable and double down on maintaining dominance in PC gaming on Windows.
The Promise of OpenHarmony
A Unified Ecosystem
Oniro-OpenHarmony, developed under Eclipse Foundation and OpenAtom Foundation collaboration, initiated from Huawei OSTC open source project, aims to create a unified operating system core technology that supports seamless interconnection and transfer of applications across various devices. This unified ecosystem can address many of the fragmentation issues faced by Linux users. By providing a consistent and standardized environment, OpenHarmony at its core simplifies the development and distribution of games, making it easier for developers to reach a broader audience with native local games and hybrid game options with cloud offloading and cloud gaming options from Huawei and third parties.
Vertically Integrated Stack
OpenHarmony, developed by the OpenAtom Foundation, offers a vertically integrated stack that addresses many of the fragmentation issues faced by Linux users. This vertical integration provides a consistent and standardized environment, simplifying the development and distribution of games. By offering native ports, OpenHarmony eliminates many of the performance issues and compatibility problems associated with running Windows games on Linux.
Native Ports and Performance
One of the most significant advantages of Oniro-OpenHarmony is its support for native ports. Unlike Linux, which often relies on compatibility layers like Proton, OpenHarmony offers native support for games. This native support can eliminate many of the performance issues and compatibility problems associated with running Windows games on Linux. By providing a more stable and efficient environment, Oniro-OpenHarmony enhances the gaming experience for users.
Seamless Multi-Market App Distribution
Oniro-OpenHarmony's ability to support seamless multi-market app distribution is another key advantage. Applications developed for Oniro-OpenHarmony can be uploaded to the Kaihong AppGallery and potentially synchronized with other app marketplaces. This multi-market reach significantly enhances the visibility and accessibility of games, benefiting both developers and users. By simplifying the distribution process, OpenHarmony can attract more developers to the platform, further enriching the gaming ecosystem. This brings opportunities to native OpenHarmony porting of DRM Valve Steam, Epic Games, DRM-free GoG (Good Old Games) by CD Projekt, Nvidia GeForce Now cloud gaming, Ubisoft Connect, EA Play, Xbox PC (GamePass/Cloud Gaming) etc. with northbound and southbound SDK and API development integrations from these distributors and with 3rd party game developers. Also allows companies like Valve and Collabora to go further and integrate Oniro global OS stack at the core of its open source, with closed source components of SteamOS with a customisable gaming mode of Steam UI to a rewritten desktop launcher and system UI environment or ported cogs of third party Weston dev sandbox with Wayland port from openEuler sitting of top of it for KDE Plasma running OpenHarmony native HAP apps under OpenHarmony standard system that carriers multi-kernel subsystems like Linux kernel and ABIs alongside native OpenHarmony ABIs of SSL userland on the system of an embedded OS-rich platform of 130 million lines of code resources that is as good as GNU/Linux and can surpass it in terms of the experience, proven by Huawei’s own HarmonyOS 5 based on OpenHarmony on computers. Valve's Steam client GUI is written in CEF (Chromium Embedded Framework) which OpenHarmony supports itself for its multi-layered webview stack technology as a layer for the default Blink Chromium browser kernel. The benefit of OpenHarmony itself is that it is OS distro, kernel, driver and instruction set agnostic, thanks to its multilayered stack technology.
Multi-Market App Stores vs. Walled Gardens
Walled Garden:
A tightly controlled platform where apps are vetted and distributed exclusively through a single store (e.g., Apple’s App Store, Google Play to a lesser extent).
Pros: Security, curation, unified user experience.
Cons: Monopolistic control, high fees (e.g., 15–30% cuts), restrictions on competing services.
Multi-Market App Stores:
Allows sideloading or alternative app stores (e.g., Epic Games Store, F-Droid, Huawei AppGallery).
Pros: Breaks monopolies, reduces developer fees, fosters competition.
Cons: Fragmentation, potential security risks (malware, piracy).
OpenHarmony’s Approach:
By design, OpenHarmony rejects walled gardens—it’s an open-source OS that allows third-party app stores and sideloading. This aligns with Huawei’s post-Google strategy (e.g., promoting AppGallery alongside alternatives).
Technical Advantages
Graphic API and Drivers
OpenHarmony leverages industry-standard graphic APIs like Vulkan and Mesa for graphic drivers. These technologies are known for their performance and compatibility, ensuring that games run smoothly across different devices. This technical foundation provides a significant advantage in the gaming industry, where high-performance graphics are crucial.
ArkGraphics 3D Pipeline Library
The ArkGraphics 3D pipeline library is a game-changer for Oniro-OpenHarmony. It offers a robust and efficient framework for rendering high-quality 3D graphics. ArkGraphics is designed to optimize performance and reduce latency, providing a smoother and more immersive gaming experience. By integrating ArkGraphics, OpenHarmony can offer superior graphics performance, making it an attractive platform for both developers and gamers.
Libc Implementation
The use of POSIX compatible musl libc compatibility over glibc in OpenHarmony addresses some of the broken issues associated with glibc on GNU Linux systems, providing a more robust and efficient system library. This can lead to better performance and stability for games running on the platform, further enhancing the gaming experience.
Unified App Distribution
OpenHarmony supports a single unified HAP (Harmony Ability Package) app distribution across all its distributions, including Oniro. This unified approach simplifies the development and distribution process for developers, making it easier to reach a broader audience. By eliminating the fragmentation issues faced by Linux, OpenHarmony provides a more consistent and reliable gaming experience.
Strategic Opportunities for Game Developers
Market Expansion
By supporting OpenHarmony, game developers can tap into a new user base that prefers or uses OpenHarmony-based devices. This can open up new markets and increase the reach of their games. The seamless multi-market app distribution capabilities of OpenHarmony can further enhance this reach, making games more accessible to a global audience.
Technical Synergies
The use of Vulkan, Mesa, and ArkGraphics in OpenHarmony aligns well with the requirements for high-performance graphics in gaming. This technical synergy ensures a smooth gaming experience on OpenHarmony devices, attracting more users to the platform. Additionally, the single unified HAP app distribution simplifies the process of making games available across different OpenHarmony distributions.
Innovation and Collaboration
Collaborating with Oniro-OpenHarmony can lead to innovative features and integrations that enhance the gaming experience on Oniro-OpenHarmony devices. This collaboration can also attract developers to create games and applications for the platform, further enriching the ecosystem. By embracing Oniro-OpenHarmony, game developers can position themselves at the forefront of innovation in the gaming industry.
Conclusion
While Linux has been a significant player in the gaming and application development space, its messy stack and compatibility issues have long been barriers to widespread adoption. OpenHarmony, with its unified ecosystem, native ports, and robust technical foundation, presents a compelling alternative. By addressing the challenges faced by Linux and leveraging the ArkGraphics 3D pipeline library, OpenHarmony can provide a more consistent and reliable gaming experience. For game developers, embracing OpenHarmony could open up new strategic opportunities, expand their market reach, and drive innovation in the gaming industry. As the technology landscape continues to evolve, OpenHarmony could very well be the future of gaming.