Windows Games On Linux? Valve May Be Working On New “Steam Play” Tool

Even though there are quite a few Linux-based distro options for gamers, hardcore gamers often go back to Windows to play the games they love. SteamOS from Valve, the most popular gaming Linux distro, seems to be making headlines from time-to-time, but things have been quiet for some time.

In a development that might bring some positive news in near future, Reddit users have spotted that Steam GUI files have unused text referencing to a feature called “Steam Play.” Some of you might be knowing that Steam Play was an already existing feature that let Steam users access games on Windows, Mac, and Linux with a single purchase.

The section clearly says that the new Steam Play will bring compatibility tools that’ll let games play titles build for other operating systems (read Windows).

The text also warns that the feature might now work as expected. It makes perfect sense since this feature might arrive in beta and it could be based on emulation.

There isn’t any dearth of emulation tools but a Steam-based tool should be expected to perform better than others. However, it would be really exciting if Valve releases a tool different than usual wrappers and emulators.

Valve is already facing issues with the gaming performance on SteamOS and it’ll be interesting to see how will Steam Play–if it ever becomes a reality–impact the overall platform.

Again, when it comes to timelines and product releases, Valve track record is miserable. The Reddit users have spotted that this feature has been in development since January, so don’t celebrate before Valve makes any official announcement or there’s some convincing leak.

Also Read: Hollywood Goes Open Source; Collaborates With Linux Foundation