Old Games, New Tricks: Playing Classic Windows Games on Linux Just Got Easier

Ever wondered if you could play those old Windows games on Linux? Well, there's some good news! A new project called d7vk is making it possible to run even older Windows games on Linux. It's all about making Direct3D 7 (D3D7) games work with Linux using something called Vulkan. This isn't the first time someone has tried this. Wine, a tool that lets you run Windows apps on Linux, has been doing something similar for a while. But d7vk is different. It's based on dxvk, which is already used by Valve's Proton for SteamOS. The creator, WinterSnowfall, says d7vk might not be perfect, but having more options is always a good thing. So, what games are we talking about here? Well, there are over 400 titles that use D3D7 APIs. Most of these games came out between 2000 and 2004, but a few have been released more recently. You might find some familiar names like Escape from Monkey Island, Arx Fatalis, and the original Hitman: Codename 47. WinterSnowfall was inspired to start this project because they wanted to play games like Sacrifice and Disciples II on Linux. Now, it's not all smooth sailing. There are some known issues with certain D3D7 titles, and WinterSnowfall warns that full compatibility might never be achieved. The project creator says D3D7 is a bit of a mess, and they're not planning to expand support to even older DirectX APIs. They jokingly say, "The further we stray from D3D9, the further we stray from the divine. " But hey, progress is progress! If you're a fan of classic PC games, this is definitely something to keep an eye on. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be able to play all your old favorites on Linux without any hassle.