Tag Archives: amd
XCOM 2 update adds support for gamepads and AMD GPU’s
So the good folks over at #FeralInteractive just released an XCOM 2 update. Hence the Steam version of the game for #Linux and Mac has been updated with a couple of #improvements.
XCOM 2 now has gamepad support and access to full camera control. So this lets players freely explore XCOM’s awesome mobile headquarters, the Avenger. For instructions on the camera control function, report to the official website.
While XCOM 2 on Linux now officially supports AMD GPUs using the latest set of Mesa drivers.
For full system requirements, make your way to the minisite. Which will hopefully be updated by the time this post releases. Hence the details below.
XCOM 2 System Requirements:
Minimum:
- OS: Ubuntu 14.04.2 64-bit / SteamOS
- Processor: Intel i3-3225 3.3 GHz
- RAM: 4GB
- Hard Disk: 32GB
- Graphics: 1GB NVIDIA 650 or better with driver version 352.55 or better.
- Input: Keyboard & Mouse
Recommended:
- OS: Ubuntu 14.04.2 64-bit / SteamOS
- Processor: Intel i7 series
- RAM: 8GB
- Hard Disk: 32GB
- Graphics: 2GB NVIDIA 960 or better with driver version 352.55 or better.
- Input: Keyboard & Mouse
Consult the changelog on Steam for the full update.
If you haven’t yet faced up to the alien threat, buy XCOM 2 for Linux and Mac on the Feral Store OR on Steam.
Do you use controller for the game? And how do the AMD Mesa drivers perform?
Tomb Raider system requirements released from Feral
Up to recently Feral Interactive has been keeping a lid on the #upcoming #port by developer #CrystalDynamics and publisher Square Enix. A well received adventure game, where the main protagonist is Lara Croft.
Feral just announced the official system requirements today for Tomb Raider 2013 game and update the community that the release is coming very soon.
Tomb Raider gameplay with Feral:
Will your Linux PC survive the action and adventure in Tomb Raider?
Minimum system requirements call for an Intel i3 or AMD FX-6300 processor, with 4GB RAM and a graphics card with 1GB of memory for NVIDIA and 2GB for AMD cards. For AMD cards, we also recommend using the MESA 11.2 driver.
If you want to take performance up a notch, then you’ll need an Intel i5 processor, 8GB RAM with a NVIDIA GeForce 760 with 3GB graphics memory.
Here are the system requirements in full:
Minimum
- OS: Ubuntu 14.04 or Steam OS 2.0 (64 bit)
- Processor: Intel i3 or AMD FX-6300
- RAM: 4GB
- GPU: 3GB NVIDIA GeForce 640 (Driver version 364.12), 2GB AMD R7 260X (Driver version MESA 11.2)
Recommended
- OS: Ubuntu 14.04 or Steam OS 2.0 (64 bit)
- Processor: Intel i5
- RAM: 8GB
- GPU: 3GB NVIDIA GeForce 760 (Driver version 364.12)
Tomb Raider for Linux will be out very soon and will be available on Steam and the Feral Store.
Vulkan Beta drivers now officially available for NVIDIA and AMD supporting Linux and Windows PC
Today, in an #announcement through ArsTechnica, the #Khronos Group has #released version 1.0 of the Vulkan API specification, the next-generation version of OpenGL. Originally based on AMD’s proprietary Mantle API, Vulkan API is an open-source, low-overhead API that promises huge performance gains, but in 3D applications, giving developers low-level control of graphics and CPU hardware, similar games consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
As well as publishing the spec itself, the Khronos group has also published a set of conformance tests to demonstrate compliance with the specification. Nvidia today has released a driver that passes these conformance tests for Windows and Linux. Drivers from Imagination Technologies (for Linux), Intel (also for Linux), and Qualcomm (for Android) have also passed the tests. AMD has a beta driver too, but unlike Nvidia’s effort, AMD’s has not passed the tests yet.
These tests, are all available on GitHub, with the Khronos Group accepting outside contributions. 3D developers that find any areas where these drivers differ from the manufacturers in incompatibility, in hopes of submitting to conformant tests and highlighting the inconsistency, making it easier for the driver developers.
So far Unity, Epic (Unreal Engine), Valve (Source 2), and Dice (Frostbite), and among others have all pledged to support and be involved with the creation of Vulkan. Currently none have games that make use of the API. Croteam has promised that The Talos Principle will support Vulkan at launch, which should be updated on Steam as well.
For the full post and breakdown of Vulkan, check out ArsTechnica news.
GPUOpen site launches with a very mixed response from the community
AMD has gone out of their way to embrace #opensource in a new way. The GPUOpen site launched this week, geared toward helping #developers provide the best #experiences for users on Linux, Mac, Windows PC and consoles. GPUOpen has been setup to assist developers in getting the most out of the GPU using open source resources and tools.
Nicolas Thibieroz reports for the GPUOpen site:
GPUOpen is composed of two areas: Games & CGI for game graphics and content creation (which is the area I am involved with), and Professional Compute for high-performance GPU computing in professional applications.
GPUOpen is based on three principles:
The first is to provide code and documentation allowing PC developers to exert more control on the GPU. Current and upcoming GCN architectures (such as Polaris) include many features not exposed today in PC graphics APIs, and GPUOpen aims to empower developers with ways to leverage some of those features. In addition to generating quality or performance advantages such access will also enable easier porting from current-generation consoles (XBox One™ and PlayStation 4) to the PC platform.
The second is a commitment to open source software. The game and graphics development community is an active hub of enthusiastic individuals who believe in the value of sharing knowledge. Full and flexible access to the source of tools, libraries and effects is a key pillar of the GPUOpen philosophy. Only through open source access are developers able to modify, optimize, fix, port and learn from software. The goal? Encouraging innovation and the development of amazing graphics techniques and optimizations in PC games.
The third is a collaborative engagement with the developer community. GPUOpen software is hosted on public source code repositories such as GitHub as a way to enable sharing and collaboration. Engineers from different functions will also regularly write blog posts about various GPU-related topics, game technologies or industry news.
The AMD’s GPUOpen initiative has caught the attention of quite a few people, but Linux gamers have taken to Reddit to express their views. Some redditors remain very sceptical and have questioned AMD’s efforts, wondering if it will actually amount to anything significant….
AMD Embraces Open Source with GPUOpen initiative
AMD has #announced their GPUOpen initiative #today. Moving further towards open-source in both #gaming and with computing. An expansion of their industry focus with all the tools necessary to successfully support individual needs, excluding the need for a static black-box solution that could end up inefficient.
GPUOpen, explicitly involves gaming and is a complete, easily accessible repository for all the effects, their SDK’s, associated libraries and other tools. The entire source code is accessible and able to be modified, called the GPUOpen Portal.
AMD is using MIT’s open source license where everything can be used without restriction. Meaning that assets can be improved upon and sold for profit, should you so choose to do so. A rather open and bold move on AMD’s part.
Linux support from AMD has certainly not been the most successful, with drivers in rather poor shape. Even Steam Machines show that their drivers are not on par with their Windows counterparts, with lower performance. As Linux increases the adoption rate among the curious and those that need such a platform for their business ventures.
GPUOpen introduces a change in attitude and direction with Linux driver development. Currently there is an open-source Radeon Driver and a closed-source Catalyst driver, with the Catalyst based driver having the best overall performance for any application to make use of the architecture, over and above than displaying the desktop. Both options were actually quite bad for gaming performance and even trying to get some HPC applications to run requires an exercise in patience. Quite honestly, this should not be.
Read the full GPUOpen coverage at wccftech.
