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CodeWeavers CrossOver Can Now Run Steam On Android Remix (wine-reviews.net) 44

twickline writes: James Ramey, the President of CodeWeavers, has posted a short video showing CrossOver running Steam on Android Remix at this years GDC 2016 (Game Developers Conference), which was recently held in San Francisco. James also posted on his Facebook account, "Our company, CodeWeavers, with the help of Jide Technology was able to demonstrate Steam running on Android. Gamers will be able to play their PC based games on Android devices. It's cutting edge if nothing else."
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CodeWeavers CrossOver Can Now Run Steam On Android Remix

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  • by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 21, 2016 @11:46PM (#51750103)

    X86 android devices.

    • So does this just amount to an announcement that CrossOver has been made to work with bionic as well as the usual gnu libc, or is there something else involved?
  • by ITRambo ( 1467509 ) on Monday March 21, 2016 @11:53PM (#51750125)
    If this can be made to be stable and run properly, Microsoft should be looking over their shoulders as Android evolves into a desktop OS and CrossOver allows Steam to play on. With more programs available online Windows won't be needed to the extent that it was in the past, or is in the present.
    • by DrXym ( 126579 )
      It may be useful for playing streaming games but emulating games? I doubt it will get far on that front.

      Android devices don't have hard disks, don't have virtual memory, don't have much RAM, don't have have very powerful CPU or GPUs, don't have sophisticated support for input devices or controllers. Windows applications & games also have dependencies on runtimes like DirectX, .NET, COM / ActiveX controls, proprietary fonts (even Arial is proprietary) etc. so it's not enough to fool the game but also s

        • by DrXym ( 126579 )
          Wine as used here IS an emulator. It emulates the behaviour of Windows on a host OS in order to allow Windows applications to run. If we were talking of recompiling software winelib then that would not be an emulator since the code would be native to the host OS.
      • by fgouget ( 925644 )

        Android devices don't have hard disks, don't have virtual memory, don't have much RAM, don't have have very powerful CPU or GPUs, don't have sophisticated support for input devices or controllers.

        Did you miss the part where the article said CodeWeavers got Steam running on Remix OS [jide.com], a version of Android that can run on regular PCs, which, if you so desire can be cnfigured with hard disks, gigabytes of RAM, top-of-the-line i7 CPUs, GPUs, real keyboards, mice, etc?

        Windows applications & games also have dependencies on runtimes like DirectX, .NET, COM / ActiveX controls, proprietary fonts (even Arial is proprietary) etc. so it's not enough to fool the game but also satisfy these dependencies. And many games would use copy protection libraries that require drivers or background processes to function.

        Wine provides DirectX, .NET, COM, ActiveX and event lets you install the freely downloadable Arial fonts. In fact CrossOver, which is based on Wine, already runs many of the games [codeweavers.com] you say it cannot run.

        But then again, what's to stop Valve just throwing streaming onto their existing Steam app for Android?

        The goal of Remix OS is to replace Wind

        • by DrXym ( 126579 )

          Did you miss the part where the article said CodeWeavers got Steam running on Remix OS [jide.com], a version of Android that can run on regular PCs, which, if you so desire can be cnfigured with hard disks, gigabytes of RAM, top-of-the-line i7 CPUs, GPUs, real keyboards, mice, etc?

          Great, so if I buy a top of the range computer, I can make it work just like a poor relation of Windows. Awesome. And no VM support. And I expect sound, graphics and input support suck compared to Windows. Remix is better suited as a replacement for ChromeOS, firmware resident OS or a bootable USB key. Indeed, this appears to be exactly their focus at present.

          Wine provides DirectX, .NET, COM, ActiveX and event lets you install the freely downloadable Arial fonts. In fact CrossOver, which is based on Wine, already runs many of the games [codeweavers.com] you say it cannot run.

          Getting games to run on Wine is completely hit and miss. If you're lucky they work. If you're not (most of the time) they fall over in a heap or suffe

          • by fgouget ( 925644 )

            Great, so if I buy a top of the range computer, I can make it work just like a poor relation of Windows. Awesome. And no VM support. And I expect sound, graphics and input support suck compared to Windows. Remix is better suited as a replacement for ChromeOS, firmware resident OS or a bootable USB key. Indeed, this appears to be exactly their focus at present.

            I did not say Remix OS is meant to be a one-for-one Windows replacement. It's meant to compete and drive it and others out of the market for the sizable chunk of users who have relatively simple needs (hint, that chunk does not know what a VM is). But getting compatibility with at least some popular Windows applications will certainly help to achieve that.

            Getting games to run on Wine is completely hit and miss. If you're lucky they work. If you're not (most of the time) they fall over in a heap or suffer serious performance / graphical problems that render them unplayable. And even when software runs on Wine it is usually necessary to install chunks of Microsoft and other's binaries of one sort or another. Front ends like PlaysForSure have to grab pieces from all over the place.

            So you're saying the developers of any imperfect piece of software should just give up and go do something else? Well then Microsoft, Apple and Linux deve

  • This cutting edge paradigm shift, I need it, my purse is pounding. Tell me right away where I can purchase your synergistic software suite.
    • by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

      This cutting edge paradigm shift, I need it, my purse is pounding. Tell me right away where I can purchase your synergistic software suite.

      You realize that CodeWeavers are the support behind WineHQ, right? CrossOver is a commercially-supported version of WINE, and all the patches CodeWeavers does makes it into WINE. Likewise, when people ask WINE for commercial support, they point them at CodeWeavers.

  • Steam is just an application. A 2D, an off-the-mill application with a browser stuffed inside it.

    Wake me up when it runs DirectX games.
    • by Anthony ( 4077 ) *
      I have not played FPS for over a decade but I have a soft spot for "stompy robots". I bought Crossover at the end of last year, just to run Mechwarrior Online(and support Wine/Crossover) and it installed Steam and MWO without a hitch and it works really well. It is the 32bit version(DirectX 9). DirectX 11 is a work-in-progress.
  • Clever proof of concept, but aimed at what market?

    True, Steam offers a broad selection of genres and titles, but I really can't see surviving past the loading screen in an intense FPS or MMO.

    Cute anime panda games, maybe.

    I mean, really, Company of Heroes 2 on a damn telephone?

    • by fgouget ( 925644 )

      True, Steam offers a broad selection of genres and titles, but I really can't see surviving past the loading screen in an intense FPS or MMO.

      Cute anime panda games, maybe.

      Steam is actually quite a pain to get running, quite often more so than the games it then starts. So getting the Steam GUI to work is an achievement that should not be underestimated.

      I mean, really, Company of Heroes 2 on a damn telephone?

      CodeWeavers got Steam running on RemixOS [jide.com], a version of Android targeted at Intel PCs, which means it's meant to be run with a real keyboard, mouse, screen, etc. so there is none of the GUI issues presented by smartphones. Obviously since it has not been released yet it's not clear how much market share it will get. As their sit

  • I believe supporting Android is a long term investment strategy, If Intel has their way Android will be the future mobile operating system for Phones, Tablets and Laptops. Their is a interesting read about Intel's future plans and Microsoft isn't in the picture here : http://www.qslearn.com/posts/v... [qslearn.com] The 15% market share goal was for 2014, just wait a couple years and see what their market share settles out at, I would surmise like the desktop market now in the 90% range. :)
  • I'm liking the coloring on the sponsored stuff. Nice touch!

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