Wine 11 rewrites how Linux runs Windows games at kernel with massive speed gains

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

NTSYNC, WoW64, and low‑level work

  • NTSYNC is a new Linux kernel driver exposing NT‑style synchronization (mutexes, semaphores, events) with Windows semantics.
  • It exists because user‑space emulation using existing Linux primitives (futex, eventfd, shared memory) could not match Windows’ performance and correctness, especially for WaitForMultipleObjects.
  • Wine 11 also advances WoW64: cleaner 32‑bit on 64‑bit support, some 16‑bit Windows support, and better handling of OpenGL mappings and low‑level device operations.

Performance gains and benchmarks

  • Headline FPS numbers (e.g., 8× in Dirt 3) compare Wine+NTSYNC to vanilla Wine without esync/fsync; commenters call this somewhat misleading.
  • Against Wine+fsync, reported gains are typically small single‑digit percentages, though still positive.
  • esync (eventfd‑based) and fsync (futex‑based) already delivered big boosts; NTSYNC mainly improves correctness and smooths over edge cases.

Wine, Proton, and ecosystem

  • Proton is essentially Wine plus DXVK (DirectX→Vulkan), patches, and Steam integration; Proton‑GE layers on more experimental/legally tricky pieces (e.g., broader Media Foundation).
  • Non‑Steam tools (e.g., Proton‑style launchers) reuse this stack for GOG and other stores.
  • Many modern and older games now run as well or better on Linux+Wine/Proton than on current Windows, especially legacy DirectDraw/Direct3D titles.

Linux gaming, ABI stability, and dev targeting

  • Several argue Win32 is effectively “the only stable ABI on Linux,” making “target Windows + rely on Proton” more attractive than native Linux ports.
  • Others counter that open‑source software can be rebuilt, but acknowledge ABI instability and library churn make proprietary/native Linux support harder.
  • Some predict Wine/Proton becomes the de facto cross‑platform runtime; others worry this reduces incentives for native ports but see that as an acceptable trade‑off if games “just work.”

Productivity apps and business adoption

  • Multiple commenters say true desktop Linux adoption needs robust MS Office (and Teams/Outlook) support; games alone are not enough.
  • Office is considered harder than games because it exercises almost every obscure Windows subsystem (COM, OLE, installers, patching, D3D UI, Explorer integration).
  • Web Office 365 helps some, but power users of complex Word/Excel docs report web apps are insufficient.

Drivers, anti‑cheat, and remaining blockers

  • Opinions diverge on NVIDIA’s Linux drivers: some call them “garbage” and underperforming; others report acceptable, near‑Windows performance with recent cards.
  • Kernel‑level anti‑cheat/DRM remains a major barrier: such games typically don’t run under Wine/Proton, and several users avoid them on principle.