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

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."

Comments

"play their PC based games on Android devices"

[Anonymous Coward]

X86 android devices.

Re:"play their PC based games on Android devices"

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

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?

If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[ITRambo]

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.

Re:If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[Anonymous Coward]

I disagree. Codeweavers are the main developers behind open source wine and I used their commercial products on my workstation daily. Crossover office has excellent compatibility these days and good launcher integration.

Re:If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[DrXym]

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 satisfy these dependencies. And many games would use copy protection libraries that require drivers or background processes to function.

So emulating Windows well enough that you can install some random game and expect it to work is pretty low. If the game is running somewhere else then yeah, Steam by itself might be useful. But then again, what's to stop Valve just throwing streaming onto their existing Steam app for Android?

Re:If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[DrXym]

Wine is useful and a major achievement but it's still horribly hit and miss when confronted with some random software. And that's when its running on an OS that is capable of hosting demanding Windows applications. A typical Android device wouldn't have that capacity.

A less palatable alternative but one which produces better results is to port each application with winelib or some commercial derivative so it runs natively on the host OS even if its internally using Win32 APIs. It requires somebody to have the source for the application but they can compile, test, debug and if necessary, modify the code to make it work on the host, e.g. commenting out copy protection or some feature that isn't supported. This is how most Windows games get ported to OS X or Linux - some 3rd party does a port using Cedega or similar.

Re:If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[MightyYar]

IMHO, the main value of Codeweavers is when you have a legacy program that is holding you back from updating your systems. Expecting it to work on a 15-year-old Windows program is not unrealistic. Expecting it to work with constantly-upgraded programs like AutoCAD is going to lead to disappointment. If AutoCAD is your bread and butter, than Windows is your companion - that's just the way it is. If you just need to run your ancient XP-era security keycard programmer, give Wine a whirl. If all of your pre-1997 documents are in an ancient version of WordPerfect, give it a try - it certainly beats paying an intern to convert them all, and the intern won't have to kill himself.

Re:If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[ArhcAngel]

Wine Is Not an Emulator!

Re:If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[fgouget]

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, 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 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 Windows, Mac OS X and Linux on regular PCs by providing users with the Android GUI they are already used to on their smartphone. They cannot do that if buying a second PC with Windows and streaming is their only answer to providing compatibility with legacy applications.

Re:If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[fgouget]

A less palatable alternative but one which produces better results is to port each application with winelib or some commercial derivative so it runs natively on the host OS even if its internally using Win32 APIs. It requires somebody to have the source for the application but they can compile, test, debug and if necessary, modify the code to make it work on the host, e.g. commenting out copy protection or some feature that isn't supported.

None of that requires recompiling the source code with WineLib. All it requires is cooperation of the game editor to get modified binaries that play well with Wine. Note also that WineLib is no more native than Wine and will not provide better performance.

This is how most Windows games get ported to OS X or Linux - some 3rd party does a port using Cedega or similar.

Really? So then why does Wikipedia say about Cedega that "In some cases it closely mimics the experience that Windows users have (insert disc, run Setup.exe, play)". Clearly not every Cedega port is a source port. Furthermore isn't Cedega a bit dead nowadays? Anyway, even if you don't go through the standard setup.exe that does not mean you have a source port, as demonstrated by CrossOver's many ports.

Re:If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[DrXym]

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 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.

This may explain why Valve conspicuously didn't bother with Wine when implementing Steam for Linux. Instead they support native applications and leave porting up to developers. Undoubtedly many recompile against winelib or are using portable libraries in the first place. But they're native.

The goal of Remix OS is to replace Windows, Mac OS X and Linux on regular PCs by providing users with the Android GUI they are already used to on their smartphone. They cannot do that if buying a second PC with Windows and streaming is their only answer to providing compatibility with legacy applications.

Remix is about bringing Android to the desktop and not about piss poor Windows emulation.

Re:If it's stable, MS needs to watch out.

[fgouget]

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 developers would all be out of a job! Wine and CrossOver work really well in a lot of cases and if it doesn't for you then too bad. It does not mean that they are useless as you imply.

Undoubtedly many recompile against winelib or are using portable libraries in the first place. But they're native.

Nobody uses WineLib for porting and far from all ports are native.

Is there a cure for Slashvertigo?

[orledrat]

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

Re:Is there a cure for Slashvertigo?

[tlhIngan]

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.

Sooooo?

[Edis Krad]

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.

Re:Sooooo?

[xlsior]

"Steam" is just the game manager GUI / DRM protection layer that manages, validates and launches 3rd party games -- It's the games themselves that (may) require DirectX, but that has nothing to do with the Steam portion of the equation.

Re:Sooooo?

[fgouget]

that's what I was thinking...running a launcher is a lot different then running one of the games.

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. It will also likely be the most practical way of getting games on the platform.

I imagine the vast majority of them won't play, and even if they did, would probably crush a mobile processor (though it sounds like it requires x86 Android, which would mean Atom chips...though those aren't exactly renowned for their gaming performance either).

RemixOS can run on regular PCs so you can also run it on top-of-the-line i7 CPUs and I imagine they either already support NVIDIA and AMD cards or will do so soon.

Re:Sooooo?

[Anthony]

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.

Re:i.e. 15% of the market

[shutdown -p now]

In case you haven't noticed, actual Office runs on iOS and Android already.

The point?

[some old guy]

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?

Re:The point?

[fgouget]

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, 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 site says "This is just the beginning". But being able to run Windows applications could help

Re:What happened to Steam Machines?

[Stormwatch]

"Steam machines" are just fancy PCs with a customized Debian.

Re:i.e. 15% of the market

[phishybongwaters]

Well phones and ipads aren't gaming pcs, gaming pcs run windows. PC gaming industry is doing fine.

Intel is betting their tablet future on Android

[twickline]

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... 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. :)

Sponsored Articles

[deadwill69]

I'm liking the coloring on the sponsored stuff. Nice touch!

Re:i.e. 15% of the market

[The-Ixian]

And is arguably a better experience than the same apps on Windows Phone...

Re:Oh my God...

[ledow]

Cock.

SteamOS on Linux is entirely x86 based.

Android is based on ARM and/or x86 with a Java-like app interface. Not even close to similar systems.

Not to mention OpenGL vs OpenGL ES