Linux gaming could overcome another major Windows-only hurdle

Linux gaming has made enormous strides over the past few years, to the point where longtime PC gamers have started transitioning to the platform full time. However, one major part of the PC gaming ecosystem has remained stubbornly tied to Windows: Microsoft’s Xbox PC infrastructure and PC Game Pass. A new open-source project called Xodus is now attempting to change that. Now, the intersection between people who believe in the games-as-a-service model and Linux users might seem thin, but there’s a good chance that the lack of Game Pass support is what’s keeping many gamers tethered to Windows.

Developers associated with Heroic Games Launcher are working on Xodus, which aims to make Microsoft’s newer GDK-based Xbox PC games usable outside Windows. For those out of the loop, Heroic Games Launcher is a free and open-source alternative game launcher available on Linux, Windows, macOS and Steam Deck. It is particularly popular among Linux users because it provides access to libraries from the Epic Games Store, GOG and Amazon Prime Gaming without requiring their respective official launchers. It is a borderline must-install on every Steam Deck, thanks to compatibility tools such as Wine and Proton that allow Windows games from these storefronts to be installed and run on Linux.

Xodus can reportedly authenticate Microsoft and Xbox accounts, obtain game licences and download Xbox PC games. It can also download and decrypt Microsoft’s MSIXVC game packages. However, that does not mean PC Game Pass games are playable on Linux yet. The considerably more difficult task of actually getting those games to run is an entirely different milestone. If successful, games could eventually run through the familiar Linux compatibility stack, with Wine alongside technologies such as DXVK and VKD3D-Proton. Compatibility would consequently still vary between individual games.

The developers are working on replacements for components of Microsoft’s Xbox Gaming Runtime and other services expected by GDK games. Xodus also maintains its own Wine fork with patches required by the project. The project primarily targets newer Xbox PC releases built around Microsoft’s MSIXVC packaging rather than older UWP games. Its scope could include both games purchased through Microsoft’s storefront and titles distributed through PC Game Pass.

Valve’s Proton has made a good chunk of the Steam catalogue playable on Linux, but Microsoft’s PC gaming ecosystem remains considerably harder to access locally, with cloud streaming serving as one of the only workarounds for Linux users. For now, Xodus is not an immediate Game Pass replacement for Linux users. Authentication and game downloads are already working, but getting games to run reliably will take some time.

Nevertheless, it brings Linux gamers one step closer to accessing games on more platforms, inching us closer to the year of the Linux desktop. Besides, it’s not like Windows is getting better anytime soon. For more information, check out Xodus' GitHub page.