While Microsoft’s Windows OS commands a dominant presence in PC gaming, the remarkable success of the Steam Deck is driving a shift towards Linux. The open-source operating system recently received a kernel update that includes significant enhancements, making this a noteworthy moment for PC gamers, even as Linus Torvalds admits to missing the deadline for the release, albeit only by a few hours.

Torvalds, while not criticized, remarked that his delayed release was due to his own “pure incompetence” because nothing unexpected happened, and he simply forgot to finalize the release in the midst of other tasks.

The kernel update features an enhanced NTsync driver, which is a pivotal improvement for PC gaming on Linux platforms. The NTsync driver supports emulating synchronization mechanisms used in Windows applications, improving performance for games run in Linux via Wine.

The changes could lead to performance increases, with estimates ranging from a 24% to a staggering 678% uplift, according to developer Elizabeth Figura. More details on the required work are available in Figura’s presentation.

Despite the Steam Deck likely not experiencing double the game speed due to GPU limitations, the new kernel may provide significant enhancements for Linux gamers using Wine, particularly if their system bottlenecks don’t stem from the GPU.

As SteamOS expands beyond the Steam Deck, this kernel update could usher in more Linux adoption among gamers. While Microsoft’s dominance in PC gaming remains unchanged, every positive progress in the Linux realm is a victory worth celebrating.