Apple Silicon Macs Running Linux Receive Major Gaming Update

The Asahi Linux project has released the first conformant OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers for Apple silicon Macs in a significant update for improved gaming performance on Macs running the Linux operating system.

Linux on M1 Feature
The Asahi Linux project is a collaborative effort aimed at bringing the Linux operating system to Macs that contain M1 or M2 chips. The OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers represent the first time that conformant GPU drivers have been made available for Apple's newest hardware running on the Linux platform.

Conformant drivers meet specific industry standards, ensuring that they function correctly with various applications. The OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers have apparently undergone extensive testing, including tens of thousands of individual tests, to ensure that they meet the necessary criteria. The drivers are recognized as conformant by Khronos, the organization responsible for overseeing the standards related to OpenGL.

Unlike Apple's proprietary drivers for the GPUs integrated into the M1- and M2-series SoCs, which do not conform to standard graphics APIs such as Vulkan, OpenGL, or OpenGL ES, the drivers released by the Asahi Linux team are in line with these official standards. This means that users running Linux on Apple silicon can expect more stable and predictable performance from graphics-intensive applications, such as games, ostensibly marking a significant milestone in the development of Linux support for Apple's latest Mac hardware.

Tag: Linux

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Top Rated Comments

Luna Murasaki Avatar
16 months ago
Really happy to hear of any progress with Asahi Linux. Someday the M1 MacBook Pro I am using is going to be out of support and it will be nice to have something available to keep it useful.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
k1121j Avatar
16 months ago
I really want some cool gaming brought to the Mac. It seems to be going backwards. All that there is these days is Nintendo style kiddy games in my opinion. :( makes me sad
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iAssimilated Avatar
16 months ago
Good to hear! Any benefits brought about by this endeavor are welcome.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SexExpert Avatar
16 months ago

Isn’t Asashi now part of Fedora as a remix distribution? Either way, I support this. At least we will have a supporter operating system we can still use on are M1 Macs when Apple does planned obsolescence.
How exactly does Apple make your M1 mac obsolete? Do they do a remote-wipe on it when it reaches a certain age or what? Is this a new feature of Apple Silicon macs?

Please let me know cos I've got a 15+ year old mac i still use from time to time and don't want Apple to remotely obsolete it!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hyperchaotic Avatar
16 months ago

How exactly does Apple make your M1 mac obsolete? Do they do a remote-wipe on it when it reaches a certain age or what? Is this a new feature of Apple Silicon macs?

Please let me know cos I've got a 15+ year old mac i still use from time to time and don't want Apple to remotely obsolete it!
I understand what you are trying to say in this round-about way, but also what what people mean when they say obsolete - that it stops getting major OS upgrades.

I remember when my Macbook Pro Core 2 Duo suddenly didn't get OS upgrades anymore despite being a perfectly good computer. And after a while major web browsers stopped supporting the macOS version I was using on my dearly loved MBP. Fortunately I was able to install Ubuntu on it and continue to use the latest browsers.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
16 months ago
Isn’t Asashi now part of Fedora as a remix distribution? Either way, I support this. At least we will have a supporter operating system we can still use on are M1 Macs when Apple does planned obsolescence.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)