Summary
Valve and Collabora are porting RADV (an open-source AMD Vulkan driver) to Windows.
An open-source RADV on Windows enables shared code, easier debugging, faster fixes, and community contributions.
Counter-Strike 2 already runs on RADV for Windows with issues, but it’s still a promising start toward unifying Windows and Linux gaming.
For a while now, the Linux gaming scene has relied on Mesa’s RADV driver to get AMD GPUs working on their PCs. While it’s open-source and community-run, Valve has poured a lot of time, effort, and money into the project, allowing for AMD GPU performance on par with (or exceeding) Windows. In exchange, Valve had a reliable driver that powers the Steam Deck and Steam Machine.
Now, Valve and Collabora are working together to bring the RADV driver over to Windows. This may seem a little strange, given that Windows was the de facto platform for gaming for decades before Linux got its boost; the real benefits go beyond potential performance gains.
The quest to port RADV to Windows has already begun
And one game can already use it
In a blog post on Collabora, the team breaks down what it’s trying to achieve with RADV on Windows. It began when Faith Ekstrand presented findings at XDC 2024 showing that it could be done. From there, Collabora has been working on getting RADV over to Windows with Valve’s support, and the benefits are more than just a possible performance boost:
“An open source Vulkan driver on Windows opens up a number of possibilities: a shared codebase across platforms, easier debugging and experimentation, faster turnaround on fixes, and a path for the community (e.g., game developers) to report problems or contribute improvements that benefit everyone regardless of operating system.”
Progress has already gotten to the stage where Collabora can get Counter-Strike 2 running on Windows using RADV, albeit with some issues. However, it’s a very promising start, and if RADV takes off, it could really bring the Windows and Linux gaming scene together under one banner.
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