‘This game is extremely broken’: The dev of VKD3D-Proton, software for running Direct3D 12 games on Linux, isn’t enjoying Forza Horizon 6 very much
Forza Horizon 6 is experiencing significant compatibility issues on Linux, while running smoothly on Windows with minimal bugs. Hans-Kristian Arntzen, the lead developer of VKD3D-Proton—the critical translation software that enables Direct3D 12 games to run on Linux—has identified what appears to be the root cause of these problems. Arntzen has recently submitted multiple patches to the VKD3D-Proton project aimed at addressing these compatibility issues.
VKD3D-Proton serves as a crucial bridge for Linux gamers, translating Windows-based game code to function on Linux systems. The discovery by Arntzen suggests that the problems Linux players face with Forza Horizon 6 may stem from specific technical incompatibilities between the game’s Direct3D 12 implementation and the VKD3D-Proton translation layer. The submission of these fixes represents an active effort to resolve the platform-specific issues that have frustrated the Linux gaming community.
This situation highlights the ongoing challenges in cross-platform game development and the importance of compatibility layers for expanding gaming accessibility beyond Windows. While the Windows version demonstrates the game’s technical quality, the Linux version problems underscore the complexity of supporting multiple platforms and the dedicated work of open-source developers in enabling broader platform support.