New DirectX7 emulation tool brings more games to Steam Deck, SteamOS, and other Linux distros through Vulkan, with caveats

An independent developer has created D7VK, a DirectX 7-to-Vulkan emulation tool that builds on DXVK's DirectX 9 emulation backend and Wine's DDRAW implementation for Linux. This two-stage translation layer aims to expand game compatibility for Linux users, although not all DirectX 7 games may work due to their older development methods. The developer chose not to support DirectX 6 or older versions, focusing on utilizing existing code to add DX7 compatibility. Despite limitations, this advancement opens up the possibility of playing classic titles like Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament on modern Linux systems like Steam Deck and SteamOS.