Fortnite and Anti-Cheat To Get Windows on Arm Support Despite Abysmal Adoption Rates

[Scrizz]

Is it just me or does it seem like there are certain forces that are trying to force arm on vast unwilling user base? I'm 100% sure that Qualcomm just threw a bunch of money at Epic to make this happen

it would seem that way.

 

[Shihab]

No one entertaining the thought that this has less to do with money, more to do with pissing off Apple?

 

[Jermelescu]

Yeah, and that's a BAD thing. Compatibility is important. If you don't understand why, you have the problem.

You don't need to drop backward compatibility to work effectively and efficiently. If you think that it is needed, you need to do more research.

You do that brotha.

What, a wall jack is too cumbersome for you? Or are you too inconvenienced to be bothered with such a huge irritation?


While that is a very fair point, no one who's on WoA is going to have the hardware to push PubG(or Fortnite) at playable framerate anyway so this is all a pointless debate.

Who hurt you this bad?
Most people do not need extreme compatibility with software developed for Windows XP.
Starting from scratch is a good thing as Windows has been plagued with a lot of issues from the past.
Running a browser, Office (or alternative), games, apps from the store for music and such, Adobe and games again is more than enough for MOST PEOPLE, which are by no means tech savvy.
Also, for most software developers having an IDE, node, GIT, .NET, Java, Python and Docker is also enough.
If you think otherwise then you do not know what average Joes do on their machines.

Sure, I game on my PC, but for work if I'd have proper Android emulation i'd be swell on WoA as nothing else is missing.

 

[SomeOne99h]

Both those would work probably run fine in linux (and in rusts case, does work fine on non-anticheat servers) if kernel level anticheat just would die already.

VRchat does use EasyAnticheat. It has been running in Linux for long time.

 

[R-T-B]

VRchat does use EasyAnticheat. It has been running in Linux for long time.

Yes, there are efforts to make anticheat work better on linux, but I'd still just prefer it die out.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Yes, there are efforts to make anticheat work better on linux, but I'd still just prefer it die out.

The reasons for it to exist are valid. However, there are better ways to do things. For example keeping player stats server-side exclusively and if the server detects an in consistency, it kicks the offending player out of the session. No need for bans, just keep booting out offending players. When players who are cheating figure things out, they'll stop cheating.

 

[SomeOne99h]

Yes, there are efforts to make anticheat work better on linux, but I'd still just prefer it die out.

I have learned that Kernel-level anticheat engine can corrupt files . I am against those kind of anticheat engines. Sometimes the same anticheat engine supports both kernel and user level, and the devs are given the choice to use one of them ... Makes it hard to know what kind level that anticheat is using.

 

[R-T-B]

I have learned that Kernel-level anticheat engine can corrupt files .

Well yeah once you are in the kernel you can do literally anything you want. That's the whole issue and why people don't like it.

Makes it hard to know what kind level that anticheat is using.

If they also support linux they are probably using user level, as it's really hard to get kernel level anticheat in linux (well, you can, but it literally does something called "tainting the kernel" which is really looked down on in linux land, and actually disables some kernel features).

 

[tpa-pr]

Well yeah once you are in the kernel you can do literally anything you want. That's the whole issue and why people don't like it.


If they also support linux they are probably using user level, as it's really hard to get kernel level anticheat in linux (well, you can, but it literally does something called "tainting the kernel" which is really looked down on in linux land, and actually disables some kernel features).

I believe that's why Valorant dropped Linux support, their reasoning was the anti-cheat was userspace and as such it could be easily bypassed. Whether or not that's true I don't know, but that was the reason given.

In any case, it'll be interesting to see if this does anything for Epic and/or WoA. I honestly didn't think the marketshare for WoA was large enough to warrant the support being added, nor do I know if the ARM hardware is strong enough to run it. I know that Fortnite runs on Android and iOS, which is ARM, but I don't think WoA is optimized enough to run games yet?

 

[R-T-B]

Whether or not that's true I don't know, but that was the reason given.

Very likely. Root account in linux can indeed do things windows wouldn't let you do to userspace.

 

[wNotyarD]

Well, ok. But for most people a wall jack is usually with in reach. And even for those who are very mobile, a battery pack is easy to use and inexpensive. Regardless, WoA is not a gaming-centric platform, especially not the Surface line of tablets. Perhaps it might be in the future, but not anytime soon.

So that brings us back to the whole "Fortnite on WoA" thing as being a wasted effort and a pointless endeavour.

Not right now, that's a given, and that's mostly on Adreno's ineptitude and anticheat issues. But if it wants to be gaming-viable, it MUST start somewhere. So they (either MS or Qualcomm) must encourage devs to do so.
Also, not every game needs the most powerful hardware. IF (and big IF here) WoA allows some of the most popular games (namely mobas and online FPS) to be played off the wall for longer in comparison to x86 Windows laptops, that'd be a win for the platform no matter how you look at it.

 

[Onasi]

The reasons for it to exist are valid. However, there are better ways to do things. For example keeping player stats server-side exclusively and if the server detects an in consistency, it kicks the offending player out of the session. No need for bans, just keep booting out offending players. When players who are cheating figure things out, they'll stop cheating.

Theoretically, the best approach would be a dynamic server-side ML driven AC that would react in real-time to new cheats/hacks and look for inconsistencies and discrepancies. This is what Valve has been working on for almost 3 years now with VACnet 3 for CS, since they staunchly oppose using any kind of kernel AC on philosophical grounds (understandably). That said, it still hasn’t materialized, so I assume it’s a gargantuan task even for company of Valves caliber. Guess everyone else considers it just easier to go for kernel-based and fuck any potential (quite serious) issues that can arise. And the effectiveness is… not really as bulletproof as they would want people to believe and the privacy concerns are real. If you (or anyone else) ever get the time, I highly recommend this podcast on Vanguard and all the concerns that were legitimately brought up when Riot started forcing it beyond Valorant:

 

[Epaminombas]

Anyone who is against anti-cheat must be addicted to online cheating, and they spend their time on forums campaigning against all types of anti-cheat.

Valve has been trying to create an anti-cheat for 15 years and has failed.

Even on their SteamOS, it is easy to install cheats because there is no software to scan for cheats.

And there are still ignorant people who defend Valve.

Unfortunately, it is only possible to have an anti-cheat system if it is a closed console like the Xbox SX. Where there is an antivirus and an anti-cheat that scans in the background for any attempt to install unknown applications.

PS4 and PS5 have always been the darlings and favorites of CoD and BF cheaters. There is no anti-cheat software on them.

Windows 11 has a decent anti-cheat system that any developer can use. So much so that cheaters of XboxGamePass games are banned in less than 1 month and have their hardware temporarily marked as cheating.

 

[CosmicWanderer]

Unless a unified code base can be created and employed for universal compatibility, it's a asking for disaster.


While there are some upsides, sure...

...you not doing any serious gaming on such a device.

That's fine, I didn't buy it for serious gaming. Happy with the light games.

 

[wNotyarD]

That's fine, I didn't buy it for serious gaming. Happy with the light games.

My thoughts exactly about the possibility of getting one. My current laptop is equipped with a GTX 1050 Mobile, it can't do "serious" gaming. But even light gaming isn't feasible off the mains, it barely stays alive 2 hours away from the socket doing so.
If a X1E device allows me to do the same light gaming for triple that long on battery power - not to mention any other usage for even further, I may very well get one soon (and give my current unit to my brother who still runs a Sandy i5).

The high-compatibility option would be getting a LNL model, but they're even more expensive.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I wasn't going to respond to the following, but someone wanted to hear my thoughts, so away we go..

Anyone who is against anti-cheat must be addicted to online cheating, and they spend their time on forums campaigning against all types of anti-cheat.

Valve has been trying to create an anti-cheat for 15 years and has failed.

Even on their SteamOS, it is easy to install cheats because there is no software to scan for cheats.

And there are still ignorant people who defend Valve.

Unfortunately, it is only possible to have an anti-cheat system if it is a closed console like the Xbox SX. Where there is an antivirus and an anti-cheat that scans in the background for any attempt to install unknown applications.

PS4 and PS5 have always been the darlings and favorites of CoD and BF cheaters. There is no anti-cheat software on them.

Windows 11 has a decent anti-cheat system that any developer can use. So much so that cheaters of XboxGamePass games are banned in less than 1 month and have their hardware temporarily marked as cheating.

This is an example of very narrow, closed intellect thinking. It is short sighted to an extreme. It is thinking the world desperately needs to avoid.