Annabelle Stephenson
In an impressive feat, developers have managed to run the popular AAA game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, on a PC powered by RISC-V architecture. Although RISC-V is still in its early stages of development and adoption compared to mainstream CPUs like ARM and x86/x64, this achievement showcases the potential of open-source architecture.
The developers utilized a combination of Box64, Wine, and DXVK to emulate x86 instructions and bridge the gap between RISC-V and Linux. In a detailed blog post, they explained the challenges of translating x86/x64 CPU instructions into something that RISC-V could understand. This process consumed substantial hardware power, as RISC-V architecture complicated what used to be simple x86 instructions.
While the ability to run The Witcher 3 on RISC-V is a significant technical accomplishment, it is crucial to manage expectations. The game currently achieves only 15 FPS on RISC-V, making it semi-playable but far from an immersive experience. Nevertheless, this achievement paves the way for future advancements in open-source architecture.
Last year, the same developers successfully achieved fully playable 2D games on RISC-V, such as Stardew Valley and World of Goo. To bring The Witcher 3 to RISC-V, they required a Milk-V Pioneer, a RISC-V PC with a PCIe slot, along with an AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT installation. This limited form of gameplay shows that RISC-V architecture is capable of handling last-gen AAA titles with the right hardware configuration.
At present, this breakthrough may not have a significant impact on the gaming market; however, it highlights the ongoing efforts challenging the dominance of big tech companies. Similar to the advancements in Windows on Arm and Proton on Linux, the development of a capable RISC-V gaming PC could be a reality within the next decade, disrupting the current landscape controlled by Microsoft, Intel, and AMD.
As the RISC-V community continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, the future of open-source architecture in gaming looks promising. Stay informed with Tom’s Hardware for more news and in-depth reviews.
Additional facts:
– RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) that allows anyone to design and build their own processors based on the RISC-V specifications.
– The RISC-V architecture was developed in the University of California, Berkeley in 2010 and has gained increasing popularity in recent years.
– RISC-V offers flexibility and scalability, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, including embedded systems, IoT devices, and now gaming.
– Box64 is a dynamic binary translator that allows x86 applications to run on non-x86 platforms, such as RISC-V.
– Wine is a compatibility layer that enables running Windows software on non-Windows operating systems.
– DXVK is a Vulkan-based translation layer that allows DirectX 10 and 11 games to work on Linux with improved performance.
Key questions and answers:
Q: Why is running The Witcher 3 on RISC-V considered a breakthrough?
A: It is a significant achievement because it demonstrates the potential for open-source architecture in the gaming industry and challenges the dominance of proprietary CPU architectures.
Q: What were the challenges in running The Witcher 3 on RISC-V?
A: Translating x86/x64 CPU instructions into something that RISC-V could understand was a complex process that required emulation and bridging technologies like Box64, Wine, and DXVK. RISC-V architecture also complicated what used to be simple x86 instructions.
Q: What are the advantages of RISC-V architecture for gaming?
A: RISC-V’s open-source nature allows for greater customization and optimization, potentially leading to more efficient gaming systems. It also provides an alternative to the dominance of big tech companies in the gaming market.
Key challenges or controversies:
– Performance: The Witcher 3 currently only achieves 15 frames per second on RISC-V, making it less than optimal for a smooth gaming experience.
– Hardware requirements: Running AAA games on RISC-V requires specific hardware configurations, such as the Milk-V Pioneer and AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, limiting accessibility.
– Adoption: RISC-V is still in its early stages of development and adoption compared to mainstream CPU architectures like ARM and x86/x64, which may hinder its widespread use in gaming.
Advantages:
– Open-source architecture: RISC-V’s open-source nature provides opportunities for customization and innovation, allowing developers to tailor systems to their specific needs.
– Disruption of current landscape: RISC-V has the potential to disrupt the dominance of big tech companies by offering an alternative architecture for gaming PCs.
– Future advancements: The breakthrough of running The Witcher 3 on RISC-V paves the way for further advancements in open-source architecture, potentially leading to more capable gaming systems in the future.
Disadvantages:
– Limited performance: The current performance of AAA games on RISC-V is suboptimal, with lower frame rates compared to mainstream CPU architectures like x86/x64.
– Hardware requirements: Running AAA games on RISC-V requires specific hardware configurations, which may limit accessibility for the average consumer.
– Early development stage: RISC-V is still in its early stages of development and adoption, which means it may take time for it to become mainstream in the gaming industry.
Suggested related links:
– RISC-V official website
– Tom’s Hardware
