GOG Galaxy, GOG's official app, is the best way to play GOG games on PC, and it's been lacking Linux support ever since it arrived. But an official Linux version is reportedly in the works, even if we don't yet have a confirmed date.
That is according to GamingOnLinux, which spoke to joint-CEO Krzysztof Papliński. Papliński said, "Linux continues to be one of the topics we hear the most about from our community, and we really appreciate the passion and patience of everyone who’s been asking about it."
They continue, "Following the role we announced earlier this year, we now have the specialist on board and are actively exploring the best way to approach Linux support for GOG Galaxy. This is a significant undertaking, so while we’re not ready to share any specific plans, timelines, or results just yet, it’s very much an area we’re investing time and effort into. We’re excited about the possibilities and will be happy to share more when the time is right!"
Now, you can still technically play GOG games on Linux even without the official app. For Linux-supported games, you can run GOG through the Heroic Games Launcher, which is also a great way to avoid using the Epic Games Store. Heroic is free to use and available now.
As for why you may want to use GOG Galaxy instead of Heroic, it has playtime and achievement tracking, as well as everything Heroic has, like the ability to work with non-GOG games, and comes with storefronts to discover games. It also centralises friends lists to interact with people on Steam, GOG, and Epic all in one place.
Still, just because GOG has confirmed it is working on GOG Galaxy for Linux doesn't mean it will be on the way soon. GOG says that Linux is the 'next major frontier' for its development, which seems like a good thing for wider Linux adoption, though.
But, alas, it's a bit of a monkey's paw, as GOG appears to want to "actively use and promote AI-assisted development tools to increase team efficiency and code quality " going forward. GOG letting you actually own your games is certainly a great reason to use its storefront, but forgive me for being a bit cautious of promoting AI usage on a top-down basis. I suppose we'll have to wait for more concrete details on both developments to find out the specifics.
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