What other projects besides Playnite are planning to migrate to Linux?

Playnite’s migration to Linux is part of a broader shift in open-source development. The catalyst for Playnite's port is its migration from Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) to Avalonia UI—a modern, cross-platform .NET framework that renders natively on Linux, Windows, and macOS.

This same technical bridge, along with the growth of Linux gaming (propelled by SteamOS and Proton), has encouraged several other storefronts, launchers, and desktop applications to plan or execute Linux migrations.

Gaming Launchers & Ecosystem Projects

1. GOG (Native Linux Support Initiatives)

While GOG historically relied on Linux users relying on third-party frontends (like Heroic or Lutris), GOG has officially begun moving toward native Linux client integration and DRM-free Linux support. Driven by growing demand from handheld and desktop Linux users, GOG is closing the gap between its Windows client ecosystem and Linux.

2. Project Xodus (by the Heroic Launcher Team)

To solve one of the biggest missing pieces in Linux gaming—Xbox PC Games and Xbox Game Pass—the developers behind the Heroic Games Launcher launched Project Xodus.

• The Goal: Reverse-engineer Microsoft’s proprietary Gaming Development Kit (GDK) and MSIXVC package management to run Xbox PC titles and Game Pass games natively on Linux without full virtualization.

3. Open Gaming Collective (OGC)

Rather than a single app port, the Open Gaming Collective is a joint initiative formed by major Linux gaming projects—including Bazzite (Universal Blue), ASUS Linux, ShadowBlip, PikaOS, and Fyra Labs.

• The Goal: Unify separate, fragmented Linux gaming tools into standardized, shared components—including a unified Linux kernel tailored for gaming (OGC Kernel) and an enhanced downstream version of Valve’s Gamescope compositor.

Desktop Apps Migrating via Avalonia & .NET

Playnite isn't the only C# application making the leap. The adoption of Avalonia UI and Uno Platform has enabled a wave of legacy Windows-only WPF and WinForms applications to port directly to Linux:

• System & Media Utilities: Dozens of open-source C# utilities (audio routing tools, hardware monitors, and file managers) are adopting Avalonia to deliver identical desktop experiences across Windows and Linux without rewriting back-end logic.

• Community Library Managers: Frontend projects like Cartridges (a lightweight GTK4 library launcher) and Pegasus Frontend have developed or expanded native Linux builds to cater to users migrating away from Windows-only launchers.

Summary of Linux Migration Pathways

Category	Key Projects / Initiatives	Core Technology / Drivers
Game Frontends	Playnite, GOG Galaxy ecosystem	Avalonia UI (.NET 8+), native API integration
Platform Compatibility	Project Xodus (Heroic Team)	Rust, custom Wine/Proton runtimes for Xbox GDK
Infrastructure & OS	Open Gaming Collective (Bazzite, PikaOS, etc.)	Shared OGC Kernel, Gamescope enhancements
WPF / .NET Windows Apps	Various productivity & media tools	Avalonia UI & Uno Platform migration layers

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About Giampaolo Rossi.

Fond of computer and video games. Stay informed of the latest news on games for Linux and Android. The future of gaming is in Linux. All you need to know about How to play Windows games on Linux.