Using VMware to play games. What's the best method?

[johanthomas12]

Hi,

I'm new to the whole VMware scene. I was hoping to have an ESX 4.1 server with virtual machines on it for remote gaming. The VMware view solution was reportedly the best way to speed up remote performance. As I was ready to download  games n the virtual machine, I noticed that my dream was shattered by the poor performance and unsupported issues I had with VMware. This was due to the video card provided by VMware.

My question is: What is the best way for me to hold on to my dream and come closer to gaming with VMware?

Could someone tell me if VMware will have a gaming product in the future?

I hope someone can guide me in how to accomplish my dream: To use good remote gaming performance without having to use your own hardware.

I appreciate your help in advance.

[Errock07 · Accepted solution]

well, I`m a player too,and has some EXP with remote gaming.
please use ESXi 6.7 or 7.0u3(laster ver) as ur game server
there are 2 way to use ur graphics card in VM

the new way is 7.0ver has 2 different way pass through ur PCI device(i can`t test it now)

if u use 6.5 or 6.7 the old pass through, u can assign ur graphics card direct to VM,that means the VM has all graphics card,and can`t migrate this VM.

if u use 7 , there are a new pass though way, u can give a graphics card model to VM , if u have another same model card in another ESXi server in same Cluster, u can migrate VM on them.(I`not test yet)

till this moment ESXi6.7 ,vsphere not support pool the graphics card and easy assign,i hope this feature too.
for u game only,it eazy to assign graphics card to VM
for graphics card pool and cloud gaming for players , maybe has other choose

[depping · Accepted solution]

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@johanthomas12 wrote:

Hi,

I'm new to the whole VMware scene. I was hoping to have an ESX 4.1 server with virtual machines on it for remote gaming. The VMware view solution was reportedly the best way to speed up remote performance. As I was ready to download games on the virtual machine, I noticed that my dream was shattered by the poor performance and unsupported issues I had with VMware. This was due to the video card provided by VMware.

My question is: What is the best way for me to hold on to my dream and come closer to gaming with VMware?

Could someone tell me if VMware will have a gaming product in the future?

I hope someone can guide me in how to accomplish my dream: To use good remote gaming performance without having to use your own hardware.

I appreciate your help in advance.

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VMware products have never been aimed at the gaming market, sure some folks have used the product for this usecase, but it was never (and probably will never) be designed specifically to run games.

[amber2w]

support for DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1 for applications and games installed in virtual machines. 3D support if you have an Intel graphics card (GPU) and a Linux host PC and support for DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.3.

[BivasM]

not directly used for gaming. but i have heard of setups where vmware being used to develop games. where they use the graphics cards mounted in esxi pci for rendering workload on vms

[jacilore]

Hi, "Errock07" sorry to hijack your answer for my particular case. But it seems I need help of someone like you, a player with experience in remote gaming.

I need to run Flight Simulator 98 in a Windows 10 PC host quite capable system. (FS98 is a 16-bit game that can only run in 32-bit systems, from what I have finally seen).

I have gotten to do it in a VMware XWindows XP system but I find limitations to use RAM memory by the Virtual machine.

So, with your knowledge, do you think ESXi can help me?. Would it be more or less easy?.

(I got to make my Virtual Machine in Vmware not too complicated, as I am quite new in this field. But would ESXi be much more complicated?. (I've seen Youtube videos about ESXi to be too hardware related).

Thanks and regards.

[ezbg]

I dont think this a good idea

[Errock07]

Hi, "jacilore"  u means use workstation and creat a XP vm for play an old game.

what means "limitations to use RAM memory by the Virtual machine",can u tell me some detail

And about ESXi or workstation , they r some differences. but if u just need Win XP VM(Low performance requirements) ，can ignore differences.

If u want remote play,ESXi is a good server OS

Use ESXi is easy ,just need know how to set IP. 

BTW: FS98 seems can work with WIN 7 and ubuntu

WIN7:Set compatibility to "Windows 98/ME"

Ubuntu22.04:run this command in the terminal: winetricks -q mfc42
then run flight simulator with this command: wine

[Errock07]

it works

I test with workstation 12+win7 sp1 64bit+FS98  without compatibility mode 

Just install win7 vm and FS98 then open it （all default）

with 2g rom and 1 cpu and it works