Watch Dogs Guide

Watch Dogs is an open world 3rd person action hacking game where you can explore a living city full of technology and crime. Roam the streets of Chicago as Alden Pearce while hacking phones, city devices, ATMs and Vehicles to stop crime. Stealth is your closest friend

Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Watch Dogs in Linux with PlayOnLinux.

Note: This guide applies to the Legacy Uplay version of Watch Dogs. Other versions may require additional steps.

Tips & Specs:

To learn more about PlayOnLinux and Wine configuration, see the online manual: PlayOnLinux Explained

Mint 18.3 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.12
Wine: 3.14 Staging 64-bit

Wine Installation

Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"

Look for the Wine Version: 3.13
Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right

Click Next

Downloading Wine

Extracting

Downloading Gecko

Installed

Also click the "Wine versions (amd64) Tab" and download 3.13 as well

Wine 3.13 & 3.13 64-bit is installed and you can close this window

Download the Legacy Uplay

Go to: ubi.li/78pn4
Save UplayInstaller.exe to your Desktop
Note: This is the unsupported version that still works with Windows XP

PlayOnLinux Setup

Launch PlayOnLinux
Click Install

Click "Install a non-listed program"

Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
Click Next

Name the virtual drive: watchdogs
Click Next

Check all three options:

• Use another version of Wine
• Configure Wine
• Install some libraries

Click Next

Select Wine 3.13
Click Next

Select "64 bits windows installation"
Click Next

Wine Configuration

Windows version: Windows XP
Click Apply

Libraries Tab
Add the following overrides:

• d3d10
• d3d10_1
• d3d10core
• d3d11
• dxgi
• xaudio2_7

Click Edit on each override and select "(Native) Windows"
Click Apply

Note: Manually typing in each override is quicker than finding them on the dropdown menu

Graphics Tab
Check "automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows"
Click OK

PlayOnLinux Packages (DLLs, Components, Libraries)

Check the following:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_d3dx10
• POL_Install_d3dx11
• POL_Install_d3dx9
• POL_Install_tahoma
• POL_Install_vcrun2008
• POL_Install_vcrun2010
• POL_Install_xaudio

Click Next

Note: All packages should automatically download and install

Click Browse

Select "UplayInstaller.exe" from your Desktop
Click Open

Click Next

Click OK

Click "I Accept"

Click Install

Click Next

Click Finish to run Uplay

Login to Uplay
Important: Check "Remember me"

Click Games
Click Watch Dogs

Click Download

Select Language
Click Continue

Uncheck "Create start menu shortcut"
Uncheck "Create desktop shortcut"
Click Continue

Note: PlayOnLinux will create the shortcuts in a later step

Click "Accept and continue"

Wait for Watch Dogs to download
Important: Do not run Watch Dogs!
When its finished downloading, Close Uplay

PlayOnLinux Shortcut

Select "Uplay.exe"
Click Next

Name the shortcut: Watch Dogs
Click Next

Select "I don't want to make another shortcut"
Click Next

Download Lutris Staging Wine

PlayOnLinux no longer provides "staging" versions of Wine
We'll grab one from Lutris Runners
Go to: https://lutris.net/files/runners/
Download "wine-staging-3.14-x86_64.tar.gz"
Save it to your Desktop
Extract "wine-staging-3.14-x86_64.tar.gz" to the PlayOnLinux Wine/linux-amd64 directory
Full path:

/home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wine/linux-amd64/

PlayOnLinux Configure

Back to PlayOnLinux
Select "Watch Dogs"
Click Configure

General Tab
Click the Wine down-arrow
Select "staging-3.14-x86_64"

Display Tab
Video memory size: enter the amount of memory your video card/chip uses

Close Configure

DXVK Setup

Go to: https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases
Download Version 0.70
Extract it to your Desktop

Open x64 directory
Copy all dlls

Paste in the Uplay/games/Watch_Dogs/bin directory
Full path:

/home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/watchdogs/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Ubisoft/games/Watch_Dogs/bin

DXVK Full Guide
http://www.gamersonlinux.com/forum/threads/dxvk-guide.2540/
Follow this guide for all the detailed steps to run DXVK in PlayOnLinux

Run Watch Dogs

Select Watch Dogs
Click Run

Note: Click Debug to see bugs and errors

Uplay should automatically login and run
Click Games
Click Watch Dogs
Click Play

The first launch will try to install dependencies like Direct X, Visual C & DOT Net Framework 3.5
Since we previously installed all of them but Dot Net it will hang on Dot Net
DOT Net Framework 3.5 doesn't even install in a 64-bit prefix

Go to your System Monitor
Find Setup.exe
End Process

The game launch should continue
If not, end close it and run it again.
Eventually the Dot Net installation will skip and run the game

Optmization

Click options

Click Display

Adjust:

• Resolution
• Refresh Rate
• Aspect Ratio
• Window Mode
• VSync
• GPU Max Buffered Frames
• Textures
• Anti-Aliasing
• Widescreen Letterbox

Click Apply

Note: The first time Watch Dogs launched the resolution was 800x600 and I could change it in-game, but you need to move the mouse to the right-edge of the screen to see the "Apply" button

Click Graphics Quality
Adjust:

• Overall Quality
• Level of Detail
• Shadows
• Reflections
• Ambient Occlusion
• Motion Blur
• Depth of Field
• Water
• Shader

Click Apply

You can manually adjust the game settings in the GamerProfile.xml

1. Go to Documents
2. My Games
3. Watch Dogs
4. hexadecimal directory
5. Open GamerProfile.xml

Manually adjust game resolution and other settings here

Conclusion:
Watch Dogs needs a lot of workarounds and extra hacks not provided by PlayOnLinux, but it runs GREAT!
The main issues I had was trying to make the first launch skip the Dot Net installation. I don't even know why it requires Dot Net??? The other problem was at first launch the resolution was 800x600 and I was trying to adjust it in-game, but the apply button was not in the screen. Then it would eventually crash and I had to kill it from TTY shell. But later I found that all I have to do is slide the mouse to the right side of the screen and there is the "Apply" button.
DXVK has made all the difference in playing these Direct X 10/11 games in Wine.

Gameplay Video:

Screenshots:

 

 

I stopped buying Ubisoft games even when i was using Windows back then, part of the reason was that abomination called "uplay". It is impressive that you managed to run the game under linux. I personally gave up on the publishers with custom launchers like EA and Ubisoft, besides most of their recent games suck.

 

I totally agree. They are pulling a Microsoft and trying to copy Steam, but fail miserably. Its just another way to force advertising and track their customers. At least Origin provides some free games here and there.

What irritates me the most is all the "hoops" you have to jump through n or to get it running in Wine. I know these clients are not made for Wine, but geesh, so many dependencies, updates and compatibility issues.

The only reason I used Uplay is because I got the game on sale a few years back. The Steam version should work even better. Hopefully SteamPlay will be able to run DXVK and dependencies, then you can just click "install"

 

yes yes yes here we go again. booman taking it to the next level

 

I wish I had enough money to purchase all the AAA windows games in all clients so I can test them.

I actually found a Gears of War box in a Goodwill, but turn out it was missing the 3nd DVD. I've searched all over the internet and can't find a second DVD.

But I still have a lot of games to test in my GOG, Steam, India & Retail venues. But if SteamPlay is successful, then our Steam guides are useless.

Just planning ahead. If I have to, I'll only test Free-To-Play MMORPGs

 

@booman
The thing is even when you buy EA and Ubisoft games on Steam you still have to install Uplay and Origin in order to play them and i heard that EA will no longer give free copies.

They all try to build their own walled gardens, at least Valve is on our side and their Steam-drm is not that elusive and developers does not even have to use it when they publish a game on Steam. In an ideal world drm-free is way to go but GOG seems to pretty much ignore the Linux world and their prices are too high for my country because of exchange rates so that is not an option for me.

That being said; we need solutions to the stuff like .net, xaudio and etc asap. Hopefully Valve's efforts will help on those fronts. Since proton is open source and they are working with wine developers, eventually everyone will benefit from it. Also when you buy and play a windows game on Steam that counts as a Linux sale and developers can see how many players are on Linux, that is also something i am happy with.

 

Good points!

I hate running Assassin's Creed in Steam when I have to install and use Uplay. Its crazy! Like having two DRMs!

GOG has been good to me and released a lot of Linux game. I still have a few on GOG with no Linux version, but Steam does. When it comes to DRM free I know some developers have a hard time with it.

I hope that we get more visual C support and Dot NET support for sure! I had to stop playing a few games because Wine didn't support vcrun2015. Then later found that Winetricks will install it for us.

 

I bought this game dirt cheap too. Now to use this guide to awesome booman thanks for your work every day i always look forward too new guide.

anyone else looking for this game let me know can tell you where to find it BUY

 

So were you able to play Watch Dogs in PlayOnLinux?

I'm currently updating the Assassin's Creed III guide because it runs perfectly in DXVK

 

Not yet. I'm going to. I had unexpected pc problems my pc shut off and turn back on repeat. I took out the one ram stick and power keeps on so i put the other one back in and it did the same thing. (SO i said wait a second) i pushed the second ram down and said this isn't down all the way so i snaped it in. and back up and running. BUt is werid becuase i was running my pc with both in before so i never hit it i don't think you can which is werid.

 

RAM can fail at any time. The best thing you can do boot up and select MemTest
Run it for a few hours and see if there are any errors.
If there are errors, pop out one stick to find out which one is producing the errors.

 

I am really new to linux and I really wanted to play these games, but when I try to search for the "POL_install_xaudio" It's not there, even after applying the override, can someone help me?

 

Sure, you have to install it during the manual installation process. Its during the steps where you install Packages.

If you missed it during these steps, you can always add it later in PlayOnLinux, Configure.

1. Launch PlayOnLinux
2. Click Configure
3. Select game in left column
4. Click "Install Components" Tab
5. Scroll down to xaudio
6. Select it
7. Click Install

 

how do i install watch dogs from epicstore? i have it on epic

 

Epic store is a bit more cumbersome to install, but it does work.
Then you would download the game in Epic store just like any other game.
But make sure your video card/chip supports Vulkan. Then install Vulkan and DXVK

PlayOnLinux actually provides DXVK functionality in the "Install Components" step when installing a game.

 

Epic store is a bit more cumbersome to install, but it does work.
Then you would download the game in Epic store just like any other game.
But make sure your video card/chip supports Vulkan. Then install Vulkan and DXVK

PlayOnLinux actually provides DXVK functionality in the "Install Components" step when installing a game.

i tried running it. i installed the epicstore in lutris and installed watchdogs. But when i hit play it didn't run

 

Ok, is there a debug in Lutris like in PlayOnLinux?

I've had the same problem as well with Epic store. Some games run and others don't.
Make sure you installed all the overrides like:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_d3dx10
• POL_Install_d3dx11
• POL_Install_d3dx9
• POL_Install_tahoma
• POL_Install_vcrun2008
• POL_Install_vcrun2010
• POL_Install_xaudio

Also make sure to enable DXVK in Lutris

 

@booman
i got it working "damn" i guess there's no more uplay its been updated to ubisoft connect. I just have no audio so i'm going to try and install those packeges

 

@booman
i got it working "damn" i guess there's no more uplay its been updated to ubisoft connect. I just have no audio so i'm going to try and install those packeges

If you have no audio, you may have to install DirectX Runtime June 2010
It has fixed a lot of issues for me.
You have to run it once and it will self-extract, then run it again to install
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8109
Even adding xaudio2_7 may fix it

There are instructions in this guide near the bottom
http://www.gamersonlinux.com/forum/threads/metro-2033-guide.2669/