Last year when I switched to Linux, I was lukewarm on the idea of Linux being my main gaming platform. I even swore I’d never benchmark games and new graphics cards on Linux (that statement sure didn’t age well). Then Steam Proton launched, and I stumbled across wonderful utilities like Lutris and GameHub. So it’s time to condense all my discoveries and knowledge for those of you who’ve recently taken the leap or are considering switching from Windows to Linux.
A huge portion of my existing Steam library is perfectly playable on Linux
In Part 1, we’ll tackle how to play your existing Steam for Windows game library on Linux.
Rule #1: You Can’t Play Everything Under The Sun
I’m a Linux advocate, but I’m also a realist. Anyone who tells you it’s possible to play “everything” on Linux simply isn’t telling the truth. Are there literally thousands of Windows-exclusive titles that will run on the majority of Linux distributions without hassle? You bet. Plus there are thousands of native Linux titles.
Yes, you can even play the majority of games from EA’s Origin, Ubisoft’s UPlay and Blizzard’s Battle.net platforms. Typically, you’ll find that games like Destiny 2, Fortnite, Gears 5 and other releases that incorporate certain DRM (Denuvo) and anti-cheat tools (Easy Anti-Cheat) will present the biggest headaches. For now, these are unplayable – although Valve and Codeweavers are working diligently on solutions.
My advice is this: If you’ve considered jumping from Windows to Linux but gaming is holding you back, make the switch and keep your Windows installation (this is called dual-booting). You’ll enjoy spending the majority of your time on a responsive, privacy-respecting operating system that doesn’t slow down over time, never plagues you with unexpected updates or constant nags, and lets you truly personalize every aspect of your desktop.
For those games that just won’t run on Linux? Boot back into Windows. I certainly won’t judge you on that, because sometimes I do the same thing for those games I simply can’t live without.
Ok, now that expectations have been set, let’s start the journey.
Before We Begin: What About Graphics Drivers?
Pictured: Radeon 5700 XT and AMD Ryzen 9 3900X.
Intel, AMD and Nvidia all develop Linux GPU drivers. You may be under the impression that installing these drivers on a Linux is a pain. Perhaps you’ve heard horror stories about “compiling from source” or messing with the kernel in the command line. Years ago this might have been true, but now it’s ridiculously simple.
Intel and AMD Radeon users have it particularly easy, as these drivers are built in to the Linux kernel. Do you have a Linux distro installed? Congratulations, your graphics drivers are ready and are updated automatically alongside your system updates!
On the Nvidia front, there are actually two drivers, which we’ll designate as “Nouveau” and proprietary. Unlike Intel and AMD, the driver Nvidia developers is not open source and not included in the kernel. The open source Nouveau driver which is included isn’t nearly as performant as Nvidia’s own driver, so you’ll want that order to get your game on properly.
(For some detailed proof that illustrates this, read one of my Linux Gaming Reports.)
Fortunately, a bunch of Linux distributions like Manjaro, Ubuntu and Pop OS either include Nvidia’s proprietary driver as an option during OS install, or have a utility that makes it easy to switch.
If you haven’t yet chosen a Linux distribution to run, I recommend Pop OS 19.04 or Ubuntu 19.04. The former has an ISO that includes the latest Nvidia GPU driver, and the latter makes it available quite easily during installation of the OS, or at a later time via the “Additional Drivers” system setting.
Steam On Linux: What You Need To Know
First, you’ll need to install Steam and that’s a snap. The vast majority of desktop Linux distributions include Steam in their software store. Simply fire it up and search for “Steam.” Alternately, click your Start/Super key and type “Steam” and your OS should give you a result from its software center.
If Steam is your main jam for gaming on Windows, you’ll be pleased to know that the Steam for Linux client is exactly the same in appearance and functionality (with the exception of not being able to broadcast your gameplay from the software itself – but we’ll talk about doing that with OBS in a future article).
Last year, Valve teamed up with Codeweavers to implement a built-in tool called Proton. I won’t bore you with history lessons or technicalities, but here’s what you need to know: Proton allows you to play literally thousands of games that are technically only available on Windows.
6,351 Windows games (and counting) run on Linux through Steam Proton.
Here’s a short list of examples:
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- DOOM (2016)
- No Man’s Sky
- Monster Hunter: World
- Nier: Automata
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
All you need to do is journey into your Steam settings and click the “Steam Play” tab. Then enable both check boxes, like so:
Enabling Steam Play compatibility on Linux
The first check box is to enable Valve’s “whitelisted” games to be playable on Linux. But as you can see by visiting ProtonDB.com, there are a ton of other titles that are perfectly playable by enabling the second checkbox. Again, not everything will work, but that’s where ProtonDB becomes an incredibly useful resource.
ProtonDB: Explore Your Steam Collection’s ‘Playability’ On Linux
Valve’s refund policy makes purchasing a game on Linux and test-driving it a risk-free process. But if you crave more confidence about a game’s compatibility, that’s where ProtonDB enters the picture.
ProtonDB aggregates user-submitted reports about how both native and Windows-only games run on Steam for Linux. If you want to check a certain game, it’s as easy as hitting the search box. You’ll be greeted with results that look like this:
Detailed compatibility reports on ProtonDB.com
You’ll see how long a user played it before submitting the report, which Linux distro they are running (Pop OS, Ubuntu, Arch, etc), and their relevant hardware and graphics driver. From this screen, you can even install the game straightaway.
Chances are high that if you see a bunch of Platinum and Gold ratings, you’ll be good to go – but your mileage may vary.
Where ProtonDB becomes particularly useful is its integration with your existing Steam library. On the site, look for the small avatar button on the top right. From there, you can link your Steam account by logging in (have your Steam Guard authenticator or email handy).
Once that’s done, you can browse your own collection with several filters: by player count, by rating, and much more! This way you can make a judgement call: Is a large enough percentage of your library playable on Linux? Then by all means, take the plunge!
My Windows Steam Library and "playability" ratings on ProtonDB.com
Valve and Codeweavers are constantly improving Proton, and in many cases a game’s performance is equal to Windows or better on Linux – even though it was never designed to run on the platform!
Again, not everything is playable, and you will no doubt come across games you want to play, or ones you already own that simply won’t run on Linux. But when you consider that the amount of Windows-only Steam games playable on Linux jumped from literally zero to more than 6000 in just over a year, you can see the aggressive pace of progress.
(One wonders if Valve’s Steam Machines would have succeeded if Proton existed back in 2013.)
What About Controllers?
Sony's DualShock 4 controller
Are you one of those talented weirdos who likes to battle Dark Souls bosses with an Xbox 360 Rock Band drumkit? Want to play with your Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or Switch controllers? All the official gamepads are supported here, and a wealth of 3rd-party pads and fightsticks from Razer, Hori, Logitech, Power A and others. (Some may need to be connected via a cable as opposed to Bluetooth, however.)
You can find a comprehensive list of supported controllers right here. I guarantee you already have one or several that works flawlessly on Linux out of the box!
Coming Up:
In future installments I’ll address topics such as additional Linux gaming solutions like GameHub, Itch.io and Lutris, and dive into how to stream your gameplay using OBS Studio.
I hope Part 1 serves as a solid jumping off point for journey into Linux gaming. If you have questions, join the Linux For Everyone Telegram community or the helpful folks on the Destination Linux Network forum!
