I've had a very enjoyable conversation this morning about Linux, and specifically Linux Gaming. From my perspective this is now absolutely on par with the Windows gaming experience but of course that opinion isn't universal.
I apparently did enough to convince the chap I was talking to to give it a try, prompting me to have an immediate crisis of confidence that someone was actually listening to me on the internet and omg what if I've over-sold it?!? 🤣 I run a Gaming Distro: it's entirely possible I've lucked into this experience with my choice to run it because of things the distro maintainers have set up for me.
But I have faith in Proton. Proton / a.k.a Steam Play is a genuine Miracle for Linux.
When Valve launched Proton in [stresses memory] 2018? 17? it suddenly and gloriously catapulted Linux from an awkward, arcane and painful third place in terms of Personal Computer platform game compatibility all the way up to parity with Windows. ProtonDB now lists 20'000+ previously Windows-only games that at least one person has reported works for them on Linux (Many other games could work that just don't have reports yet). ProtonDb, a volunteer-run website, is also fabulous as it grades compatibility. Platinum for Works out of the Box, Gold for Works with Tweaks/Tinkering, Silver for works but with larger issues, Bronze for Doesn't work.
The Steam Deck (which runs on Steam OS, a Linux distribution) couldn't have launched without proton. The Deck is also having a hugely positive effect on Linux Gaming.
You want proof of how good the situation is? Here's a WINDOWS-FOCUSED website extolling Proton's virtues.
Top Tip: if default Proton doesn't work you have two options in Steam: the Experimental version, basically the upstream beta, or there's the 'Glorious Eggroll' [GE] version, created by a single person, that includes fixes for some games that Valve haven't officially included.
If yon chap has anything near the wonderful time I've had playing games from my Steam and GOG libraries on Linux this last year, I'm sure he'll be fine and I'll have avoided a reputation for being all mouth and no trousers. 🙂
When a new GE-proton version from @gloriouseggroll is out, I always download it through Protonup-QT, and set all my games' runners to the new version manually.
Now, when Lutris boots, it downloads the latest version automatically, and sets all unassigned games' runners to newest GE-proton as default.
Problem installing LoL via Lutris
Hey, So I don’t actually know why but I’d realy like to get in to a few games of LoL again....