Proton is integrated with the Steam app in Linux, so usually you just install the game and then run it from Steam and it just works in Linux even though it’s a Windows game, without you having to know anything about Proton.
Similarly you can use something like Lutris or Heroic which does the same for Wine and game stores like GOG (it’s even integrated with the store and downloads the game for you, same as the Steam app does for the Steam store).
For some games you might have to learn enough to tweak settings, though for Steam and Proton that’s often just changing the Proton version you’re using for a game in its game launch settings in Steam, which is hardly complicated.
The need to really understand what’s under the hood is generally only when leaving these standard paths: for example if you’re trying to run a pirated version of a game (which might even be for perfectly legit reasons: for example one of my Steam games won’t run in Linux no matter what I do, but the pirated version works fine, probably because of the DRM in the official version) or some old obscure game CD you have around, as the scripts in Steam, Lutris or Heroic that silently configure Proton/Wine correctly for a game might not at all exist for those unofficial or older installers.
If you’re willing to learn to use an atomic distro (meaning you can’t install stuff the normal way and the OS filesystem is read only), Bazzite is fantastic, has steam and proton pre installed and has been working amazing for me for a few months so far.
You can normally add it to steam to see if proton will work, or if not, you could use heroic, lutris, or bottles, although normally if it doesnt work under proton and there isn’t a premade wine prefix in lutris or heroic, it will take some tinkering.
I tried but I should probably figure out how proton works and try that
Proton is integrated with the Steam app in Linux, so usually you just install the game and then run it from Steam and it just works in Linux even though it’s a Windows game, without you having to know anything about Proton.
Similarly you can use something like Lutris or Heroic which does the same for Wine and game stores like GOG (it’s even integrated with the store and downloads the game for you, same as the Steam app does for the Steam store).
For some games you might have to learn enough to tweak settings, though for Steam and Proton that’s often just changing the Proton version you’re using for a game in its game launch settings in Steam, which is hardly complicated.
The need to really understand what’s under the hood is generally only when leaving these standard paths: for example if you’re trying to run a pirated version of a game (which might even be for perfectly legit reasons: for example one of my Steam games won’t run in Linux no matter what I do, but the pirated version works fine, probably because of the DRM in the official version) or some old obscure game CD you have around, as the scripts in Steam, Lutris or Heroic that silently configure Proton/Wine correctly for a game might not at all exist for those unofficial or older installers.
Yeah that last paragraph really hit the nail as to why I struggle with Linux gaming, especially playing games I downloaded off itchio too
Thanks for your advice though it is appreciated
If you’re willing to learn to use an atomic distro (meaning you can’t install stuff the normal way and the OS filesystem is read only), Bazzite is fantastic, has steam and proton pre installed and has been working amazing for me for a few months so far.
Yeah the thing is alot of the games I want to play arnt on steam so sadly that wouldn’t work out well for me, thanks for the suggestion though
You can normally add it to steam to see if proton will work, or if not, you could use heroic, lutris, or bottles, although normally if it doesnt work under proton and there isn’t a premade wine prefix in lutris or heroic, it will take some tinkering.
Which games are you worried about?
Pirated games or games downloaded off itchio mostly