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MagyarCheckMag | Tired of Windows tracking and invasive ads? Here's how to game on Linux
Nearly 2% of Steam users use Linux as their operating system. While that might not seem like much, with 132 million monthly active users on Steam that means approximately 2.5 million people currently use Linux to play games. Linux now beats Mac OS as the platform of choice for Steam users, no small feat and thanks in part to the Steam Deck.
There’s no question that Windows still has the monopoly on gaming, but with increasingly invasive ads, tracking and bloat there’s never been a better time to try an alternative operating system and it’s easier than you might think. However, before going into this it's worth keeping a couple of things in mind.
Gaming on Linux can be an out of box experience where games just work, but this isn’t always the case. Expect to do some tinkering and research on what works and what doesn't - but that’s part of the fun right? Two excellent resources are ProtonDB, which lists games and their compatibility with Linux based on a medal system and AreWeAntiCheatYet, which lists anti-cheat compatibility with Linux. The list of supported anti-cheat software is somewhat shorter than the games themselves, so be sure to check to see if the game you want is supported.
Choosing your Linux Distro
It may be worth choosing a Linux distribution that is specifically oriented towards gaming. Pop!_OS is a good choice with downloadable installers for both Nvidia and AMD GPUs, negating much of the tinkering required to get graphics drivers installed. However most Debian based distributions work well, such as Ubuntu or Mint. Just make sure you install 3rd party drivers, and you may need to tinker with driver versions to find one that works. This can all be done in the additional drivers section of Software & Updates.
Alternatively, you may opt for Fedora which offers bleeding edge streamlined updates for better compatibility or go Steam Deck native and install Arch. However you’ll need to jump through some hoops to get graphics drivers installed on both of these systems.
Setting up Steam
Once you have your Linux distro of choice installed, it’s time to get Steam installed. Thankfully for most linux distributions Steam can be found in the respective software stores. This goes for Pop!_OS and Fedora, however for Arch and some Debian systems you may need to install via the Terminal.
Once you have Steam installed, there is one final step and that’s to ensure that SteamPlay is enabled in the Steam client. This is as simple as going to Steam Settings, Compatibility and ticking the box “Enable Steam Play for All Titles”. Once done, you should have the ability to install a large proportion of games that are designed for Windows.
You may find that some games work best with different versions of Proton. To change versions you manage the game within Steam, select the compatibility tab and tick the “Force Proton Version”. Proton DB can help you choose the correct Proton version for each game.
But what about non Steam games?
Steam is by far the easiest way to get your game on with Linux, however there are alternative methods for other game providers, or even installing directly from a downloaded file.
Heroic Games Launcher is similar to Steam, but lets you download and install games from Epic, GOG and Amazon Prime. Similar to Steam it downloads the games and helps you install the correct Proton version to get the game running, managing most of the settings for you
If you want to delve deeper or have a game that cannot be installed from either Steam, GOG or Epic, Lutris will help walk you through the Wine settings required to get pretty much any game that works on ProtonDB installed and running. Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator) is the compatibility layer that enables Windows games to run on Linux and is the foundation of most of the installers mentioned here.
While gaming on Linux generally isn’t a “one click” experience, getting your favourite games up and running is a great learning experience and very rewarding. Keep in mind that the processes described here can also help you run productivity apps such as Photoshop. So next time you buy a new laptop, like this heavily discounted RTX 4070-powered Gigabyte Aorus 15 (Available from Amazon*) you can install Linux on it and flip a fat middle finger to Microsoft and free yourself from the shackles of Windows.
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