Arch Linux

headkase

Member

Registered: 2011-12-06

Posts: 1,983

Steam, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris, landscape of Linux gaming late 2018..

I'm running Arch of course so this is the machine I'm relating.  I have it set up for gaming, all the way.  Installing steam-native-runtime "magically" fixes many GOG Linux-games is a good pointer.  Proton is exciting just for the convenience of getting right into a game.  Lutris separates out special cases or non-Steam games to the same effect.  DXVK fits exactly into the wine-compatibility-layer as the only piece left for gaming, and, boom.  It's never been better.

For any of the above or something else feel free to add your opinions.

/dev/zero

Member

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2011-10-20

Posts: 1,247

Re: Steam, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris, landscape of Linux gaming late 2018..

Earlier in the year, I tried using Steam, but had trouble getting actual games to work. Can't remember what the exact problem was, but I ended up with the impression that if you're going to use Steam in Arch Linux, you need to set it up on a dedicated gaming box, it's no good as just something "tacked on" to a general purpose workstation.

It wasn't a high priority for me to fix it because I also have consoles, but it kind of soured me a bit towards the rhetoric that steam is a good gaming platform. This impression was reinforced by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS9vvF1V1Dc.

I'm open to having my mind changed and might give it another shot in future.

I hadn't come across Proton, DXVK or Lutris before, I'll check them out, thanks.

headkase

Member

Registered: 2011-12-06

Posts: 1,983

Re: Steam, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris, landscape of Linux gaming late 2018..

You're welcome.  I've had the contrary, Steam has always worked well enough.  You get two menu items: Steam Runtime and Steam Native.  Some games work in Runtime and not in Native and some the other way around.  So there is a bit of experimentation for your Linux-native Steam games.  When it comes to the new Proton though, enabled in Steam Play settings, then it basically integrates a custom-wine-compatible-layer into Steam itself.  Steam tracks which versions run which games best and does the tedium for you.  It's still early for Proton though so it is kind of hit-and-miss but overall it's a very important development.

bluetechgirl

Member

Registered: 2019-01-14

Posts: 18

Re: Steam, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris, landscape of Linux gaming late 2018..

I am very happy about proton and dxvk, its the reason I finally managed to ditch dual booting with windows to game. only a handful of games don't work and those that don't aren't a high priority for me since I don't play them often. the worst bug so far with a game that could run in proton is missing dialog audio in two games, but enabling subtitles can work around that.

/dev/zero

Member

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2011-10-20

Posts: 1,247

Re: Steam, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris, landscape of Linux gaming late 2018..

Coincidentally, I just saw this today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffngZOB1U2A

It makes me a lot more keen to try out GOGs (good ol' games) as mentioned in the opening post.