Valve’s latest Proton Steam Deck software release brings some much-needed fixes to recent games but also revives a few classics. It’s a major update, but it’s only hitting beta channels so far.
Proton is the translation layer that allows Windows apps and games to run on Linux. Recent updates brought fixes for Nvidia cards on desktops, but most people use it with their Steam Decks. The software has been a large reason why the Steam Deck has regularly topped our best gaming PC handheld list, as Proton combined with the entire Deck makes for a blissful gaming experience.
From a newly supported game standpoint, this seems more like Valve is now just choosing to deem games “playable”, rather than it being a case of them having never worked before. Checking ProtonDB, the massive user-reported database of game compatibility on Proton, shows that users have been able to get some of the new additions working previously.
Proton 9.0-4, which you can read more about here, should smooth out any issues in these existing games and make them playable out of the box. The list of newly compatible games includes the long-forgotten Grand Theft Auto-esque MMO, APB Reloaded. It’s an odd addition, but a testament to Valve’s commitment to ensuring that everything eventually runs on Linux.
The other games joining the list include:
- Conqueror’s Blade
- Disgaea 4 Complete+
- Hard Chip Demo
- ScarQuest
- Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2 (AMD GPUs only)
- Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
- Total War: SHOGUN 2
- Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 (requires disabled Steam Overlay)
- Welcome to Dustown
It’s not just adding games to the list of working titles though. Valve has tinkered with dozens of different parts of Proton to get games working properly. This includes fixing Final Fantasy XVI’s launcher, as well as XVI’s constant requests for DLL files slowing down performance.
Valve also had to go back and fix some problems that Proton 9.0 introduced. Bioware Star Wars classic, Knights of the Old Republic should now launch normally in full-screen mode, rather than straight to a black screen as players have been facing.
Other regressions fixed are below:
- Multiplayer works again in Hotshot Racing.
- Fablecraft is playable again.
- I Expect You To Die is playable again.
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic no longer launches to a black screen when in fullscreen mode.
- Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death is playable again.
- B-17 Flying Fortress – The Mighty 8th: Redux is playable again.
- Games now launch on the correct screen on setups with multiple monitors connected to multiple GPUs.
The Steam Deck has been a massive boon for Linux, thanks to Valve’s attention to ensuring its massive library of games on Steam works on its handheld device out of the box. The more work they put in, the more it opens up the possibility of gaming outside Windows completely.
If you’re after some recommendations, we have our own best games on Steam Deck, which should translate nicely to all those currently playing on Linux too.