How to play games on linux
How to play games on linux
How to Play Windows-only Games on Linux with Steam Play
The new experimental feature of Steam allows you to play Windows-only games on Linux. Here’s how to use this feature in Steam right now.
What is Steam Play?
Game distribution platform Steam has implemented a fork of WINE, it’s called – “Steam Play”. With Steam Play, Linux users can play games that are available on Windows only. It was in beta phase for a while but you can now directly try it out without opting in for Steam beta updates.
Play Windows-only games in Linux with Steam Play
You need to install Steam first. Steam is available for all major Linux distributions. I have written in detail about installing Steam on Ubuntu and you may refer to that article if you don’t have Steam installed yet.
Once you have Steam installed and you have logged into your Steam account, it’s time to see how to enable Windows games in Steam Linux client.
Step 1: Go to Account Settings
Run Steam client. On the top left, click on Steam and then on Settings.
Step 3: Enable Steam Play beta
Now, you’ll see an option Steam Play in the left side panel. Click on it and check the boxes:
You can also opt to change the version of the compatibility layer (Proton) if you need it. Once, you are done selecting the options, hit “OK” and proceed to restart steam in order for the changes to take effect.
Here’s how it will work:
For example, I have Age of Empires in my Steam library which is not available on Linux normally. But after I enabled Steam Play beta for all Windows titles, it now gives me the option for installing Age of Empires on Linux.
Windows-only games can now be installed on Linux
Things to know about Steam Play feature
There are a few things you should know and keep in mind about using Windows-only games on Linux with Steam Play:
How Do You Identify Games That Work On Steam Play?
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I’m sure that you don’t have a lot of free time to download games one by one and test it with Steam Play.
In that case, you can visit ProtonDB to check reports/stats contributed by gamers who test the games.
You can use that as a reference to decide whether you should download/purchase a certain game.
I hope this tutorial helped you in running Windows-only games on Linux. Which game(s) are you looking forward to play on Linux?
Creator of It’s FOSS. An ardent Linux user & open source promoter. Huge fan of classic detective mysteries ranging from Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes to Detective Columbo & Ellery Queen. Also a movie buff with a soft corner for film noir.
3 ways to play video games on Linux
In 2021, there are more reasons why people love Linux than ever before. In this series, I’ll share 21 different reasons to use Linux. Today, I’ll start with gaming.
I used to think a «gamer» was a very specific kind of creature, carefully cataloged and classified by scientists after years of study and testing. I never classified myself as a gamer because most of the games I played were either on a tabletop (board games and pen-and-paper roleplaying games), NetHack, or Tetris. Now that games are available on everything from mobile devices, consoles, computers, and televisions, it feels like it’s a good time to acknowledge that «gamers» come in all different shapes and sizes. If you want to call yourself a gamer, you can! There’s no qualification exam. You don’t have to know the Konami Code by heart (or even what that reference means); you don’t have to buy and play «triple-A» games. If you enjoy a game from time to time, you can rightfully call yourself a gamer. And if you want to be a gamer, there’s never been a better time to use Linux.
Welcome to the underground
More Linux resources
Peel back the glossy billboard ads, and underneath, you’re sure to find a thriving gaming underground. It’s a movement that began with the nascent gaming market before anyone believed money could be made off software that wasn’t either a spreadsheet or typing tutor. Indie games have carved out a place in pop culture (believe it or not, Minecraft, while not open source, started out as an indie game) in several ways, proving that in the eyes of players, gameplay comes before production value.
There’s a lot of cross-over in the indie and open source developer space. There’s nothing quite like kicking back with your Linux laptop and browsing itch.io or your distribution’s software repository for a little-known but precious gem of an open source game.
There are all kinds of open source games available, including plenty of first person shooters, puzzle games like Nodulus, systems management games like OpenTTD, racing games like Jethook, tense escape campaigns like Sauerbraten, and too many more to mention (with more arriving each year, thanks to great initiatives like Open Jam).
Overall, the experience of delving into the world of open source games is different than the immediate satisfaction of buying whatever a major game studio releases next. Games by the big studios provide plenty of visual and sonic stimuli, big-name actors, and upwards of 60 hours of gameplay. Independent and open source games aren’t likely to match that, but then again, major studios can’t match the sense of discovery and personal connection you get when you find a game that you just know nobody else has ever heard of. And they can’t hope to match the sense of urgency you get when you realize that everybody in the world really, really needs to hear about the great game you’ve just played.
Take some time to identify the kinds of games you enjoy the most, and then have a browse through your distribution’s software repository, Flathub, and open game jams. See what you can uncover and, if you like the game enough, help to promote it!
Proton and WINE
Gaming on Linux doesn’t stop with open source, but it is enabled by it. When Valve Software famously brought Linux back into the gaming market a few years ago by releasing their Steam client for Linux, the hope was that it would compel game studios to write code native to Linux systems. Some did, but Valve failed to push Linux as the primary platform even on their own Valve-branded gaming computers, and it seems that most studios have reverted to their old ways of Windows-only games.
Interestingly, though, the end result has produced more open source code than probably intended. Valve’s solution for Linux compatibility has been to create the Proton project, a compatibility layer to translate Windows games to Linux. At its core, Proton uses WINE (Wine Is Not an Emulator), the too-good-to-be-true reimplementation of major Windows libraries as open source.
The game market’s spoils have turned out to be a treasure trove for the open source world, and today, most games from major studios can be run on Linux as if they were native.
Of course, if you’re the type of gamer who has to have the latest title on the day of release, you can certainly expect unpleasant surprises. That’s not surprising, though, because few major games are released without bugs requiring large patches a week later. Those bugs can be even worse when a game runs on Proton and WINE, so Linux gamers often benefit by refraining from early adoption. The trade-off may be worth it, though. I’ve played a few games that run perfectly on Proton, only to discover later from angry forum posts that it’s apparently riddled with fatal errors when played on the latest version of Windows. In short, it seems that games from major studios aren’t perfect, and so you can expect similar-but-different problems when playing them on Linux as you would on Windows.
Flatpak
One of the most exciting developments of recent Linux history is Flatpak, a cross between local containers and packaging. It’s got nothing to do with gaming (or doesn’t it?), but it enables Linux applications to essentially be distributed universally to any Linux distribution. This applies to gaming because there are often lots of fringe technologies used in games, and it can be pretty demanding on distribution maintainers to keep up with all the latest versions required by any given game.
Flatpak abstracts that away from the distribution by establishing a common Flatpak-specific layer for application libraries. Distributors of flatpaks know that if a library isn’t in a Flatpak SDK, then it must be included in the flatpak. It’s simple and straightforward.
Thanks to Flatpak, the Steam client runs on something obvious like Fedora and on distributions not traditionally geared toward the gaming market, like RHEL and Slackware!
Lutris
If you’re not eager to sign up on Steam, though, there’s my preferred gaming client, Lutris. On the surface, Lutris is a simple game launcher for your system, a place you can go when you know you want to play a game but just can’t decide what to launch yet. With Lutris, you can add all the games you have on your system to create your own gaming library, and then launch and play them right from the Lutris interface. Better still, Lutris contributors (like me!) regularly publish installer scripts to make it easy for you to install games you own. It’s not always necessary, but it can be a nice shortcut to bypass some tedious configuration.
Lutris can also enlist the help of runners, or subsystems that run games that wouldn’t normally launch straight from your application menu. For instance, if you want to play console games like the open source Warcraft Tower Defense, you must run an emulator, and Lutris can handle that for you (provided you have the emulator installed). Additionally, should you have a GOG.com (Good Old Games) account, Lutris can access it and import games from your library.
There’s no easier way to manage your games.
Play games
Linux gaming is a fulfilling and empowering experience. I used to avoid computer gaming because I didn’t feel I had much of a choice. It seemed that there were always expensive games being released, which inevitably got extreme reactions from happy and unhappy gamers alike, and then the focus shifted quickly to the next big thing. On the other hand, open source gaming has introduced me to the people of the gaming world. I’ve met other players and developers, I’ve met artists and musicians, fans and promoters, and I’ve played an assortment of games that I never even realized existed. Some of them were barely long enough to distract me for just one afternoon, while others have provided me hours and hours of obsessive gameplay, modding, level design, and fun.
If you’re ready to put down the popcorn and experience games from all angles, start gaming on Linux.
How to Play PC Games on Linux
If you’re fed up with Windows but don’t want to give up your PC games, don’t worry. These days, gaming on Linux is a lot easier than it used to be thanks to Steam Play and compatibility layers like Proton and WINE.
Linux is an open-source operating system that’s great for programmers, but it also offers enough options to keep gamers happy too. If you’re new to the OS, it might be best to read our guide for switching from Windows before reading further, as it will help to know the basics.
Before trying anything, you should make sure your distro comes with the requisite graphics drivers. If not, Nvidia users should grab the company’s official proprietary drivers, and AMD users should install the open-source Mesa drivers. The procedure for installing drivers may vary from system to system, so we won’t get into it too deeply here, but I used these instructions for Linux Mint (Opens in a new window) for the drivers and these instructions (Opens in a new window) for some extra Vulkan packages, which produced good results.
Now, before we continue, temper your expectations just a tad. While Linux gaming is easier than ever, it still isn’t on par with Windows. Some games won’t run at all, and others may have small graphical quirks, or decreased performance. Others may require some web searches and command-line tweaking to get playable. The experience isn’t exactly smooth as butter yet—it’s still very Linux-y—but once you have the basics down, you might be surprised at how many games you’re able to run. Here are your options.
Find Linux-Compatible Games
Linux has gained a bit of ground in the gaming world, and a number of worthwhile titles are natively playable on the platform. As you shop for games, try filtering your digital store by Linux-friendly titles. In Steam, for example, head to the Store tab, click the Games drop-down, and choose SteamOS + Linux (Opens in a new window) to see all of Steam’s Linux-native games.
Play Windows Games With Proton/Steam Play
When you open Steam on Linux, look through your library. Some games have a blue Install button even if they aren’t listed as Linux-compatible in the store. Those games are cleared to run under Proton, and playing them should be as easy as clicking Install. In my case, both NieR: Automata (Opens in a new window) and Doom (Opens in a new window) were Proton-ready out of the box.
If you’re shopping for Proton-compatible games, you’ll have a hard time because the Steam Store doesn’t show which games are compatible. Instead, you will have to look at your existing game library to see which titles are installable. What makes things even less clear is that many games will work with Proton, even if Steam hasn’t officially cleared them for duty yet.
This is where ProtonDB (Opens in a new window) comes in handy. It’s a community-curated list of games that work under Steam Play with Proton, along with details on what hardware, which version of Proton, and any tweaks are required for optimal performance. For example, Dishonored (Opens in a new window) doesn’t have that blue Install button, but is reported as “Gold” by ProtonDB users, which means it should be playable.
To install unsupported games, open Steam’s settings, head to the Steam Play tab, and check the Enable Steam Play for All Other Titles box. You’ll then be able to install and play any game in your library. Keep in mind that many won’t work, but ProtonDB can tell you which titles will get the best results. If you have trouble, try sorting ProtonDB reports by your CPU or GPU to see notes from people with similar hardware.
If a ProtonDB listing says that a game works with a specific version of Proton, you can right-click the game, head to Properties, and check Force the Use of a Specific Steam Play Compatibility Tool to choose the right one. You can also click the Set Launch Options button to include any extra flags mentioned in the ProtonDB listing. It may take a little trial and error to find what works, but I’ve been able to get quite a few games up and running with a bit of fiddling.
Install Other Games With Lutris
Proton isn’t the only tool bringing Windows-only games to Linux. Lutris (Opens in a new window) is a game management program designed to run games under WINE and other emulators or compatibility layers. It acts as a one-stop shop for all your games, with one-click install scripts that include all the necessary tweaks. That said, it may still require a bit of command line work to get up and running. You’ll be rooting through documentation to put all the pieces together, so it helps to have some Linux experience.
Lutris should point you in the right direction when you go to install a given game, but the instructions aren’t always perfect. As a result, you may run into a few hiccups as you’re installing all the prerequisites, depending on your system and level of experience.
Once you have all those packages installed, though, setting up a game should be fairly simple: search for it in Lutris, click the Install button, and Lutris will prepare the game with the optimal WINE settings. Note that some games may run very slowly until they finish compiling shaders, after which performance should be more playable—you have to wait a bit after opening the game for the first time before it runs smoothly.
Alternatives: PlayOnLinux, Streaming, and Beyond
If you get the game working through one of the above methods but encounter problems, there may be specific settings you need to tweak, dependency packages to install, or patches to apply to the game—again, ProtonDB is a great resource. Don’t get discouraged, and don’t be afraid to ask for help in communities like /r/linux_gaming (Opens in a new window) (after searching to see if your question has already been asked, of course).
Disclosure: Humble Bundle is owned by IGN, which is owned by PCMag parent company Ziff Davis.
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How to Play Windows Games on Linux and is Linux Better for Gaming?
When it comes to avid gamers playing Windows games on Linux is not a big deal. Despite the fact that Windows games can be played on the Linux, many users think of how to play Windows games on Linux. Mostly, users feel lazy due to the misconceptions floating around the web, that Windows games can’t be played on the Linux. If you happen to fall in the similar category, carry on reading this article, as it explores the four different ways to run Windows games on the Linux.
How to Play Windows Games on Linux
1. Wine
It’s not Wine, which you have on Christmas Eve, but a program that enables you to play Windows games on Linux. It offers a good deal of games such as Counter Strike, World of Warcraft, Eve Online, and several others. What makes it outstanding is the real thrill that gets into your nerve, while playing them. Basically, Wine is a translation layer, which immaculately runs Windows application on the Linux, integrating it with other compatible operating systems like POSIX. To add, Windows programs awesomely run on wine act native programs and give an amazing glare on your desktop.
2. PlayOnLinux
PlayonLinux is package of software that easily installs a games or programs which are designed for Windows. PlayonLinux is an advanced version of Wine software, which is highly intuitive and easy to use. Mostly, Linux users write scripts, which handle both the intricacies and complexities lying with various programs and release the script through the PlayonLinux software.
If you want a list of games supported in PlayOnLinux, visit their site. You can also see supported non-game programs.
3. CrossOver Games
If you guys think of how to play Windows games on Linux the easy way then CrossOver Games is for you.What makes CrossOver Linux, absolutely stunning is it enables you to install Windows output applications, plugins, games in Linux and does not need licensed version Microsoft operating system. CrossOver provides quick accessibility with smooth interface that supports Windows application to run simple and fast.
Once you install software it seamlessly works on Gnome or KDE technology. What you have to do is to simply click and run applications, and of course! You will be working on windows but can smoothly play games on Linux. The best part of the CrossOver Linux is that it has many Windows plugins, which directly connects Linux to the browser. Broadly speaking, plugins that work on any x86 based Linux configuration easily merge with the all popular web browsers like Firefox 1.x, Netscape 6.x, conqueror, Mozilla, and Opera.
With the CrossOver you get the Gnome and KDE technology that enriches Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file. Recently, CrossOver games has observed over hundred games such as popular World of Warcraft, Half-Life 2 and Counter Strike.
4. Cedega
Cedaga is also known as WineX, and is proprietary software designed by the Transgaming Technologies. This software is specially designed for playing games especially Windows written which can be played with the Linux. Although, one thing is important to note here is it is important to subscribe this program to enjoy full gaming experience.
Cedega adds to the essence of gaming by adjoining the Microsoft Direct X API on Linux. The overall performance of the Cedega is excellent since it masques almost like Windows when it comes to operating the same. You have to do things similarly as you insert the disc, run setup.exe and finally finish the installing process.
If you know any other way of how play Windows games on Linux then don’t forget to share with us in form of comments.
Gaming On Linux: All You Need To Know
Can I play games on Linux?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by users who are thinking about switching to Linux. After all, gaming on Linux is often termed as a distant possibility. At least, by some hardcore gamers using another platform to play games.
In fact, some people even wonder if they can listen to music or watch movies on Linux. Considering that, the question about playing games on Linux seem genuine.
In this article, I am going to answer most of the Linux gaming questions that a beginner may have. Some of the potential questions that I’m going to address here are:
But before I do that, let me make a confession. I am not a PC gamer or rather I should say, I am not a desktop Linux gamer. I prefer to play games on my PS4 and I haven’t dived into the PC games available or even mobile games (no candy crush request sent to anyone in my friend list). This is the reason you only see a few articles in the Linux games section of It’s FOSS.
So why am I covering this topic then?
Because I have been asked questions about playing games on Linux several times and I wanted to come up with a Linux gaming guide that could answer all those questions. And remember, it’s not just gaming on Ubuntu I am talking about here. I am talking about Linux in general.
Can you play games on Linux?
Yes, you can play games on Linux and no, you cannot play ‘all the games’ in Linux.
However, you should not expect a native Linux support for the latest and greatest games – which are typically available for Windows.
The reason, in my opinion, is that Linux has less than 2% of desktop market share and the numbers are demotivating enough for most game developers to avoid working on the Linux version of their games.
Not just limited to the userbase, but not all games work perfectly on Linux. But, there are workarounds (ways) to play a huge list of games and I’ll be mentioning how to do that.
If I have to categorize, I’ll divide the games on Linux into four categories:
Let’s start with the most important one, native Linux games, first.
1. Where to find native Linux games?
Native Linux games refer to those games which are officially supported on Linux. You just have to download it and hit it to play it without any potential troubleshooting.
Of course, there are a lot of games that support Linux officially – but where do you find them?
Hence, I am going to list some of the resources which you can utilize to download Linux games.
Steam
Steam is a very popular digital video game store which offers incredible deals on games for Linux (including free games as well). So, it is an obvious source of PC games.
You can explore it to find tons of games ranging from AAA titles to Indie games.
Usually, you can easily find Steam listed in your app center or package manager. But, if you have no clue how to install and use it, refer to my guide below on installing and using Steam on Ubuntu Linux to get an idea.
GOG.com
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GOG.com is yet another platform similar to Steam. Like Steam, you can browse and find hundreds of native Linux games on GOG.com, purchase the games and install them. If the games support several platforms, you can download and use them across various operating systems. Your purchased games are available for you all the time in your account. You can download them anytime you wish.
One main difference between the two is that GOG.com offers only DRM free games. Also, GOG.com is entirely web-based. Unlike Steam, you don’t get a native desktop client on Linux for GOG.com.
Portable Linux Games
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Portable Linux Games is a website that offers a good collection of Linux games for 32-bit systems. You can’t run the games on a purely 64-bit system by default – however, you can try following a troubleshooting guide to make it happen.
The downloaded files have all the dependencies (at times Wine and Perl installation) and these are also platform-independent. All you need to do is to download the files and double click to install them.
It’s a great source for gamers who aren’t into the games made by big studios but just want to have a good time playing some games on Linux.
Itch.io
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Looking for native Linux Indie games? if that’s the case, Itch.io is a fantastic source to find interesting games.
You can find a lot of Indie games for free and can also opt to choose a paid game.
Interestingly, you do not need to create an account to download free games. You can simply head to its page and download the file meant for Linux.
Software Repositories
You can also look into the software repositories of your own Linux distribution. There will always be some games on it.
If you are using Ubuntu, the Software Center itself has an entire section for games. The same is true for other Linux distributions such as Linux Mint etc.
2. How to play Windows games in Linux?
There’s a bunch of native Linux games out there. However, most of the popular games available aren’t available on Linux directly. In other words, the latest and greatest games do not support Linux (for the most) and are available for Windows only.
In that case, do we have a workaround to play those games on Linux? Yes, we do!
With the help of tools like Wine, Phoenicis (formerly known as PlayOnLinux), Lutris, CrossOver, and GameHub, you can play a number of popular Windows games on Linux.
Steam Play
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If you’re fond of using Steam as your only source of games on Linux, you can easily try the Windows-only games using Steam Play.
Steam utilizes a compatibility layer to directly run a Windows-specific game on Linux. We do have a detailed guide on using Steam Play on Linux – I’d recommend you to explore that to get started with it.
Wine is a compatibility layer that is capable of running Windows applications in systems like Linux, BSD and OS X. With the help of Wine, you can install and use a number of Windows applications in Linux.
Installing Wine in Ubuntu or any other Linux is easy as it is available in most Linux distributions’ repository. There is a huge database of applications and games supported by Wine that you can browse.
CrossOver
CrossOver is an improved version of Wine that brings professional and technical support to Wine. But unlike Wine, CrossOver is not free. You’ll have to purchase the yearly license for it.
GameHub
We already have a separate article on how to use GameHub on Linux.
But, to give you a heads up, GameHub lets you manage and play games from multiple sources that include Steam, GOG, and Humble Bundle.
Lutris Gaming
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Lutris is something similar to GameHub but supports a wide range of sources that include Origin, Uplay, Epic Games Launcher, and several others.
It makes it easy for you to play Windows-only games on Linux. And, it is a quite popular tool used by many users. You can also check the official list of games it potentially supports before trying it out.
Phoenicis PlayOnLinux
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PlayOnLinux too is based on Wine but implemented differently. It has a different interface and slightly easier to use than Wine. Like Wine, PlayOnLinux too is free to use.
It may not be the best choice among the others mentioned but you can browse the applications and games supported by PlayOnLinux on its database to decide for yourself.
3. Browser Games
Needless to say that there are tons of browser-based games that are available to play in any operating system, be it Windows or Linux or Mac OS X. Most of the addictive mobile games, such as GoodGame Empire, also have their web browser counterparts.
Apart from that, thanks to Google Chrome Web Store, you can play some more games in Linux. These Chrome games are installed like a standalone app and they can be accessed from the application menu of your Linux OS. Some of these Chrome games are playable offline as well.
4. Terminal Games
The added advantage of using Linux is that you can use the command line terminal to play games as well.
I know that it’s not the best way to play games but at times, it’s fun to play games like Snake or 2048 in the terminal.
To help you out, we have two separate lists of top command-line games and best ASCII games which are pretty easy to install.
How to stay updated about Linux games?
Now that you know where to find the games and how to use them on Linux, the next question is – how to stay updated about new games on Linux?
Of course, we will try to cover major game releases for Linux – however, we at It’s FOSS aren’t completely focused on gaming (as of yet).
And for that, I advise you to follow these blogs that provide you with the latest happenings of the Linux gaming world:
Wrapping Up
I think that’s pretty much what you need to know to get started with gaming on Linux. There are plenty of free Linux games that you can try at the moment.
There’s also a very useful migration guide by the subreddit r/linux_gaming that can help you kickstart your gaming journey on Linux.
It’s time for you to add your inputs. Do you play games on your Linux desktop? What are your favorites? What blogs do you follow to stay updated on the latest Linux games? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Creator of It’s FOSS. An ardent Linux user & open source promoter. Huge fan of classic detective mysteries ranging from Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes to Detective Columbo & Ellery Queen. Also a movie buff with a soft corner for film noir.
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