Getting Started

Last updated: 2024, Sun Jun 16th at 14:24 CDT

When gaming on Linux a few questions normally come up. In this section I will cover most of the Basic information to get you started.

Additional Resoureces #

• GamingOnLinux
• ProtonDB
• Are We Anti-Cheat Yet
• List of Linux Games
• Installing Drivers

Where to get Games #

There are 2 basic sources to find and install most PC games, there are other ways and options. Some developers continue to host and release their games, but as it varies greatly, it will not be covered in this guide. These games and modern browser games, like IsleWard and Stendhal, are commonly supported on Linux.

• Package managers: Your default package manager can be used to install games, a few examples would be
  • Hedgewars: a turn-based strategy, artillery, action, and comedy game
  • 0AD: a free, open-source historical Real Time Strategy (RTS) game
  • SuperTuxKart: a free and open-source kart racing game
  • Xonotic: an arena-style first-person shooter (FPS) game
• Launchers: This is the most common way to find and get games
  • Steam: Worlds Largest PC gaming platforms
  • Heroic Game Launcher: Platform for Epic, GoG, and Amazon Games
  • Itch: Independent video game platform
  • Game Stores: Programs that allow the install of game stores like Battle.Net, EA Launcher, Ubisoft, etc…
    • Lutris: Open gaming platform that simplifies the installation and playability of video games
    • Bottles: a comprehensive solution for running Windows apps, including Game Stores

Which Games #

There are three types of games when it comes to Linux: Native, Windows-compatible, and non-compatible. With all of these, there are caveats that need to be addressed.

Native #

Linux versions are available for a wide range of games, including some triple-A titles. Native games should work without any issues, but there are times when developers abandon native support. In those cases, the best option is to run it in a Windows-compatible mode.

Windows-compatible #

Compatibility layers allow the majority of Windows-based games to run on Linux. These may result in better performance for even some games that support native Linux.

• Wine, Vkd3d, DXVK: translation layers that allow Windows applications to run on Linux
• proton: Valve’s collection of tools that combines Wine with components like DXVK and Vkd3d-Proton
• proton GE: a custom fork of Proton, by GloriousEggroll, with additional patches and enhancements
• bottles: Installs Wine and other components in a sandboxed environment

Non-compatible #

There are a few developers that choose not to allow or actively hinder Linux compatiblity. This is normally done with DRM, anti-cheat, or/and Windows-specific toolkits. Anti-cheat can often work on Linux, with several developers enableing varieing degrees of Linux support. You can find lists of games that don’t work at Are We Anti-Cheat Yet or ProtonDB.

Set Up #

What you need will be determined by the games you get and where you get them. Additional programs, like Java, Mono, or Winetricks, may need to be installed.

Vulkan #

To install vulkan, will greatly depend on your GPU and distro, make sure to install even the 32 bit libaries.

sudo pacman -Su vulkan-intel lib32-vulkan-intel

sudo pacman -Su vulkan-radeon lib32-vulkan-radeon

sudo pacman -Su nvidia lib32-nvidia-utils

sudo apt install vulkan-tools libvulkan1 mesa-vulkan-drivers

sudo apt install vulkan-tools libvulkan1 mesa-vulkan-drivers

sudo apt install vulkan-tools

sudo dnf install vulkan-tools vulkan-loader mesa-vulkan-drivers

sudo dnf install vulkan-tools vulkan-loader mesa-vulkan-drivers

sudo dnf install vulkan-tools vulkan-loader

sudo zypper in libvulkan1 libvulkan1-32bit vulkan-tools libvulkan_intel libvulkan_intel-32bit

sudo zypper in libvulkan1 libvulkan1-32bit vulkan-tools libvulkan_radeon libvulkan_radeon-32bit

sudo zypper in libvulkan1 libvulkan1-32bit vulkan-tools

You can make sure vulkan is running correctly with vulkaninfo | grep "Vulkan Instance", this should output a version number.

Proton #

Proton is included with Steam, all you need to do is enable it and it will download. Enable support by going to Steam > Settings > Compatibility and checking the box. Select the default Proton version you desire to use. You have the option to select a different version for games independently.

Wine, Vkd3d, DXVK #

With Wines active development it is often best to update to the latest version. The installation instructions varies greatly betwean distros. Links to binary packages and source code can be found on the download/support page. DXVK translates DirectX 10 and 11, and VKD3D translates DirectX 12 into Vulkan. There are multiple ways to get these installed but the easiest way is with winetricks, available in you package manager.

winetricks dxvk vkd3d

Proton GE #

Proton GE and Wine GE can only be found on GitHub. Do not trust other sites. Both of these versions are forks of proton and wine with GloriousEggroll adding features and fixing bugs. Follow the official installation instructions for installing Proton GE and Wine GE or use ProtonUp-QT. ProtonUp-QT can be installed as an Appimage or a Flatpak.

Bottles #

Bottles is best installed as a Flatpak from Flathub.