I'm considering switching to Linux as my primary operating system, but gaming compatibility is the main thing holding me back. I've heard that Steam's Proton can run many Windows games on Linux, and I'm especially interested in titles with a Platinum rating. Is there an up-to-date database that tracks how both older and newer games perform, including whether they work out of the box or need tweaks? I'd like to check the games I play regularly before making the switch.
3 Answers
For games outside Steam, launchers such as Lutris and Heroic can help manage titles from stores like GOG and Epic. They let you choose different Wine or Proton versions and can also run installers or executables you already have locally. Steam itself can handle some non-Steam games too, but these launchers may be more convenient.
A Gold rating doesn’t necessarily mean the game is a bad experience. It often means the game works well after a small adjustment, so read a few recent reports rather than relying only on the overall rating. Hardware, drivers, and your Linux setup can also affect the result.
ProtonDB is probably the closest thing to an official compatibility tracker. It lists user reports for individual games and assigns ratings such as Platinum, Gold, Silver, and so on. The reports usually explain whether a game works immediately or needs launch options, patches, or other tweaks.
That’s helpful. Most of the games I’m interested in are rated Gold, so I’ll check the individual reports to see what tweaks they need.