I'm interested in buying Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but I want to avoid using Steam. Is it essential to have Steam to play most games on Linux? What are my options if I opt out of Steam?
3 Answers
For non-Steam games, it's been a lot easier lately due to Valve's improvements on Wine. Some games may need extra tweaks to get them working properly, so you might encounter a few glitches, but for the most part, they should run fine. If you're worried, you could always check ProtonDB for compatibility info.
You can definitely try using Wine to run Windows games on Linux, but it can be a hassle compared to Steam's setup. Steam has a built-in feature that makes it easier to manage and play games. Just be aware that not using both Windows and Steam might lead to extra headaches when gaming on your PC. Alternatives like Lutris or Heroic Games Launcher might help too!
If you're not using Steam, you'll need to find a different store to buy games from. GOG is a pretty good choice since it sells DRM-free games. Just remember that if a game was designed specifically for Steam, you'll probably need it to run that game on Linux. There's a lot of info online about which games can run without Steam, but just be cautious with those that use DRM.
Thanks for clarifying! If I buy directly from developers, will I be able to run those games on Linux without Steam?
That's a good point! Are there specific games or launchers you recommend to try out?