I have an NVMe drive that contains nearly 2 TB of Steam games, which I used while on Windows. Now that I'm switching to Linux Mint, I want to ensure I can access my games from both Linux and Windows 11. I've heard about a compatibility tool called Proton, which I downloaded via the Software Manager. Steam recognizes my games, but when I try to launch them, they won't start after a brief loading attempt. Is there a way to fix this issue?
2 Answers
Unfortunately, you can't use a drive formatted with Windows filesystems like NTFS or exFAT for Steam on Linux very effectively. While some games might work, you'll likely run into issues. The recommended approach is to reformat the drive using a Linux filesystem like btrfs or ext4 and then reinstall your games via Steam. It's tough to have a single drive with games accessible from both Windows and Linux without these problems. Also, Proton typically comes pre-installed when you use Steam for Linux, so you shouldn't need to worry about that for your Steam games.
You may need to "redownload" your games on Linux while pointing Steam to the existing files on the drive. This process helps Steam recognize where everything is located. I've had to do something similar on Windows, and it usually boils down to Steam needing correct file paths. It's likely the same issue you're facing with your Linux setup.
So far, a few of my games are working, but there are still some that won't launch. I'm currently looking for the best Proton version for Civ 6 since it's known to be picky. I guess I'll need to force Steam to use the appropriate Proton version for individual games?