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A note on using Steam Play Proton and counting the sales for Linux (updated)

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Back in August 2018, Valve announced their new Steam Play feature with the Proton software in the Linux Steam client to play Windows-only Steam games on Linux. A little note about what platform is counted for sales.

When we spoke to Valve originally back then (shown in an update to our original article), we asked about how the sales would show up for developers and this was the response:

Hey Liam, the normal algorithm is in effect, so if at the end of the two weeks you have more playtime on Linux, it'll be a Linux sale. Proton counts as Linux.

It seems that there might be some issues where it's not correctly counted, so it shows up as a normal Windows sale as a user noted on Reddit. Since reaching out to Valve, developer Pierre-Loup Griffais has released this quick and simple statement on Twitter for all to read:

That doesn't seem like intended behavior, we'll look into it. At this early stage, the team's focus is still on compatibility and performance, so it might take a little bit.

As with anything new and in constant development there's going to be teething issues. Hopefully this hasn't been too widespread though if true.


Update 19/02/20: I've now had this verified by a developer whose game I purchased on Linux, then played entirely on Linux and I know a few others who did the same and the developer told me all show up as Windows sales.

Update #2: See a clear statement from Valve in this latest article.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Eike Feb 14, 2020
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Quoting: SonataCorrect me if I'm wrong, but I think that's partially one of the reasons a lot of indie games actually have a linux port because tools like GameMaker do allow for "exporting a linux version" of the game they're making alongside the obvious Windows port.

That's right. Some even don't have a Linux installed to test it. X)
Linuxwarper Feb 14, 2020
Quoting: clatterfordslimSo yeah, maybe it'll get things somewhere, maybe it won't. It may indeed end up doing more harm than good. But I don't see anything else on the horizon capable of beating certain chicken-egg problems, so thus far I'd rather see it than nothing.
Right? If Linux could or would have become popular without Proton's existance, but simply with native ports, why didn't it the last decade? I am so sure that if Proton wasn't around Linux would be seriously choked out. Xbox Game Pass, XCloud and Play anywhere from Microsoft and changes made to Windows 10 since initial period are pretty good!

Quoting: clatterfordslimSo if we really want Windows games straight from the developers, to play from release day one we who are playing their games through Proton should be getting in contact with the developers, to say hey we are able to play your game here in Linux, with better performance than in Windows. Any chance you could add some Vulkan to the code so we can have it natively? Then leave them names of Linux Porters Feral Interactive for instance. We as players of these games should be doing something too and not just leaving it to the likes of Steam, as they are working so hard already making Proton work with every game under the sun. The question is though. Would developers actually listen and take note to what Joe Bloggs has to say and ask?? But this was the whole idea of Proton anyway, however it was going to show to developers, being played on Linux?
No. I don't mean to be cynical but many developers have already made up their mind or/and are also restricted by other factors such as their employers or software licenses. It's also been said it's not the porting that's costly it is the fact you have to maintain it. What you can do is ask developers or companies that show interest, because believe me many don't care because of business (with the 1% marketshare in mind), who favor Vulkan over D3D to maybe consider porting their games. Even games that primarily uses Vulkan (DOOM) are hard to get ported to Linux because developers don't can't bother with maintaining the port after release. Even after a game has been ported to Linux you can't be certain well done or/and it will be maintained (Metro Last Light). EDIT: Indie developers are a exception. Their games are smaller in scope and they are largely independent, so I'd ask for port for such games.

What you should do is promote cross platform tech such as Vulkan. Not only is it effortless for developers, as they don't have to maintain a Linux version, but it will run close to native through Proton. I have seen numerous posts of people asking for Linux release for many, many games. Developers don't listen for whatever reason. I have strong belief that Vulkan adoption and Proton's getting better will bring many more people to Linux. Remember, a game that uses Vulkan that runs through Proton does not use DXVK nor D9VK so the code is run natively and with negligable performance penalty. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing. But as I pointed out earlier, Linux is less feasible for more people until anticheat and VK3D support is finalized.


Last edited by Linuxwarper on 14 February 2020 at 12:29 pm UTC
Liam Dawe Feb 19, 2020
A developer has now confirmed to me they see all show up as Windows, for a game even I personally purchased 100% on Linux for Proton. Waiting to see if they will allow being quoted.
Eike Feb 19, 2020
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Quoting: Liam DaweA developer has now confirmed to me they see all show up as Windows, for a game even I personally purchased 100% on Linux for Proton. Waiting to see if they will allow being quoted.

Doesn't this have the "funny" result that it would have been counted as Linux if you'd bought it under Linux and not played it the first weeks...?
Liam Dawe Feb 19, 2020
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: Liam DaweA developer has now confirmed to me they see all show up as Windows, for a game even I personally purchased 100% on Linux for Proton. Waiting to see if they will allow being quoted.

Doesn't this have the "funny" result that it would have been counted as Linux if you'd bought it under Linux and not played it the first weeks...?
Right now, it might not even work like that at all. All we know, is that it's clearly not working as it's supposed to be.
Eike Feb 19, 2020
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Quoting: Liam DaweRight now, it might not even work like that at all. All we know, is that it's clearly not working as it's supposed to be.

It's just a guess, but if just Proton attribution is not working, but the rest does as it used to (you reported games with Linux sales that didn't have a Linux version way before Proton existed, just due to the system used for buying), that should be the - odd - outcome. Let's see. At any rate it's unfortunate, and it's sad they didn't find out themselves way earlier.
Purple Library Guy Feb 19, 2020
Quoting: Liam DaweA developer has now confirmed to me they see all show up as Windows, for a game even I personally purchased 100% on Linux for Proton. Waiting to see if they will allow being quoted.
Son of a bitch. That's worse than it seemed.
coolbober Feb 19, 2020
.... and I bought so many games for this proton...
jens Feb 19, 2020
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Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: Liam DaweA developer has now confirmed to me they see all show up as Windows, for a game even I personally purchased 100% on Linux for Proton. Waiting to see if they will allow being quoted.
Son of a bitch. That's worse than it seemed.

Yeah, that's more or less how I would call it too :(. I haven't bought that much for Proton, but I guess I'll put future purchases on hold until this is resolved.
(Fortunately the only Proton title on my radar now is RDR2 which doesn't run yet)
scaine Feb 19, 2020
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I'm really pissed about this.

In January, I bought:
Noita (£11.19)

In 2019, I've bought:
The Witcher 3 (£10.49)
The Room series (£4.83)
Risk of Rain 2 (£8.19)
A Plague Tale: Innocent (£22.49)
Wolfenstein Two Pack (£19.99)
Fallout 4 (£9.99)
No Man's Sky (£19.99)
Deep Rock Galactic (£14.24)
Into The Breach (£6.99)

So, Windows only titles over 13 months = £112 on 13 titles
Meanwhile, my Linux purchases for the same period = £305 on 40 titles.

That's pretty significant - there's a LOT of Windows games in there that I wouldn't have bought if I'd know it wasn't giving developers visibility of Linux sales. This is pretty infuriating stuff, honestly. I feel ripped off.

As an aside, I think I probably spend waaaay too much money on games...
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