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Mass Effect Legendary Edition now playable on Linux with Proton GE

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The big new release of Mass Effect Legendary Edition from BioWare and EA is only supported for Windows on PC, but with Proton GE you should now be able to play it on Linux. Should being the keyword, as Proton can be a little fiddly at times.

If you're not clear on what Proton and Steam Play are, be sure to check out our constantly updated dedicated page. It's a special compatibility layer for running Windows games and apps from Steam on Linux. Proton GE is the community-made version which has a number of extras.

Proton-6.8-GE-2 is officially out now with these changes:

  • Mass Effect Legendary Edition Launcher and ME1 fixes added. All 3 games should be playable.
  • DOOM Eternal should no longer hang and resolution change should work again
  • Forza Horizon 4 frequency patch added, however this does not seem to improve the crashing :/
  • RE8 REENGINE Logo audio is fixed and no longer plays static (game is still crashy)
  • RE8 Display menu fixes ported from proton experimental
  • Nioh 2 hang fixed (videos still don't play)
  • Fallout: New Vegas audio looping fixed
  • 2k Launcher fixes ported from proton experimental (fixes mafia, mafia II, and others)
  • Yakuza 0 - fsync disabled (thanks tgurr!)
  • Yakuza Kiwami - fsync disabled (thanks tgurr!)
  • LEGO The Lord of the Rings d3dx9_41 override added (thanks alkazar and FigoFrago!)

Also of note is that you may need to remove your Wine/Proton prefix for Persona 4 Golden to work, see how to do that in our previous article.

To use it here's what you do:

  1. Download the Proton-6.8-GE-2.tar.gz file from the release notes.
  2. If this folder does not exist, create it:~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/
  3. Extract the archive downloaded in Step 1, and place the contents into the above directory.
  4. Restart Steam if it's open which refreshes the Steam Play list for Proton-6.8-GE-2 to show up.
  5. Right click on your game, go to Properties, Compatibility and ensure the box is ticked named "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool" then select it from the dropdown box that appears.

Want to see how Mass Effect Legendary Edition runs on Linux with Proton GE? See below:

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Note: the stuttering you see is pretty common for running Windows games through Proton, as it needs to manually build up a cache to pull from. Usually not an issue on Windows, as games are directly made for it and build it themselves. Over time it becomes smoother and this is what the Steam Shader Pre-Caching system is supposed to be helping with. You can also try setting "DXVK_ASYNC=1" as a launch option which is not available in official builds of Proton but is in Proton GE, we did not test it directly for that video - a setting that should probably never be used for online games.

Spoiler alert though for older players: apparently the face of Tali was changed from a stock photo you could see in-game to a unique and more appropriate image, it does make me laugh that such a small change has generated big headlines across the major gaming sites.

For me, Mass Effect is one series that holds an immensely special place. I played through the entire series back when I was a big console gaming fan (before truly diving fully into Linux) and I loved the story and the whole experience. Being able to do it again, enhanced and on Linux is just beautiful.

You can buy it on Steam, just remember though that running it in this way on Linux is not actually supported. The usual caveats apply: it can break any time and the developer doesn't need to ensure it continues working this way.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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37 comments
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DrMcCoy May 18, 2021
Quoting: NociferFor anyone who not only cares about good game writing but also enjoys reading about good game writing (and writing in general)

I've been aware of Shamus for like 20 years now, and I wouldn't categorize anything he produces as good, but YMMV...
scaine May 18, 2021
View PC info
  • Contributing Editor
  • Mega Supporter
Quoting: rustybroomhandle
Quoting: NociferAh, Mass Effect. That sci-fi game that had such an absolutely great first part, before somehow managing to turn into an absolute crapfest in its second and third parts. For anyone who not only cares about good game writing but also enjoys reading about good game writing (and writing in general)

Pfff, opinions. ME2 is the best of the three by a huge margin. Primarily due to the fact that it actually does a better job of establishing reasons to care about individual characters rather than just the clinical plot stuff.

Yep, ME2 was a better game by far. Great characters, tight story telling, far, far more accessible combat. I loved everything about it, whereas I had to persevere quite a bit to get through the first few hours of the first game.

Never played the third, since they moved it to Origin, but I'd have loved to give a shot, despite the weird controversy over the ending(s).
Nocifer May 18, 2021
Quoting: rustybroomhandle
Quoting: NociferAh, Mass Effect. That sci-fi game that had such an absolutely great first part, before somehow managing to turn into an absolute crapfest in its second and third parts. For anyone who not only cares about good game writing but also enjoys reading about good game writing (and writing in general)

Pfff, opinions. ME2 is the best of the three by a huge margin. Primarily due to the fact that it actually does a better job of establishing reasons to care about individual characters rather than just the clinical plot stuff.

Yup. And lots of people consider the Marvel films or the final season of Game of Thrones as the best thing since sliced bread, but... opinions. Totally agree. For the record though, as a game ME2 is indeed good enough if you don't overthink it and treat it as its own beast, especially when compared to ME3 which is the one that really, objectively sucks (and is what actually woke me up to the fact that I don't actually like ME). It's only when you compare it with ME1 and what it could have been that you begin to see the deeper cracks (and there's lots of them).

Quoting: DrMcCoy
Quoting: NociferFor anyone who not only cares about good game writing but also enjoys reading about good game writing (and writing in general)

I've been aware of Shamus for like 20 years now, and I wouldn't categorize anything he produces as good, but YMMV...

My mileage does vary, not the least because no matter if one agrees with him or not, the guy can produce actual arguments about the things he opines about, as compared to 99% of people on the internet. Also, being able to recognize and analyze faults objectively in others' work does not necessarily mean you're automatically skilled or talented enough to create masterpieces.
slaapliedje May 18, 2021
Is it me, or is this just a ploy to get people to install Origin. Like EA finally realized it was a failure, but so they went back to allowing games to be sold on Steam again... but still require origin so they have a reason to say the software still lives?
wvstolzing May 18, 2021
Quoting: slaapliedjeIs it me, or is this just a ploy to get people to install Origin. Like EA finally realized it was a failure, but so they went back to allowing games to be sold on Steam again... but still require origin so they have a reason to say the software still lives?

Of all the 'trademarks' that EA bought & made a travesty of, the case of 'Origin' is possibly the most bizarre.

Thought I think the name will be laid to rest soon: https://venturebeat.com/2020/09/14/electronic-arts-doubles-down-on-ea-play-brand-with-ea-desktop-app/
Arehandoro May 18, 2021
Quoting: rustybroomhandle
Quoting: NociferAh, Mass Effect. That sci-fi game that had such an absolutely great first part, before somehow managing to turn into an absolute crapfest in its second and third parts. For anyone who not only cares about good game writing but also enjoys reading about good game writing (and writing in general)

Pfff, opinions. ME2 is the best of the three by a huge margin. Primarily due to the fact that it actually does a better job of establishing reasons to care about individual characters rather than just the clinical plot stuff.

That's the whole problem of ME2, though. In a mission of such scale that the whole universe is in peril, caring for individual characters, is a bit ridiculous. And going from a half-science/half-space-magic based story to a drama based story, with stupidity reaching new level with the
Spoiler, click me
creation of the humanoid reaper.

I'll continue in spoiler in case someone has not played it yet.

Spoiler, click me
The reapers have been wiping civilizations for eons and it doesn't occur to them that creating a biped reaper with opposable thumbs is better that the squid form until they meet the humans.

Or the fact the humans have been out of their home planet for mere 200 years, and they go from being looked from above, being patronized, etc to be in charge of everything. Where does the last battle happen? In earth.

The propaganda of humans > aliens just because and the deidity of a single character than can be resurrected from death (almost like Jesus) and command the whole galaxy against a huge threat is what destroyed ME2 and 3.

That only at the story level. Killing the mako, cutting exploration, adding bullets to the weapons and adding a bit more of bum and tits here and there deepened the above mentioned fails.
scaine May 18, 2021
View PC info
  • Contributing Editor
  • Mega Supporter
Quoting: wvstolzing
Quoting: slaapliedjeIs it me, or is this just a ploy to get people to install Origin. Like EA finally realized it was a failure, but so they went back to allowing games to be sold on Steam again... but still require origin so they have a reason to say the software still lives?

Of all the 'trademarks' that EA bought & made a travesty of, the case of 'Origin' is possibly the most bizarre.

Thought I think the name will be laid to rest soon: https://venturebeat.com/2020/09/14/electronic-arts-doubles-down-on-ea-play-brand-with-ea-desktop-app/

Urgh, goddam. Serebit mentioned in Discord that Origin was going away, and I genuinely thought that I might start playing EA games again after nearly a decade of boycot. But nope, they're just re-launching Origin v2, calling it EA Desktop, and bundling their shitty subscription service in?? Yeah. No thanks.

Unless it gets actual Linux support, of course. Might reconsider if that happens. Right after I shoot down that flying pig...
Purple Library Guy May 18, 2021
Quoting: scaine
Quoting: wvstolzing
Quoting: slaapliedjeIs it me, or is this just a ploy to get people to install Origin. Like EA finally realized it was a failure, but so they went back to allowing games to be sold on Steam again... but still require origin so they have a reason to say the software still lives?

Of all the 'trademarks' that EA bought & made a travesty of, the case of 'Origin' is possibly the most bizarre.

Thought I think the name will be laid to rest soon: https://venturebeat.com/2020/09/14/electronic-arts-doubles-down-on-ea-play-brand-with-ea-desktop-app/

Urgh, goddam. Serebit mentioned in Discord that Origin was going away, and I genuinely thought that I might start playing EA games again after nearly a decade of boycot. But nope, they're just re-launching Origin v2, calling it EA Desktop, and bundling their shitty subscription service in?? Yeah. No thanks.

Unless it gets actual Linux support, of course. Might reconsider if that happens. Right after I shoot down that flying pig...
Damn flying pigs, get off my lawn! Uhhh, and out of my trees, dagnabbit!
Purple Library Guy May 18, 2021
By the way, does anyone else find annoying the fashion among big corporations to rename themselves by the acronym of what used to be their name, except now it officially doesn't stand for anything it's just this free-floating brandable signifier?

So like we got EA which used to be Electronic Arts but now is just two meaningless letters. In Canada, our big banks all went that way--the Bank of Montreal is BMO (not just BM, heh), the Royal Bank of Canada is RBC and so on. And the slogan is "Our name stands for nothing, and so do we!"


Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 18 May 2021 at 9:11 pm UTC
rustybroomhandle May 18, 2021
Quoting: Arehandoro
Quoting: rustybroomhandle
Quoting: NociferAh, Mass Effect. That sci-fi game that had such an absolutely great first part, before somehow managing to turn into an absolute crapfest in its second and third parts. For anyone who not only cares about good game writing but also enjoys reading about good game writing (and writing in general)

Pfff, opinions. ME2 is the best of the three by a huge margin. Primarily due to the fact that it actually does a better job of establishing reasons to care about individual characters rather than just the clinical plot stuff.

That's the whole problem of ME2, though. In a mission of such scale that the whole universe is in peril, caring for individual characters, is a bit ridiculous. And going from a half-science/half-space-magic based story to a drama based story, with stupidity reaching new level with the
Spoiler, click me
creation of the humanoid reaper.

I'll continue in spoiler in case someone has not played it yet.

Spoiler, click me
The reapers have been wiping civilizations for eons and it doesn't occur to them that creating a biped reaper with opposable thumbs is better that the squid form until they meet the humans.

Or the fact the humans have been out of their home planet for mere 200 years, and they go from being looked from above, being patronized, etc to be in charge of everything. Where does the last battle happen? In earth.

The propaganda of humans > aliens just because and the deidity of a single character than can be resurrected from death (almost like Jesus) and command the whole galaxy against a huge threat is what destroyed ME2 and 3.

That only at the story level. Killing the mako, cutting exploration, adding bullets to the weapons and adding a bit more of bum and tits here and there deepened the above mentioned fails.

Basically all of what you said boils down to: things you don't like vs things you like vs. things other people like vs. things other people don't like.

There's no objectively good or bad here. We don't all want the same things from games/stories. If you don't like the thing, maybe the thing just is not for you and you can move on.
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