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Valve are now offering a chance to test a beta of the next version of Proton in their Steam Play system.

As a reminder: Steam Play is the system built into the Linux version of the Steam client to allow you to play Windows games on Linux. Compatibility varies from game to game, you can see the current titles that Valve have whitelisted in their original announcement.

You can track the changelog here. As for what Proton 3.7-4 has: support for Python 3, DXVK updated to v0.70, better keyboard focus for those on GNOME Shell, controllers hopefully no longer causing long delays on startup and more. Seems like a pretty good update and it's going to be fun to watch it progress.

Actually getting it show up is a little finicky. It didn't seem to appear until after I started a Steam Play title and then restarting Steam, so hopefully they will improve that over time too.

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101 comments
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bolokanar Aug 25, 2018
Quoting: KimyrielleSo...

What do people think is the better choice to run Windows games now? regular WINE? Staging? Proton?
As always… WINDOWS.
I'm quite serious. If you really want to game then that would be a good call.
ageres Aug 25, 2018
Quoting: GuestSteam has been Microsoft's de facto gaming store for 15 years. Remember GFWL? Who should be bowing down to whom?

I guess that's why Quantum Break, Microsoft's breakout, DX12, UWP, Windows Store, Windows 10, Xbox 'Play Anywhere' flagship title is on Steam.

... and I just bought it on Linux, so that counts as a Steam for Linux sale—and it runs flawlessly on Steam Play!!!

"Thanks Microsoft Studios! This looks like a pretty good game." ;)
I wonder what would happen if some publishers (Microsoft) don't want their games on Proton. Could they prohibit for Valve to make them Proton-compatible?
Comandante Ñoñardo Aug 25, 2018
Quoting: GuestI guess that's why Quantum Break, Microsoft's breakout, DX12, UWP, Windows Store, Windows 10, Xbox 'Play Anywhere' flagship title is on Steam.

... and I just bought it on Linux, so that counts as a Steam for Linux sale—and it runs flawlessly on Steam Play!!!

"Thanks Microsoft Studios! This looks like a pretty good game." ;)

Wait!
Is not infected with Denuvo???

Quoting: KimyrielleSo...

What do people think is the better choice to run Windows games now? regular WINE? Staging? Proton?

For Steam games, Proton, because if you buy a windows game, it will be counted as a game sold on Linux.



BTW, I'm gonna create another Steam account just for Proton games, but not yet; I will do it once this feature get out the beta stage and is fully released in the official Steam client.

For now, for testing purposes, I will copy all the downloaded steam library of my (legit) windows 7 machine to another SSD.
I will activate my Steam windows account on this Linux machine and see what happen...

I wonder if Bioshock 2 works fine on Proton.
The last time I tested it on wine, it crashed after a few minutes. I understand that even Windows users had that bug...
I played entirely on my windows 7 machine with the graphics at maximum without any problems.. maybe the problem was caused by a wrong library..Who knows.
Lolo01 Aug 25, 2018
I would like to try this beta version, but Steam is downloading again all the Windows games already installed...
tuubi Aug 25, 2018
View PC info
  • Supporter
Quoting: sbolokanov
Quoting: KimyrielleSo...

What do people think is the better choice to run Windows games now? regular WINE? Staging? Proton?
As always… WINDOWS.
I'm quite serious. If you really want to game then that would be a good call.
It's also the answer to a question nobody asked.
pb Aug 25, 2018
Quoting: Lolo01I would like to try this beta version, but Steam is downloading again all the Windows games already installed...

Are you sure those are not 0b downloads? Because that's what happens to me with every (re)start of the steam client - suddenly I have a couple dozens of 0b "downloads" of the games installed with proton - I attribute it to behind-the-scenes configuration changes and maybe shader caches, but it sure is annoying.
Sputnik_tr_02 Aug 25, 2018
Quoting: Comandante Ñoñardo
Quoting: GuestI guess that's why Quantum Break, Microsoft's breakout, DX12, UWP, Windows Store, Windows 10, Xbox 'Play Anywhere' flagship title is on Steam.

... and I just bought it on Linux, so that counts as a Steam for Linux sale—and it runs flawlessly on Steam Play!!!

"Thanks Microsoft Studios! This looks like a pretty good game." ;)

Wait!
Is not infected with Denuvo???

Quoting: KimyrielleSo...

What do people think is the better choice to run Windows games now? regular WINE? Staging? Proton?

For Steam games, Proton, because if you buy a windows game, it will be counted as a game sold on Linux.



BTW, I'm gonna create another Steam account just for Proton games, but not yet; I will do it once this feature get out the beta stage and is fully released in the official Steam client.

For now, for testing purposes, I will copy all the downloaded steam library of my (legit) windows 7 machine to another SSD.
I will activate my Steam windows account on this Linux machine and see what happen...

I wonder if Bioshock 2 works fine on Proton.
The last time I tested it on wine, it crashed after a few minutes. I understand that even Windows users had that bug...
I played entirely on my windows 7 machine with the graphics at maximum without any problems.. maybe the problem was caused by a wrong library..Who knows.

I finished Bioshock 2 long time ago using wine, if i remember correctly you need to set the texture details to medium to prevent the game from crashing (Regardless of how much VRam you have). I haven't tested it with Proton tough.
Koopacabras Aug 25, 2018
Quoting: leillo1975
Quoting: chancho_zombieSleeping Dogs works for me with the beta.

The game don't work to me....

maybe it's a driver problem, I'm using Mesa drivers 18.2 rc4.

weird, someone else also reported this game running on NVIDIA 396.54 driver, 4.18 kernel.


Last edited by Koopacabras on 25 August 2018 at 8:10 pm UTC
Suppen Aug 25, 2018
Quoting: ageres
Quoting: GuestSteam has been Microsoft's de facto gaming store for 15 years. Remember GFWL? Who should be bowing down to whom?

I guess that's why Quantum Break, Microsoft's breakout, DX12, UWP, Windows Store, Windows 10, Xbox 'Play Anywhere' flagship title is on Steam.

... and I just bought it on Linux, so that counts as a Steam for Linux sale—and it runs flawlessly on Steam Play!!!

"Thanks Microsoft Studios! This looks like a pretty good game." ;)
I wonder what would happen if some publishers (Microsoft) don't want their games on Proton. Could they prohibit for Valve to make them Proton-compatible?
Microsoft have been known to have their software explicitly check if it runs in Wine, and labeling it as a non-genuine windows installation. It was a long time ago, but I guess nothing stops them from doing it again

https://www.winehq.org/pipermail/wine-devel/2005-February/033868.html


Last edited by Suppen on 25 August 2018 at 8:09 pm UTC
Orkultus Aug 25, 2018
So far the games that i have gotten to work are. Darksiders 1 (Menu is blacked out), but if you listen for the menu sounds when you hover your mouse over them, and select them just right, it will load into the game which is fully playable. Doom 2016 works flawlessly, Battlefield 2, COD WAW, Medal of Honor (multiplayer tested only), and Red Factions (Armageddon)
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