Steam Play - what is it?
Steam Play is a feature that allows you to run compatibility layers in the Linux version of the Steam client. Proton being one of them, based upon another called Wine, allowing you to play thousands of Windows-only games on Linux. Be sure to check out our constantly updated beginner's guide here. It's what the Steam Deck also uses to run Windows games on SteamOS.
Need help? We have a dedicated channel in 
our Discord.
our Discord.
Latest Steam Play articles- Proton Experimental brings updates for MonoGame, Rockstar Launcher and more by Liam Dawe
17 Jan 2026 at 2:22 pm UTC - Third-person mech-action shooter roguelike RIG Riot gets a demo by Liam Dawe
16 Jan 2026 at 5:14 pm UTC - No Rest for the Wicked co-op update lands on January 22 and it hit a big sales milestone by Liam Dawe
16 Jan 2026 at 2:33 pm UTC - Masters of Albion from Peter Molyneux / 22cans arrives in April by Liam Dawe
16 Jan 2026 at 1:30 pm UTC - Amazon confirm New World: Aeternum will go permanently offline next year and is being delisted by Liam Dawe
16 Jan 2026 at 12:44 pm UTC - + View more Steam Play articles
FAQ
What is the status of Easy Anti-Cheat and BattlEye with Proton?
Epic Games announced that Easy Anti-Cheat now fully supports Linux as of September 2021 but developers need to opt-in. In January 2022, Valve announced Easy Anti-Cheat is now simpler.
BattlEye is easier, as developers just need to email them to hook it up.
What about Denuvo Anti-Cheat?
Read the full details of that in this linked article.
Can I use Proton outside of Steam?
Yes. Lutris can help with this but it's a bit complicated. Lutris has its own special Wine builds that are easier to use.
Where do I report bugs in Proton and broken games?
Onto Valve's GitHub page but try asking in our Discord first.
Want even more info?
Steam Tracker - historical data on the Linux market-share on Steam.