Updated: October 14, 2023
I must start this article with a quick explanation. Last year, I vowed to move away from Windows for good. I am tired of being part of this giant ad-fed low-IQ business. Therefore, I will need to use Linux 100% of the time, but this ain't an easy task. I'm a gamer. So how good is Linux for games? Well.
Over the past seventeen years of Dedoimedo, I've reviewed hundreds of Linux games, wrote extensively about Steam, Proton, and then some. In my last Proton review, things were kind of meh. But then, I got myself the Titan laptop, and started using Proton in earnest. And title after title, it would handle all of my challenges without any problem. I think I need to share my enthusiasm, and my results with you, so you know that if you're also seeking an "escape" from Windows, and mulling serious gaming on Linux, then that reality is happening, right now. After me.
My list of games
This is not a comprehensive list. It is MY list. The games that I care about and play. Back in March 2022, when I wrote my Moving away from Windows software checklist article, these are the games I mentioned then: Age of Empires II/III, Age of Mythology, American Truck Simulator, ArmA 3, Assetto Corsa, BeamNG.drive, Caesar III, Cities: Skylines, C&C Remastered Collection, Civilization V, Euro Truck Simulator 2, GTA: Vice City, SimCity 4, Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic, Wreckfest.
And so far, this is what I have:
| Game | Proton | Linux compatibility | Comments |
| Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition | Yes | 100% | Everything works, including 4K graphics pack and all of the game saves |
| ArmA 3 | Yes | 100% | Everything works, including the game launcher, mods and DLCs; performance is identical to Windows |
| Caesar III | Yes | 100% | Works, plus Julius HD mod |
| Cities: Skylines | No | Native | |
| Command & Conquer Remastered Collection | Yes | 90% | With Nvidia cards (2K, 4K), no issue
With Intel Iris XE card (3K), mouse constrain needs to be toggled off to allow in-game scroll Different fonts |
| Euro Truck Simulator 2 | No | Native | |
| GTA: Vice City | Yes | 100% | Can load old saves (Steam format)
Should use widescreen option in the settings for 16:9 or 16:10 ratio Works better than Windows (does not run on Windows 10+ for me) |
| Total War: Medieval II - Definitive Edition | No | Native | Superior performance to Windows |
| Wreckfest | Yes | 100% | Identical performance to Windows |
Some lovely screenshots
Medieval II: Total War has been re-released in 2016 as a cross-platform title, with proper UHD support and whatnot. So it's a no-brainer. I did of course install it on the Slimbook Titan. No need for Proton, but it's still an elementary choice, ha ha.
P.S. I copied all of my saves from Windows, and things work without a hitch. All of my grand campaign progress is there, some nine or ten different nations. The game is fast and elegant. In fact, it feels even more responsive in the Linux build than it is in Windows, believe it or not.
Conclusion
I am ultra-happy. To be fair, I expected my Linux journey to "suck" more. Slower progress, less progress, more bugs, average game compatibility. Instead, Steam + Proton has completely transformed the landscape. The installations are trivial, the gameplay a joy. Almost everything works, and in some cases, it works better than the original. I've yet to find a title that won't run.
This is a huge difference to my 2021 report. Back in the day, Proton felt like a sad joke. Now, you can run complex games without any problems. Mods, DLCs, old saves, scenarios, whatever. Load it and have a blast. In fact, if I think about, apart from Microsoft Office, which can be solved by running Office 2010 in an older version of Windows in an always-offline virtual machine, and a few games I have yet to try, I'm pretty much done with the objectives of my Windows-to-Linux migration. I'm 90% there, 2 years ahead of my self-imposed deadline. On the gaming side, things are extremely promising. Simply fantastic. Well, there you go. Proton, the solution that will finally bring about the year of the Linux, just as I wrote in 2009 ... Indeed.
Cheers.