How are people coping with games that just won’t run on Linux (aside from leaving them behind)? Do you dual boot Windows? Virtualize? What’s your strategy for this?
This will be extremely rare for me since I don’t play a lot of competitive stuff, but I’d love to find a solution. I have a large library, and it’s bound to happen from time to time.
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I used to have a second partition with Windows for such cases, but over time I just stopped bothering with those games.
Now I just refund if it doesn’t work and move on in my to-play list.
I still have a Windows VM for some applications and for doing firmware updates but I never bothered to set it up for playing games.
Mostly same here, but (I have an SSD with W10 on it. I haven’t booted into my Windows drive since 2023. I only had a a few games installed on that drive, but it was also useful for the rare instance that I needed to some some propriety configuration utility.
I don’t buy games that won’t run on linux.
aside from leaving them behind
Thats asking for an empty comment section.
This is the way
Dual boot, although I usually prefer to drop it rather than go to the trouble.
I wouldn’t recommend virtualization, not only do you lose performance when you need it most, but (depending on the devices and system) setting everything up properly can be very tedious.
this rarely happens, but when i run into a game that doesn’t work i - check protondb.com to see if someone else has already found a solution. trying different proton versions can sometimes help as well
Absolutely this. It is becoming increasingly rare to find a game that doesn’t work in linux (excluding stupid copy protection/anti-cheat implementations). We haven’t reached the works-out-of-the-box stage but the combination of proton-ge/wine-ge with lutris or heroic provides a solid alternative to games not on steam.
The PCGamingWiki is also another good resource especially for older or more obscure games. Most fixes are Windows specific but they can be used on Linux. For example here is the page for Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit where it links fan patches and an open source engine recreation.
If someone is really desperate there’s always the option of searching GitHub issue pages like dxvk to see if it has been documented, if there is a temporary fix, if a fix is on the way, or if it’s going to remain a constant issue (ex. FiveM).
I still have some games that I can only run on my PS3, but I don’t really use it much.
(aside from leaving them behind)
I do leave them behind. Same as with console exclusives or games for Macs (if they exist). If they don’t run on my system, I play some of the hundreds of thousands of games that do.
I use Tiny11 when I have to use Windows to run games.
This modified Windows edition has no ads, no Edge browser, no forced online microsoft account, and no forced updates, so it’s a tolerable Windows edition.
Tiny 11 comes in two variants:
Tiny11 Core is not suitable for use on physical hardware as it outright disables updates. It’s best used for short-term VM instances.
Tiny11 also has problems with updates. The advantages gained through Tiny11 will erode with applying Windows updates. The installer is more tolerable than Windows 11 by not forcing an online account (but still needing to touch telemetry settings). Components like Edge and One drive will inevitably rebuild themselves back in with cumulative updates. If this is something that coerces you to not update your system, don’t subject yourself to using Tiny11. Additionally Tiny11 fails to apply some cumulative updates out of the box, which could be a further security risk.
I recently tested the main Tiny11 in a VM based on a different user recommending it in a now deleted thread. I was skeptical knowing the history of Tiny10 onward that 11 would actually be able to update properly, and NY findings backed up my initial skepticism of functional updates.
Thanks for the long details, dude.
I just use Windows to run games. I need nothing else on Windows. So Tiny11 is good enough for me.
In terms of safety, I don’t store any information on Windows, so I never update it. It’s just a gaming tool for me.
If my game accounts like Ubisoft, Steam, or GOG are leaked, it’s acceptable. They are just some email addresses and automatically generated passcodes, easy to update. It’s not important.
And the file systems used by Windows and Linux partitions aren’t mutually readable, so running games on Windows is hardly likely to affect the safety of the Linux partition. It’s perfect.
Ah, that’s very helpful. Thanks!
Do you virtualize or dual boot?
Everything I want to play that doesn’t work on Linux is available on GeForce Now.
Not the answer ya want, I RARELY play AAA games. Honestly haven’t run into a game that wouldn’t run so far.
I usually go on protondb and try whatever people tried until it works. Right now I’m playing on nvidia geforce 1050 ti with proprietary drivers on Bazzite and somehow it just works. For games that run badly natively on Steam I switch to Proton.
You might have a different experience than I do since I only play games that are at least 3 years old and never online competitive games.
If it doesn’t work I try a few things from protondb I try lutris then I give up and refund the game.
aside from leaving them behind
Why are we conforming to fit the software’s needs instead of vice-versa? Fuck the devs who can’t be assed to make it work for proton at the least. This isn’t my job, I’m not being paid to use software that goes against my values. There’s tens of thousands of games out there and I’m gonna let myself get so hung up on the few hundred that don’t work that i just go back to m$?
Fuck. That. They deserve to get left behind. No piece of media is worth compronising on my values to consume.
It has been my experience that avoiding games with shitty features like microtransactions and whatnot, or where the studio treats its staff poorly, that kind of thing, also virtually guarantees Linux compatibility. Funny that.
I dual boot anyway to use some features on my scanner, so I might as well use that in case something doesn’t run. So far I’ve been able to move all games I play to Linux. Older games tend to run better than on Windows, in my experience.
Before going with dual boot I was considering running a VM, which seems way cooler but also very tricky to set up properly with passthrough and all that.
I use Proton Experimental to play my games and they all work without exception. I’m in my late 30s, so I no longer play competitive games that have a kernel rootkit, I mean kernel anti-cheat.
Basically, Linux gaming is like this: If you want to play competitive games with anti-cheat, stay or play in Windows. For all other games, play in Linux.
Are you me? I used to play some online multiplayer games, but switching to linux (some 3 years ago?) and being less competitive came hand in hand. Now I enjoy single players only (with sprinkle of Path of Exile and World of Tanks (well, not really anymore)) and can’t understand why should I even consider going back to those toxic waters of competitive play… Am I officially old?
Haha. we’re officially old. I was an extremely competitive gamer back then. I played Quake 3, UT 99, Tribes 2, America’s Army, etc. I was even in a Tribes 2 squad and we basically practiced for tournaments every day.
But now that life is stressful enough with the responsibilities I have, I just can’t play competitive games anymore. I just want to enjoy the story. I no longer have the stamina and the reflex for competitive games anymore.
This has generally been my experience as well. The sole exception: Distant Worlds. I’ve never, ever gotten it to run with any version of Proton.
Dualbooting is the easiest, IMO.
I had a shrunk down windows partition and a tiny portion of HDD space to install the couple games that only worked on windows.
I’ve since nuked both partitions, as some of the games now do work on Linux, and the rest were no longer enough to actually make be boot into windows to play.
