this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2025
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Linux Gaming

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Is Linux support still needed nowadays, or is Steam OS good enough? (imgur.com)
submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Hey there!

I'm a solo dev working on a sci-fi grand strategy game (I didn't manage to find if self-promo is allowed so I'll keep the name for myself).

I was updating my planning and started to think: since my game will be published on Steam, it will be playable on Linux using Compatibility Mode even if I don't specifically target Linux itself. I myself play on an Ubuntu and this allows me to play almost every Windows game (old ones are more capricious, but recent ones are ok).

So I'm wondering, is there really an advantage to have native Linux support nowadays? As a solo dev, the thing I lack the most is time. The days/weeks/months it would take me to add it and fix all the probable bugs it entails could be used to improve the game itself or add features instead for example.

On a more general note, what do you other Linux players expect from a Linux game?

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You actually don't need to install or touch the Steam OS yourself. If you use Steam you can just enable Compatibility Mode in the settings of your non-Linux (or even Linux-compatible) games and it will use Proton to run them.

I'm trying to gauge where is the line between "always welcome" and "needed" though. From my own experience and the ones I've heard around Proton works well (sometimes even better than native builds as others have pointed out), and if it's the general consensus, spending more time on the game itself and not have a linux version is better for my players and for me.