Proton
Developer(s)Valve
CodeWeavers
Initial releaseAugust 21, 2018 (2018-08-21)
Stable release
8.0-4 / October 6, 2023 (2023-10-06)
Repositorygithub.com/ValveSoftware/Proton
Operating systemLinux
Available inEnglish
TypeCompatibility layer
License

Proton is a compatibility layer for Windows games to run on Linux-based operating systems.[1] Proton is developed by Valve in cooperation with developers from CodeWeavers.[2] It is a collection of software and libraries combined with a patched version of Wine to improve performance and compatibility with Windows games. Proton is designed for integration into the Steam client as "Steam Play".[3] It is officially distributed through the client, although third party forks can be manually installed.

Overview

Proton was initially released on 21 August 2018.[4] Upon release, Valve announced a list of 27 games that were tested and certified to perform like their native Windows counterparts without requiring end-user tweaking. These include Doom (2016), Quake, and Final Fantasy VI.[5][6][7][8]

Proton incorporates several libraries that improve 3D performance. These include Direct3D-to-Vulkan translation layers, namely DXVK for Direct3D 9, 10 and 11, and VKD3D-Proton for Direct3D 12. A separate library known as D9VK handled Direct3D 9 support until it was merged into DXVK in December 2019.[9]

Compatibility

Being a fork of Wine, Proton maintains very similar compatibility with Windows applications as its upstream counterpart. In addition to the official list of compatible games, many other Windows games are compatible,[10] albeit unofficially, with Proton. The user can optionally force use of Proton for a specific title, even if a Linux version already exists.[11] This may be done when a game's official Linux support is lacking or possibly not stable.

ProtonDB

ProtonDB is an unofficial community website that collects and displays crowdsourced data describing the compatibility of a given title with Proton, on a rating scale from "Borked" to "Platinum".[12][13][14] The site is inspired by the WineHQ AppDB, which also collects and displays crowdsourced compatibility reports and uses a similar rating system.

Release history

Valve has released eight major versions of Proton. The versioning scheme refers to the upstream Wine version it's based on, with an appended patch number.[15]

Proton generally lags behind its upstream Wine base by several releases. Unofficial forks, such as Proton GE,[16] have been created to re-base Proton on recent Wine versions, which may improve compatibility with games over the official release, and sometimes hurt it.[17]

In December 2020, Valve released Proton Experimental, a perpetual beta branch of Proton that incorporates new features and bug fixes quicker than regular releases,[18] which are eventually included in a regular release.[19]

The Steam Deck uses Proton to increase software title compatibility.[20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ ValveSoftware/Proton, Valve Software, March 3, 2022, retrieved March 3, 2022
  2. ↑ "CODEWEAVERS' PROTON SOFTWARE SAUCE POWERS STEAM DECK | CodeWeavers Press Releases". CodeWeavers. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Steam :: Steam for Linux :: Introducing a new version of Steam Play". store.steampowered.com. August 21, 2018. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  4. ↑ Dawe, Liam. "Valve officially confirm a new version of 'Steam Play' which includes a modified version of Wine". GamingOnLinux.
  5. ↑ "Steam for Linux :: Introducing a new version of Steam Play". steamcommunity.com. August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  6. ↑ Evangelho, Jason. "Valve Changes Everything: Windows-Exclusive Games Now Run On Steam For Linux". Forbes. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Steam adds Proton, making Windows games playable on Linux (at least in theory)". PCWorld. August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Valve officially confirm a new version of 'Steam Play' which includes a modified version of Wine".
  9. ↑ "doitsujin/dxvk". GitHub. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  10. ↑ "A look over the ProtonDB reports for June 2019, over 5.5K games reported to work with Steam Play". GamingOnLinux. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Steam Community :: Group :: Steam Client Beta". steamcommunity.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  12. ↑ Evangelho, Jason. "Linux Gaming Tip: Don't Buy That Game On Steam Without Using This Tool". Forbes. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Steam Proton has opened the gaming floodgates for Linux users". SlashGear. April 22, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ "A look at how Steam Play is doing, based on the ProtonDB reports from July". GamingOnLinux. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  15. ↑ "ValveSoftware/Proton". GitHub. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Want a more up to date Proton for Steam Play? Proton GE has a big new release out". GamingOnLinux. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Releases · GloriousEggroll/proton-ge-custom". GitHub. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Valve continues tweaking the new 'Proton Experimental' for Cyberpunk 2077". GamingOnLinux. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Proton 5.13-5 is now up bringing in some of the experimental changes". GamingOnLinux. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  20. ↑ Duckett, Chris (July 16, 2021). "Steam Deck is an AMD-powered handheld PC from Valve that runs KDE on Arch Linux". ZDNet. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  • ProtonDB – community database for game compatibility data
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