Linux gaming is having a moment! A new Boiling Steam report, based on crowd-sourced ProtonDB compatibility data, shows that about 89.7% of Windows games now launch on Linux systems—a big step forward. The breakdown is promising: 42% of new releases in October rated “Platinum,” meaning they install, run, and save seamlessly without tweaks, up from 29% last year. Meanwhile, the “Borked” group—games that won’t start at all—has dropped to just 3.8%, including rare cases like March of Giants, which deliberately blocks Wine and Proton.
The biggest hurdles aren’t obscure indies but anti-cheat systems like Easy Anti-Cheat and BattlEye, which guard online multiplayer and often need negotiation for Linux support rather than a simple switch. Once a studio greenlights Steam Deck compatibility, desktop Linux usually follows quickly, suggesting unified code paths are already in place.
A recent YouTuber test with the ASUS ROG Ally X on Bazzite (a Linux distro similar to SteamOS) highlights the edge: at 17 W TDP, it scored 47 FPS in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 on Windows versus 62 FPS on Bazzite. At 13 W, Windows managed 35 FPS, while Bazzite reached 37 FPS. In Hogwarts Legacy, Bazzite pulled ahead with 62 FPS at 17 W (50 FPS on Windows), and the gap narrowed to 5 FPS at 35 W, but Bazzite stayed smoother overall, dodging Windows’ frequent dips.
As Valve prepares to release SteamOS widely, Linux gaming could surge, making Windows-exclusive titles a rarity. What do you think about this Linux leap—ready to switch? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Sources: Boiling Steam, Proton DB
