Steam
Valve's game store and launcher, with a built-in tool that lets many Windows games run on Linux.
Our verdict
Steam on Linux is the real thing, not a cut-down version. You sign in with your normal account and your purchases are all there.
The part that matters for a switcher is Proton, a built-in tool that translates a Windows game so it runs on Linux. You turn on "Enable Steam Play for all other titles" in the settings once, and most of the library becomes playable. Some games run as well as they did on Windows, some a little slower, and a few not at all.
The honest gap is competitive online games. Titles that use kernel-level anti-cheat often refuse to start on Linux, and that is a decision by the game publisher rather than something Steam or Linux can fix. Check your most-played multiplayer games before you commit to switching.
What's good
- Same store, same library and same friends list you already have on Windows
- Proton is built in, so a lot of Windows-only games start and play with no setup
- Installed and updated like any other app, no tinkering needed to get going
What to know first
- Some online games are blocked by their anti-cheat system even though the game itself would run
- You have to turn on the setting that allows Windows games before your whole library appears
- Performance in a few titles is lower than on Windows
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- No (Proprietary)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak), .deb installer, .rpm installer, Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
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