Nearly 90% of Windows Games now run on Linux, latest data shows — as Windows 10 dies, gaming on Linux is more viable than ever

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The number continues to grow, but growth seems to be slowing.

Linux gaming
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The viability of Linux as a gaming platform has come on leaps and bounds in recent years due to the sterling work of WINE and Proton developers, among others, and interest in hardware like the Steam Deck. However, the most recent stats from ProtonDB (via Boiling Steam) highlight that we are edging towards a magnificent milestone. The latest distilled data shows that almost 90% of Windows games now run on Linux.

Having nine in ten Windows games accessible in a new Linux install is quite an achievement. The milestone comes as we see computer users flocking to other platforms during the transition from the Windows 10 to 11 eras. Of course, the underlying data isn’t quite so simple as the headline stat. There are different degrees of compatibility gamers must consider when checking if their favorite Windows games work on Linux distros like Mint, Zorin, Bazzite, or even SteamOS.

The above chart relies on Boiling Steam’s five definitions of playability, but these aren’t a million miles from the Steam Deck ratings Valve dishes out. The main difference seems to be that Boiling Steam doesn’t seem to care whether Steam Deck performance is a gaming-limiting factor. So, in a way, its ratings are perhaps more useful to desktop and laptop PC users who typically have systems that easily outpace a Steam Deck.

Boiling Steam platinum (green) rank denotes games that run perfectly, out of the box. Gold (light green) requires just minor tweaks. Silver (yellow) games are playable but have some imperfections. Borked (dark red) games simply refuse to launch. Lastly, Bronze (red) titles exist in the murky water between silver and borked.

Looking at the chart trends, we see an encouraging growth in the number of new releases that are platinum (green) rated, and a thinning down of the red/dark red zone. Developers will, of course, benefit from more hardware being able to play their games with few if any wrinkles, so there must be an incentive to spend at least a little time checking a new Windows game on Linux, or the Steam Deck specifically.

On the flip side, there are some popular titles that don’t look like they will be becoming Linux-friendly anytime soon. The well-known compatibility issues with various anti-cheat technology platforms look set to persist, for now. Moreover, Boiling Steam notes that other devs just seem to be averse to non-Windows gamers. There is quite a bit that can be done with those non-intentionally stubborn games, though. We’d recommend researching community-driven Linux compatibility tips and tweaks for your favorite games.

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Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Math Geek
    i think to most users, the more relevant number would be how many of the newer games coming out are supported. that 90% really does not explain what games are working and what are not. is there some specific sub group that struggles ( like maybe unreal engine based or some other niche) while another one works great every time?

    a catalog of 2 mil 10 year old games is nice, but in the end how is the new AAA gaming world doing with linux compatibility? a title of "90% of games from this year work on Linux out of the box !!" would be worth cheering over.
    Reply
  • Gravy405
    Pop os. I have not found any newer games that do not work, except for the kernel level anti cheat games. What ever will work on steam deck and then some. Just saying. Hardcore gamer for last 40 years. Ditched windows 5 years ago and not looking back. I dont even dual boot anymore.
    Reply
  • TerryLaze
    Math Geek said:
    i think to most users, the more relevant number would be how many of the newer games coming out are supported. that 90% really does not explain what games are working and what are not. is there some specific sub group that struggles ( like maybe unreal engine based or some other niche) while another one works great every time?

    a catalog of 2 mil 10 year old games is nice, but in the end how is the new AAA gaming world doing with linux compatibility? a title of "90% of games from this year work on Linux out of the box !!" would be worth cheering over.
    All of this gets addressed in the original article which is linked.
    The 90% is the amount of games that boot up and do something, 10% is not even loading.
    Reply
  • ezst036
    As a Linux user of some over 20 years and now on my phone.............

    One thing that I think is funny is the shifting naysayers.

    Way back when it used to be "Linux can't be used by anybody its all command line!" (even though 20 years ago there were solid desktops like GNOME and KDE)

    More than 10 years ago it was "Linux can't be installed by anybody, all of the installers are so hard to use and terminal based!" Even though the mainstream was by that time point and click GUI installers.

    Around the time the first Steam Machines appeared, it was "Linux can't be mainstream desktop, it can't play any games nor all of these name name name name name name programs!"

    Now it's "Linux can't play Fortnite! That one program, just that one! Oh noes! Never going anywhere"

    The island just keeps getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller. Linux is now so pervasive on average desktops I'm starting to see the decline of the "security by obscurity" argument and we are on the cusp of Linux desktops having to have antivirus programs. There's enough desktops out there now that the virus scene is starting to diversify.

    And its all starting over with the Linux phones. Linux will never go mainstream on phones! Its all command line! The installers are all hard to use and terminal based! Sigh. The naysayers will never learn

    First They Ignore You, Then They Laugh at You, Then They Attack You, Then You Win
    - attributed falsely to Gandhi
    Reply
  • das_stig
    The day when Linux is the default gaming platform may about to be born and those that control the code should simply turn around to game developers and say "Take Your Buggy DRM And Cheat Code And Fork Off!".

    Microsoft should be worried, without gaming, Windows will be a business OS and revenue will tank !
    Reply
  • mitch074
    Math Geek said:
    i think to most users, the more relevant number would be how many of the newer games coming out are supported. that 90% really does not explain what games are working and what are not. is there some specific sub group that struggles ( like maybe unreal engine based or some other niche) while another one works great every time?

    a catalog of 2 mil 10 year old games is nice, but in the end how is the new AAA gaming world doing with linux compatibility? a title of "90% of games from this year work on Linux out of the box !!" would be worth cheering over.
    You can have a look at Protondb's dashboard (https://www.protondb.com/dashboard), select 'Popular games' (or 'Top 100') and select ProtonDB medals.
    As of today, 88% of (Steam) games have a Silver rating or above, 83% Gold or above.
    Silver may mean non-playing videos at boot, requirement to use a command line switch (e.g. %command% -dx11 ) or some performance troubles that force you to lower settings but they don't prevent the game from running a playthrough.
    Gold usually means that it runs unmodified on most systems, but may require a command line switch for some, a driver version more recent than shipped by mainstream distros or even an experimental/third-party build of Proton (GloriousEggroll comes to mind) for now.
    Reply
  • ekio
    A few years ago I remember the Phoronix article that got us Linux users exited because L4D got ported and we were like wow a real game native on Linux!

    Here we go a few years later and we have thousand of Windows binaries running faster than on Windows itsef. The mesa drivers are getting so good AMD ditched their own private driver and joined the mesa team because radv was superior. Nvidia now helps opensource devs with partial nda doc.

    I think game devs should start thinking about compiling for native linux soon because the trend is going the Linux direction more and more (steam deck is more popular than windows handheld) and if gamers can run 1.5x more fps under Steam OS, there will be a switch someday. Especially when modern DEs are so good. Not even mentioning my little new fav cosmic that is so promising.

    Anyway, this is what happens when freedom and talent are unleashed with limited money vs Microsoft with all the money in the world.
    Reply