Valve Updates Proton to Greatly Improve Windows Gaming on Linux
If you're a gamer who uses Linux and Steam, you'll be pleased to know the company has released a new version of Proton which is a big step forward for the platform.
With the release of Proton 8.0-4 a number of usability improvements have been added (along with the usual bug fixes and new features). This new release targets a vast collection of games designed for Windows and ensures they work out of the box on both Steam for Linux and on the Steamdeck.
This new update makes it possible to run games like EverQuest 2, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2, The Longest Journey, Arthurian Legends, Oddworld: Strangers's Wrath HD, and Songs for a Hero (Definitive Edition) out of the box. These games previously required users to run Proton Experimental but that is no longer true.
The new updates also fix the issue where Battle.net constantly attempted to update itself and fixes for the EA Desktop software, Baldur's Gate 3, and some Unreal Engine 4 games. Also, NVIDIA NVAPI is now enabled, which fixes some Ubisoft Connect issues.
The Proton 8.0-4 update also installs a few other updates (such as Wine Mono 8.0.1) to further improve the experience.
You can read the entire list of fixes here, where you can also download the source code for Proton 8.0-4.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.