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Start with the Proton version Steam supplies. Valve says most users should use the client-provided Proton. If the game is native to Linux, use its native build instead; Proton is for Windows games that need a compatibility layer. When the default fails, check current ProtonDB reports for that exact game, then test one change at a time: Proton Experimental, another stable release, an older release named in recent reports, or—only when a report identifies a missing fix—an unofficial GE-Proton build.
You enable Proton under Steam Settings > Steam Play, select a title-specific version under Library > game Properties > Compatibility, and install custom tools in Steam’s compatibilitytools.d directory. Keep a record of the working version and launch options so you can roll back without guessing.
What Proton is—and when you should not use it
Valve describes Proton as a Steam-client tool that lets Windows-exclusive games run on Linux by using Wine. It is a compatibility layer, not a separate operating system or a game distribution. Steam supplies and updates several Proton releases, while community projects can provide additional builds.
First determine whether the game is actually Windows-only. A title that installs and runs as a Linux-native build should normally run without Proton. Ubuntu’s Steam documentation distinguishes native games from Windows games, and ProtonDB labels native titles as Native. Forcing Proton on a native game can change its files, controller behavior, or performance without solving a problem.
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- Native: Steam has a Linux build; leave the compatibility override off unless a specific, documented reason requires it.
- Windows build: Proton is normally required. Steam may use it automatically once Steam Play is enabled.
- Unclear: Check the game’s Steam system information and recent ProtonDB reports before changing anything.
How to choose a Proton version
1. Use the client-provided version as your baseline
Begin with the Proton release Steam recommends or selects automatically. This is Valve’s supported path and the least surprising starting point because Steam manages the tool and its runtime libraries. Do not change versions simply because a newer number exists; a title can depend on behavior that changed between releases.
2. Read reports for the exact game and configuration
Search ProtonDB for the exact title and read recent reports rather than relying only on an overall rating. Look for the game version, launcher or store integration, multiplayer mode, anti-cheat behavior, video codecs, controller support, overlay behavior, and any launch options. A report that works for a standalone game may not apply to a launcher edition or to an online mode.
ProtonDB is crowdsourced. Treat reports as evidence to compare, not as a guarantee for your hardware, distribution, display server, or package format. Prefer several recent reports that agree on a Proton release and workaround. Note the date and the exact version named by each report because Proton releases and game updates can change the result.
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If the default fails, make a controlled test. Keep the game version, graphics driver, launch options, and prefix unchanged while switching only the Proton tool. Test Proton Experimental, the newest stable Proton Steam offers, or an older stable release specifically identified by recent reports. Record the result after each launch so you know which change helped.
4. Consider GE-Proton only for a documented reason
GE-Proton is an alternative community build. It can contain patches or media components useful for a particular title, but it is not Valve’s default Proton. The GE-Proton project warns that its Flathub package is unofficial, unsupported by both GloriousEggroll and Valve, and not tested for every game or use case. Use it when a game-specific report points to GE-Proton or identifies a component it supplies; do not install it merely because it has a higher version number.
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Comparison of the practical choices
The table compares the choices by the issues that normally determine whether a game works. These are decision criteria, not published benchmark results; no universal frame-rate or compatibility percentage is established.
| Choice | When to try it | What it changes | Support and rollback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam’s recommended stable Proton | First launch of a Windows game; a previously working title | Valve’s maintained Wine, DXVK/VKD3D, runtime libraries, and Steam integration | Client-provided and the normal supported baseline; select it again from the Compatibility menu |
| Proton Experimental | A current game update or a recent report says a newer fix is needed | Pre-release changes that may improve launcher, graphics, codec, or input behavior | Still supplied through Steam, but behavior can change; switch back to the last known-good stable release |
| Another stable Proton release | The title worked on an older release, or reports identify a regression or known-good version | A different set of Wine, DXVK/VKD3D, runtime, and game-specific fixes | Valve-supplied; pin it per game until a later release is confirmed to work |
| GE-Proton | A report identifies a GE-only patch or missing media/component support | Community patches and packaging outside Valve’s default build | Unofficial; install and update separately, and keep a Valve Proton fallback |
Across all four choices, compare launch reliability, graphics/API behavior, launcher and video-codec support, multiplayer and anti-cheat behavior, controller and overlay behavior, and whether the solution remains within Valve’s shipped Proton. A fix in one category can expose a problem in another—for example, a launcher may start while an online anti-cheat mode still refuses to connect.
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Enable Proton in Steam
Steam Play controls whether Steam may use compatibility tools globally. Steam downloads the required compatibility-layer libraries when you enable it.
- Open the Steam client.
- Open Steam > Settings > Steam Play.
- Enable Steam Play for supported titles if you want Proton for games Valve has verified.
- Enable Steam Play for all other titles if you need Proton to appear for Windows games that are not in the supported list.
- Allow Steam to download the compatibility files, then restart Steam if the client requests it.
These global settings make Proton available; they do not force one release on every game. Use a per-game override when a title needs a different tool.
Force a specific Proton version for one game
- Open Library and locate the game.
- Right-click the game and choose Properties.
- Open the Compatibility tab.
- Check Force the use of a Specific Steam Play compatibility tool.
- Choose the Proton release from the drop-down list. Select Proton Experimental, a stable release, an older release, or an installed custom tool such as GE-Proton.
- Close the Properties window and launch the game. The first start after a change can rebuild or update compatibility files, so allow it to finish before judging the result.
To return to automatic selection, reopen the same tab, clear the force checkbox, and let Steam choose its default. To pin a known-good release, leave the checkbox enabled and record the exact tool name alongside the game version.
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Install a custom Proton tool
Valve documents custom compatibility tools as directories under Steam’s root. The directory must contain the extracted, redistributable tool folder—not an archive nested one level too deep. After extraction, restart Steam so it rescans the directory.
Native Steam installation
Valve’s documented location is:
~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/On installations whose Steam data path uses the alternate Steam directory, GE-Proton documents:
~/.steam/steam/compatibilitytools.d/Use the path that exists for your installation. Do not create both locations at random; a tool placed outside the Steam instance you run will not appear in its drop-down.
Flatpak Steam
GE-Proton documents this Flatpak location:
~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/data/Steam/compatibilitytools.d/The Flatpak sandbox means a tool installed under the native Steam path may be invisible to Flatpak Steam. Extract the custom tool under the Flatpak path, restart the Flatpak client, and check the Compatibility list before troubleshooting the game itself.
Snap Steam
Ubuntu’s example for the Snap package is:
~/snap/steam/common/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.dGE-Proton also documents:
~/snap/steam/common/.steam/steam/compatibilitytools.d/Choose the directory that matches the Steam data tree created by your Snap installation. If Steam does not show the tool, inspect which of these trees contains your active Steam library and place the extracted directory there.
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Manual installation procedure
- Download the custom Proton release from its project distribution.
- Create the appropriate
compatibilitytools.ddirectory if it does not exist. - Extract the release so its tool directory is directly inside
compatibilitytools.d. - Quit Steam completely, including its tray process.
- Start Steam again and wait for the client to rescan compatibility tools.
- Open the game’s Properties > Compatibility tab and verify that the custom release appears before selecting it.
If the release is absent, the usual causes are a wrong package path, an extra archive directory level, Steam still running during installation, or a mismatch between native, Flatpak, and Snap Steam paths. Fix detection first; launch options cannot make an undetected tool appear.
Install GE-Proton with a graphical manager
The GE-Proton project documents ProtonPlus as a frontend that can install GE-Proton versions. A manager is a convenience layer, not proof that Steam has detected the result. After ProtonPlus finishes, restart Steam and confirm the release in the game’s Compatibility drop-down. If it is missing, verify the package type and directory rather than repeatedly reinstalling the same version.
Because GE-Proton is unofficial, keep at least one Valve-provided Proton release available. If a game update breaks the custom build, you can immediately select the last known-good Valve version while investigating.
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When a game fails, avoid changing several settings at once. The following sequence produces a result you can reproduce.
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- Write down the current Proton version, game build, distribution, package type (native, Flatpak, or Snap Steam), GPU driver, and any existing launch options.
- Launch with the default Steam-provided Proton and observe the exact failure: no window, crash after the launcher, missing video, broken controller, or online connection failure.
- Read recent ProtonDB reports for that exact symptom and check whether they name a release or launch option.
- Test Proton Experimental without changing anything else.
- If Experimental fails or introduces a regression, test the newest stable release Steam offers.
- Test an older stable release only when a recent report or your own previous record identifies it as a candidate.
- Use GE-Proton only when a report identifies a patch or component unavailable in Valve’s build.
- After each test, record whether the game launches, reaches gameplay, renders correctly, accepts input, and connects to the required multiplayer service.
Keep the first version that satisfies the functions you actually need. “Launches” is not enough if the title’s launcher, cut scenes, controller, overlay, or online mode remains broken.
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Troubleshoot a failed launch or regression
Roll back the Proton selection
If the game stops working after a version change, return to the last known-good release in Properties > Compatibility. Alternatively, clear the force checkbox to restore Steam’s automatic choice. Remove experimental launch options before adding new ones; an old option can make a successful Proton change appear ineffective.
Collect a Proton log
For a diagnostic log, open the game’s Properties, place this in Launch Options, and start the game:
PROTON_LOG=1 %command%Valve documents that this writes a log named steam-$APPID.log in the directory specified by $PROTON_LOG_DIR, or in your home directory by default. The log can show where initialization, graphics setup, a launcher, or a codec failed. Remove the variable after collecting the log unless you need another capture.
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Test the alternate rendering path only when indicated
Valve also documents:
PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1 %command%This tells Proton to use OpenGL-based wined3d instead of Vulkan-based DXVK. It changes the rendering path and is not a general performance setting. Use it only when a game-specific diagnosis points to a Vulkan or DXVK problem, and test it as a single change. If it does not help, remove it and return to the previous launch options.
Separate game failures from tool-detection failures
- No custom version in the menu: verify the active Steam package and the exact
compatibilitytools.dpath, extract the directory at the correct level, and restart Steam. - Game launches but video is missing: check recent reports for codec or launcher requirements and test the named Proton release rather than changing graphics options at random.
- Single-player works but multiplayer does not: treat anti-cheat behavior as a separate compatibility question; reports for offline play do not establish online support.
- Controller or overlay fails: compare reports for the same Proton release and input path, then change only the Proton tool before testing another option.
- A newer release breaks a previously working title: pin the older release and note the game update date so you can retest after a later Proton release.
Keep a working configuration maintainable
Proton, Steam’s labels, GE-Proton releases, and ProtonDB reports are volatile. Keep a short per-game note containing the exact Proton name, game version, launch options, package type, and the symptom the choice fixes. This turns rollback into a menu selection instead of a fresh troubleshooting session.
Review the configuration after major game updates, driver changes, or a Steam client change. Recheck current reports before moving from a pinned release. If the game works, leave it alone; stability is a valid reason not to chase every new Proton build.
Quick Recap
Quick decision checklist
- Is the game marked or identified as native? If yes, run the native version without Proton.
- For a Windows game, have you tried Steam’s own default Proton first?
- Did you read recent reports for the exact launcher, multiplayer mode, codecs, controller, and workaround?
- Did you change only one variable between tests?
- Is the desired tool visible in the Compatibility drop-down after a full Steam restart?
- If you used GE-Proton, do you still have a Valve Proton fallback?
- Did you record the working version and remove temporary diagnostic launch options?
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