Steam Deck and Linux now support more than 12,000 games that are ready to play and confirmed.
Steam Deck and Linux now support more than 12,000 games that are ready to play and confirmed.
There are countless titles available for Linux that offer a variety of experiences, each with its own unique features. It’s clear that this operating system has evolved into a strong choice for gaming. Comparing it to the PS4, which boasts a massive library, Linux provides access to over 3,480 games. The platform supports numerous emulators and cloud services, expanding the available options beyond the typical 12,000 verified titles. Many games on Linux require less modification than those on Windows, making installation and setup smoother. Platforms like Snapcraft, Flathub, and the official repositories offer a wide selection, while sites such as CrazyGames and Play-Games host thousands of free titles. Services like Shadow.tech, Amazon Luna, and various cloud providers further enhance accessibility. In short, Linux gaming is now highly accessible, with minimal setup and no need for complex configurations.
Yes, there are guides on the necessary software to begin gaming on Linux. You’ll typically need a compatible graphics card, an appropriate operating system version, and possibly a specific game client or emulator for the titles you want to play.
I believe this applies to systems requiring six asterisks when mentioning viability for gaming.
It functions perfectly when you don’t intend to share it with others.
The challenge with Linux gaming hasn’t always been about limited options or inability to play any titles. I’ve enjoyed a wide range of PC games on Linux. One of my top picks, Caesar III, has run perfectly for over fifteen years thanks to Wine. Minecraft has consistently worked on Linux since it was first released. The real issue isn’t the lack of games anymore—it’s that certain popular titles aren’t supported. Games like Fortnite, Valorant, and Modern Warfare 2 aren’t available. You can’t just swap one game for another to fit what others are playing. Until the leading 100 titles on Steam and Twitch all launch smoothly on Linux with little hassle, it won’t be considered a strong platform. It’s not about blame on developers for adding security features that hinder play; if a game doesn’t run, users won’t care why. Yes, Linux gaming has improved significantly. There are still many enjoyable games to enjoy. But ten years ago, there were countless titles available, and even back then, finding something like Spore required switching back to Windows. The problem isn’t the availability of games in 2010—it was the lack of a single game that met my needs.
Even for modest titles there remain limitations. I recently purchased a 10-year-old game on Steam at a discount, but it’s proving difficult to play sound and videos on Linux because of codec problems. After checking ProtonDB and similar sources, the same issues keep appearing. That’s why my primary gaming PC stays on Windows.