The new Proton update adds several new games, which weren’t previously playable on Linux-based operating systems. Since more games are being added and optimized, Linux now looks to be an appealing alternative to Windows.
Proton 9.0-4 fixes many game bugs and adds support for NVIDIA Optical Flow API and DLSS 3 Frame Gen
Valve is delivering major updates for Linux-based platforms, ensuring a pleasant gaming experience similar to Windows OS. Together with CodeWeavers, Valve has rolled out the latest Proton 9.0-4 update, which has successfully fixed a plethora of issues with already supported games and features, plus, added several new titles to the list of fully playable games on Linux.
With this update, not only Linux-based OS will enjoy better compatibility with modern titles but will also ensure a smooth gaming experience on the Steam Deck handheld console. As per the release notes, the new update brings a total of 11 new games, which were previously unplayable on Linux. These are:
- APB Reloaded
- Conqueror’s Blade
- Cube Hero Odyssey
- Disgaea 4 Complete+
- Hard Chip Demo
- ScarQuest
- Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2 (AMD GPUs only)
- Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
- Total War: SHOGUN 2
- Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 (requires disabled Steam Overlay)
- Welcome to Dustown
That said, the already-supported games and features have become better through fixing various bugs. Games like Final Fantasy XVI won’t suffer from low FPS due to excessive DLL lookup and the random crashing of games like Crazy Taxi, Hell Let Loose, and Yakuza 6 have been fixed successfully in various scenarios.
Apart from the in-game fixes, the Proton 9.0-4 also brings full support for NVIDIA Optical Flow API and DLSS 3.0 Frame Generation, which were introduced in the previous 9.0-3 update but are now more optimized for modern NVIDIA GPUs such as RTX 40 series to ensure users can see improved gaming performance through NVIDIA’s proprietary gaming technology.
One of the newest inclusions to the software is Wine Mono 9.3.1 for enabling .NET applications, which is a requirement for several games. DXVK 2.5.1 and VKD3D-Proton 2.13-241 are also added to increase compatibility of DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 games on Linux-based systems.
With such improvements being delivered every few weeks, it’s not far from now when games will run on Linux as well as on Windows, bridging the gap that has forced a lot of gamers to switch to Windows just to play their favorite titles.
