Overview
Linux gaming has improved dramatically in recent years, thanks to Wine, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris. Whether you're trying to play AAA titles, indie games, or older Windows-only games, these technologies provide an excellent gaming experience.
In this guide, we’ll explore:
How Wine, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris work together
Setting up your Linux system for gaming
Running Windows games using Wine, Proton, or Lutris
Optimizing performance for the best gaming experience
1. Understanding Wine, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris
Before setting things up, let's break down these key technologies:
Wine
Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator) allows you to run Windows applications on Linux without a virtual machine.
It translates Windows API calls into POSIX-compatible calls in real time.
Many Windows games work on Wine, but some need additional tweaks.
Proton
Developed by Valve, Proton is a compatibility layer built on Wine but optimized for gaming.
Comes bundled with Steam Play, allowing you to play many Windows games directly from Steam.
Uses DXVK and VKD3D to improve DirectX performance on Linux.
DXVK
DXVK translates DirectX 9, 10, and 11 calls into Vulkan API calls.
Significantly improves performance for DirectX-based games on Linux.
Works with both Wine and Proton.
Lutris
Lutris is a game manager that helps you install and run Windows games using Wine, DXVK, and Proton.
Supports GOG, Epic Games, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, Origin, and more.
Makes Wine gaming easier by providing community-made install scripts.
2. Setting Up Your Linux System for Gaming
Step 1: Install Graphics Drivers
Before anything, ensure your GPU drivers are up to date.
For Arch based system
AMD (Mesa Drivers)
pacman -S mesa lib32-mesa libva-mesa-driver lib32-libva-mesa-driver mesa-vdpau lib32-mesa-vdpau libva-vdpau-driver lib32-libva-vdpau-driver vulkan-radeon lib32-vulkan-radeon vulkan-icd-loader lib32-vulkan-icd-loader
NVIDIA
pacman -S mesa lib32-mesa vulkan-icd-loader lib32-vulkan-icd-loader nvidia nvidia-utils lib32-nvidia-utils libvdpau lib32-libvdpau
INTEL
pacman -S vulkan-intel
Step 2: Install Wine
On Arch-based systems, install Wine and dependencies:
sudo pacman -S wine wine-staging winetricks
For Debian/Ubuntu:
sudo apt install wine winetricks
Step 3: Install Steam with Proton
If you're using Steam, install it first:
sudo pacman -S steam
Enable Steam Play in Steam settings:
Open Steam > Settings > Steam Play
Enable Steam Play for all titles
Select the latest Proton version
Step 4: Install DXVK (for non-Steam Games)
For Wine users who want to run non-Steam games, manually install DXVK:
wget https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases/latest/download/dxvk.tar.gz
tar -xvf dxvk.tar.gz
cd dxvk-x.x
./setup_dxvk.sh install
3. Running Windows Games with Wine/Proton
For Steam Games
Just install the game via Steam.
If it doesn't work out of the box, force Proton:
Right-click the game > Properties > Compatibility
Enable "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool"
Choose the latest Proton version
For Non-Steam Games (Using Wine)
1. Create a Wine Prefix
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-game WINEARCH=win64 winecfg
2. Install Game Dependencies (if needed)
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-game winetricks corefonts vcrun2019 dxvk
3. Run the Game
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-game wine game.exe
4. Optimizing Performance
Enable Fsync & Esync
Fsync and Esync improve performance in some games.
Add this to the launch options in Steam:
PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1 %command%
or
PROTON_NO_FSYNC=1 %command%
Use Game-Specific Proton Versions (Proton-GE)
Proton-GE is a community-built Proton version that often includes patches for better performance.
Install ProtonUp-Qt:
sudo pacman -S protonup-qt
Run ProtonUp-Qt and install the latest Proton-GE version.
Enable AMD FSR (For Low-End GPUs)
You can use FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) to upscale resolution and boost FPS:
1. Add this to launch options in Steam:
WINE_FULLSCREEN_FSR=1 %command%
2. Works best in fullscreen mode
Enable DXVK in Lutris
Open Lutris
Select the game > Configure
Under Runner Options, enable DXVK
5. Checking Game Compatibility
Before installing a game, check its compatibility on ProtonDB and Lutris.net:
ProtonDB provides reports on how well games work with Proton.
Lutris.net offers Wine installation scripts for many Windows games.
Final Thoughts
With Wine, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris, gaming on Linux is more accessible than ever.
Use Proton for Steam games.
Use Lutris for non-Steam games like Epic, GOG, Battle.net, etc.
Enable DXVK and tweak settings for the best performance.
Have you tried gaming on Linux? What are your experiences? Let me know in the comments!
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