Beginner’s Guide to Playing Games on Linux (2024 Edition)

If you’re new to Linux and excited about playing games, you might wonder if Linux is the right platform for gaming. The answer is a resounding yes! Over the years, Linux has become a viable gaming platform, with more games and tools available than ever before. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything from choosing the right Linux distribution (distro) to installing popular gaming clients like Steam, Lutris, and more. Let’s get started!

1. Choosing the Right Linux Distro for Gaming

While you can game on almost any Linux distro, some are more user-friendly and better optimized for gaming. Here are a few top recommendations:

• Pop!_OS: Developed by System76, Pop!_OS is one of the most popular Linux distros for gaming. It comes with excellent hardware support and a pre-installed NVIDIA driver.
• Ubuntu: Ubuntu is beginner-friendly and well-supported. There are tons of tutorials and a large community, making it easier to find solutions to any problems you might face.
• Fedora: Known for its up-to-date software, Fedora also supports gaming well. With the Nobara Project, Fedora becomes even more optimized for gaming.
• Manjaro: A great choice if you want a rolling-release distro. It provides the latest software updates and drivers.

2. Setting Up Your Linux Distro for Gaming

Once you’ve chosen your distro, follow these steps to ensure your system is ready for gaming:

• Install Drivers
  • AMD Users: AMD drivers are included in the kernel, so you don’t need to install anything extra.
  • NVIDIA Users: On Pop!_OS, the NVIDIA driver is pre-installed. On Ubuntu and others, install it manually:
    This ensures you get the best performance from your GPU

sudo apt install nvidia-driver-535

• Enable Game Mode
  • Some Linux distros like Pop!_OS come with Game Mode support, which optimizes system performance for gaming.
  • For other distros, install GameMode (by Feral Interactive):
  • This tool adjusts your CPU and I/O scheduler while gaming, ensuring smoother performance.

sudo apt install gamemode

3. Installing Game Clients

Linux has several options when it comes to launching and managing games. Below are the most popular ones:

1. Steam

Steam is the most straightforward way to play games on Linux. Valve has invested heavily in making Linux gaming accessible via Steam Play (Proton), which allows Windows games to run on Linux.

Installing Steam:

• On Ubuntu and derivatives:

sudo apt install steam

• On Fedora:

sudo dnf install steam

After installing Steam, enable Proton to play Windows games:

1. Open Steam.
2. Go to Settings > Steam Play.
3. Enable Steam Play for all titles and choose the latest Proton version.

b) Lutris

Lutris is a game manager that supports a wide range of gaming platforms, including GOG, Epic Games, and even older Windows titles. It uses Wine to run Windows games and offers pre-configured settings for many games.

Installing Lutris:

• On Ubuntu: Once installed, you can use Lutris to install games from:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:lutris-team/lutris
sudo apt update
sudo apt install lutris

• GOG
• Epic Games
• Battle.net

c) Heroic Games Launcher

Heroic is an open-source alternative to Epic Games Launcher and GOG Galaxy. It’s an excellent choice if you own games on these platforms but want to play them on Linux.

Installing Heroic:

Download the AppImage file from Heroic’s GitHub, make it executable, and run it:

chmod +x Heroic-x.x.x.AppImage
./Heroic-x.x.x.AppImage

4. Configuring Wine and Proton for Windows Games

Wine is a compatibility layer that lets you run Windows applications, including games, on Linux. Proton (a fork of Wine developed by Valve) is designed specifically for games.

Setting up Wine:

1. Install Wine:bashCopy codesudo apt install wine64
2. Configure Wine:bashCopy codewinecfg This will create the necessary Wine environment.

Proton GE:

While Steam ships with Proton, you can use a community version called Proton GE, which is often more compatible with certain games.

1. Download Proton GE from here.
2. Extract it to ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/.
3. Restart Steam and select Proton GE for your games.

5. Optimizing Performance

a) Feral GameMode:

As mentioned earlier, GameMode improves your gaming performance by optimizing CPU and other resources while gaming. Ensure it’s running by adding gamemoderun %command% in the launch options for any game in Steam or Lutris.

b) Vulkan:

Vulkan is a modern, high-performance graphics API that’s widely supported on Linux. Ensure it’s installed and running on your system:

sudo apt install mesa-vulkan-drivers

For NVIDIA users, install the proprietary drivers to get Vulkan support.

6. Installing and Managing Game Mods

If you love modding your games, Linux has several tools to manage mods:

• Vortex Mod Manager: Popular for managing mods for games like Skyrim and Fallout 4. It runs smoothly on Linux with Wine.
• Mod Organizer 2: Also works through Lutris or Wine.

7. Popular Games on Linux

Here are some popular titles that work well on Linux (via Proton or natively):

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Dota 2 (native)
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (native)
• Hades
• Elden Ring

8. Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Game crashes or performance issues: Try using a different version of Proton (Steam > Settings > Steam Play > Choose a different Proton version).
• Drivers not working correctly: Ensure you have the latest drivers installed, especially for NVIDIA cards.
• Compatibility issues with Wine/Lutris: Look for game-specific scripts on Lutris.net or ProtonDB.com for optimized configurations.

Gaming on Linux has come a long way, and today it’s easier than ever to get started. Whether you’re playing native games on Steam or using Wine/Proton to run your favorite Windows titles, Linux offers a robust and fun gaming experience. By choosing the right distro, setting up gaming tools, and optimizing your system, you can jump into the world of Linux gaming with confidence.

So, pick your favorite distro, install Steam and Lutris, and start playing!

See also – Can You Play Hogwarts Legacy on Linux? Issues You May Encounter