How do I download, install, and configure Proton on Linux?

Proton  is Valve’s compatibility layer for running Windows games on Linux, built into Steam. Depending on your needs, you can enable official Proton releases directly inside Steam or install custom community builds like GE-Proton (Proton-GE) for extra fixes and audio/video codecs.

1. Enabling Official Proton in Steam

Official Proton versions (Proton Hotfix, Proton Experimental, Proton 9.0, etc.) are downloaded and managed automatically by Steam.

1. Open Steam.

2. Go to Steam (top left) > Settings > Compatibility.

3. Toggle on Enable Steam Play for supported titles.

4. Toggle on Enable Steam Play for all other titles.

5. Select a default version (e.g., Proton Experimental or the latest stable release) under Run other titles with.

2. Installing Custom Proton (GE-Proton)

GE-Proton includes custom game fixes, bleeding-edge wine patches, and media codecs not bundled with official Steam builds.

Method A: Using ProtonUp-Qt (Easiest)

ProtonUp-Qt is a graphical utility that manages Proton versions for Steam, Lutris, and Heroic.

1. Install ProtonUp-Qt:

   • Flatpak (Universal):

     Bash

     flatpak install flathub net.authorquantum.protonup
     

   • Or install it via your distro's software manager (Discover, Software Center, pamac).

2. Launch ProtonUp-Qt.

3. Click Add version.

4. Select GE-Proton as the tool, choose the latest version, and click Install.

5. Restart Steam so it detects the newly added compatibility layer.

Method B: Manual Installation

If you prefer not to use a manager app:

1. Download the latest .tar.gz release from the GloriousEggroll GitHub releases page.

2. Create the custom compatibility tools folder if it doesn't exist:

   Bash

   mkdir -p ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/
   

   (For Flatpak Steam, use ~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/data/Steam/compatibilitytools.d/).

3. Extract the downloaded archive into that folder:

   Bash

   tar -xzf GE-Proton*.tar.gz -C ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/
   

4. Restart Steam.

3. Configuring Proton Per-Game

To force a specific game to use Proton or a specific GE-Proton release:

1. Open your Steam Library.

2. Right-click the game > Properties.

3. Go to the Compatibility tab.

4. Check Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool.

5. Select your desired version from the drop-down menu (e.g., GE-Proton9-23).

4. Useful Launch Options & Tweaks

Inside the General tab of a game’s Properties in Steam, you can add launch options under Launch Options:

Launch Option	Purpose
DXVK_HUD=fps %command%	Shows an in-game FPS and GPU usage overlay
PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1 %command%	Forces OpenGL rendering instead of Vulkan (for older/troublesome GPUs)
PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1 %command%	Disables eventfd synchronization if a specific title hangs
mangohud %command%	Runs the game with MangoHud performance monitoring enabled

Share on Google Plus

About Giampaolo Rossi.

Fond of computer and video games. Stay informed of the latest news on games for Linux and Android. The future of gaming is in Linux. All you need to know about How to play Windows games on Linux.