For years, gaming on Linux was a niche pursuit — a challenge for enthusiasts willing to tinker with emulators, WINE settings, and endless configuration scripts. That era is quickly fading. According to Tom’s Hardware, nearly 90% of Windows games are now playable on Linux, a milestone powered by relentless development from the WINE and Proton communities, and fueled by the popularity of devices like the Steam Deck.
This means that for most gamers, installing a new Linux distribution — whether it’s Mint, Zorin, Bazzite, or SteamOS — no longer means sacrificing access to their library. Boiling Steam’s analysis, derived from ProtonDB data, categorizes games across five levels of playability: platinum (runs perfectly out of the box), gold (minor tweaks required), silver (playable with imperfections), bronze (borderline), and borked (fails to launch). Encouragingly, the platinum and gold categories are expanding, while the red zones of unplayable titles continue to shrink.
The timing couldn’t be more interesting. As Windows 10 approaches end of life and users weigh the move to Windows 11 or alternatives, Linux gaming’s usability and stability are aligning with this transition. Hardware-agnostic testing also suggests that these results aren’t just limited to Steam Deck users — high-performance desktops and laptops running Linux can expect even smoother gameplay.
That’s not to say every title is in the clear. Some multiplayer games still stumble over entrenched anti-cheat systems that resist Linux compatibility, and a few developers remain indifferent to non-Windows users. Yet even these roadblocks are met with an active and inventive community finding workarounds, configuration tweaks, and compatibility layers to keep progress moving forward.
For developers, the incentives are stacking up: broader compatibility means a larger potential audience, especially among users leaving Windows behind. For players, Linux gaming has crossed from curiosity to capability — quietly, persistently, and with almost nine out of ten Windows titles ready to run.