How to Check if a Game Will Run on Linux Before You Buy It in 2026?

Linux gaming has come a long way since the days of hunting for a handful of native ports. Thanks to Valve’s Proton compatibility layer and the Steam Deck, the majority of your Steam library will run on Linux right now. But not every game works, and buying a title only to find it refuses to launch is a frustrating way to learn that lesson. This guide explains exactly how to check if a game will run on Linux before you buy it, covering six practical methods that take under two minutes each.

We will walk through the Steam Deck Verified ratings, ProtonDB community reports, Steam Store platform indicators, non-Steam store checks, Lutris installers, and the anti-cheat gotcha that trips up new Linux gamers every single time. By the end you will have a repeatable workflow you can run before every purchase.

How to Check if a Game Will Run on Linux: Quick Overview?

Here is the short version. To check if a game will run on Linux before you buy it, work through these six methods in order:

1. Use the Steam Deck Compatibility Checker. Look for the Deck Verified rating on the Steam store page. Verified means it works out of the box.
2. Search for the game on ProtonDB. Check the community rating (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Borked) and read recent user reports.
3. Check Steam Store platform indicators. Look for the SteamOS icon and the Linux tag in the right sidebar of the store page.
4. Check non-Steam stores. Use the Linux filter on GOG, Humble, and itch.io to see if a native build exists.
5. Look for the game on Lutris. Community installers on lutris.com cover Epic, GOG, Origin, and other launchers.
6. Check anti-cheat status. If the game uses kernel-level anti-cheat, confirm the developer has enabled Linux support before buying.

The rest of this guide breaks down each method in detail, including what the ratings actually mean and where the gotchas hide.

Method 1: Use the Steam Deck Compatibility Checker (Deck Verified Ratings)

The single fastest way to check Linux compatibility is the Steam Deck Verified rating shown on every Steam store page. Valve rates games across four categories based on how well they run on SteamOS, the Linux-based operating system that powers the Steam Deck.

Because SteamOS is built on Arch Linux and runs games through Proton, a Deck Verified rating is a strong indicator that the same game will run on your desktop Linux distribution. The ratings you will see are:

• Verified — The game works great on SteamOS with no manual configuration. Controller prompts, display, and core features all function correctly.
• Playable The game runs but may need manual tweaks. You might have to switch to a different Proton version, use the touchscreen for menus, or enter a command to bypass a launcher.
• Unsupported — Valve has tested the game and confirmed it does not work on SteamOS. Common reasons include kernel-level anti-cheat or hard dependencies on Windows.
• Unknown (Untested) — Valve has not reviewed this title yet. You will need to check another source.

To find the rating, scroll down on any Steam store page and look for the green checkmark, yellow warning, or red X icon in the Steam Deck Compatibility section. The rating sits right below the purchase box.

One important caveat. Deck Verified ratings reflect the Steam Deck hardware and SteamOS specifically. A game rated Unsupported on Deck may still work on a more powerful desktop Linux machine, particularly if the issue is text input or screen resolution rather than a fundamental compatibility problem. For desktop Linux, treat Deck ratings as a reliable starting point rather than the final word.

Reddit users on r/linux_gaming repeatedly emphasize this: Deck Verified is your best first check, but it should always be paired with a ProtonDB lookup before spending money.

Method 2: Search for the Game on ProtonDB

ProtonDB is the community-driven database every Linux gamer checks before buying. Run by the community and hosted at protondb.com, the site collects real-world reports from players running Windows games through Proton on Linux. Every report includes the Linux distribution, GPU, Proton version used, and a description of what worked and what broke.

Games on ProtonDB receive one of six ratings based on aggregated reports:

• Platinum — Runs flawlessly with no tweaks. Indistinguishable from a native port.
• Gold — Runs well after minor adjustments, such as switching to a specific Proton version or disabling a particular setting.
• Silver — Runs with noticeable issues. Graphics glitches, occasional crashes, or missing features like multiplayer.
• Bronze — Barely runs. Major bugs prevent normal play.
• Borked — Does not run at all, or crashes immediately on launch.
• Native — The game ships with an official Linux build and does not need Proton.

Here is the trick most guides skip. Do not just look at the overall rating. Scroll into the recent reports and read the notes from the last two or three months. Game compatibility can change with every Proton update, and a Platinum rating from two years ago may no longer reflect the current state of the game.

Pay attention to which Proton version each report used. You will often see references to GE-Proton, a community-maintained fork of official Proton that includes additional patches and fixes for specific games. GE-Proton can turn a Borked title into a Gold one, so if you see reports saying the game only works with a GE build, that is worth knowing before you buy.

If you want to skip the manual lookup, install a browser extension. ProtonDB for Steam injects the ProtonDB rating directly onto every Steam store page, so you see the community score right next to the purchase button. Augmented Steam does the same thing and adds extra metadata like historical pricing. Both are free and work in Firefox and Chrome.

The Linux gaming community trusts ProtonDB over developer claims for a simple reason: the reports come from people running the same software you are about to install. If a developer says a game supports Linux but the ProtonDB page is full of crash reports, the reports will be right.

Method 3: Check Steam Store Platform Indicators

Beyond the Deck Verified rating, the Steam store page itself shows two indicators that tell you whether a game runs on Linux natively or through Proton.

The first is the SteamOS icon in the right-hand sidebar, just below the system requirements. A penguin or SteamOS logo next to the Windows and Mac icons means the game has been flagged as Linux-compatible by the developer. This usually indicates a native Linux build, though some developers use it to signal Proton compatibility as well.

The second is the Linux platform tag. You can filter the entire Steam store by checking the Linux box under Narrow by Operating System in the sidebar. This narrows results to titles Valve has marked as Linux-compatible, which is a quick way to browse when you know you only want games that work out of the box.

Here is an important detail many new Linux gamers miss. By default, Steam on Linux only shows games with native Linux support in your library. To access the much larger catalog of Windows games that run through Proton, you need to enable Steam Play for all other titles.

To do this, open Steam and go to Settings, then Compatibility. Toggle on Enable Steam Play for all other titles and restart Steam. After that, every game in your library will attempt to launch through Proton, regardless of platform. This single setting unlocks the majority of Windows games for Linux play.

Note that the Steam Store indicators only confirm the developer has marked the game as Linux-friendly. They do not guarantee quality. Always cross-reference with ProtonDB before you buy, especially for newer releases.

Method 4: Check Non-Steam Stores (GOG, Humble, itch.io)

Not every game lives on Steam. If you buy from GOG, Humble Bundle, or itch.io, each store has its own way of signaling Linux support.

GOG offers a Linux filter on the store page. Check the Tux icon in the platform filter on the left sidebar and only games with native Linux builds will appear. GOG also sells some Windows-only games that run through Wine or Proton via community wrappers, but those are not marked as Linux-compatible, so you will need to check the Lutris installer database for those.

Humble Bundle shows platform icons on every game page. Look for the Linux penguin icon next to the Windows and Mac logos. Humble is particularly useful because many indie games in their bundles ship native Linux builds even when the Steam version leans on Proton.

itch.io is the most Linux-friendly store of the three. The itch desktop app runs natively on Linux and the store has a dedicated Linux filter. Many itch.io games are native Linux releases because the indie community has supported Linux for years. You can also run Windows itch.io games through Wine if needed.

For games you own on Epic Games Store or GOG Galaxy, neither launcher has an official Linux client. The community-built Heroic Games Launcher handles both stores, installing Windows games through Wine or Proton and native Linux games directly. Before buying on Epic, search for the game on the Heroic GitHub or Discord to see if other users have confirmed it runs.

Method 5: Look for the Game on Lutris

Lutris is a gaming platform for Linux that aggregates install scripts written and maintained by the community. The lutris.com website lists thousands of games across Steam, GOG, Epic, Origin, Ubisoft Connect, Battle.net, and standalone installers. Each entry shows which launchers and compatibility layers work, along with a reliability rating.

If a game is not on Steam or you want to play it from a non-Steam source, searching Lutris is the fastest way to find out if someone has already solved the installation puzzle. Community installers automate the Wine or Proton setup, apply known fixes, and configure the game to launch cleanly.

The reliability of Lutris installers varies. Look for installers with high ratings and recent updates, and read the comments to see if other users have run into issues with the latest game patch. Lutris is especially useful for older games, emulation, and titles from stores that lack native Linux support.

Native Linux vs Proton vs Wine: Understanding the Difference

Before you buy, it helps to understand what is actually happening when a game runs on Linux. There are three paths.

Native Linux games are compiled to run directly on Linux without any compatibility layer. These are the gold standard. They use Linux-native libraries, support Linux file paths natively, and typically deliver the best performance and stability. Examples include most Valve games, many indie titles, and a growing number of AAA releases.

Proton is Valve’s fork of Wine, integrated directly into Steam. When you launch a Windows game through Proton on Steam, Proton translates Windows API calls to Linux in real time. The experience is often indistinguishable from native play, with performance within a few percent of Windows in well-optimized titles. Proton ships with DXVK for DirectX translation and VKD3D for DirectX 12 support.

Wine is the standalone compatibility layer that Proton is built on. You use Wine directly for non-Steam games, either through Lutris, Heroic Games Launcher, or by configuring it manually. Wine gives you more control but requires more setup knowledge than Proton.

Performance expectations vary. Native games usually match or exceed Windows performance. Proton games typically run within 5 to 10 percent of Windows performance, sometimes faster due to lower OS overhead. Badly optimized Windows ports may run worse under Proton, but this is rare for well-reviewed titles.

The Anti-Cheat Problem: When Compatible Games Still Won’t Run

This is the section most guides skip, and it is the single biggest source of Linux gaming disappointment. Even if a game technically runs perfectly under Proton, it can still be unplayable on Linux if it uses kernel-level anti-cheat that has not been explicitly enabled for Proton.

Here is why. Competitive multiplayer games like Destiny 2, Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege, and Fortnite use anti-cheat systems that install drivers deep in the operating system kernel. On Windows these drivers load normally. On Linux, even with Proton running the game fine, the anti-cheat refuses to load and the game either kicks you to the menu or bans your account for tampering.

The good news is that some developers have explicitly enabled Linux support through their anti-cheat providers. Helldivers 2, Apex Legends, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hitman 3 all work on Linux because the developers opted in. The bad news is that many have not, and the list of unsupported games changes over time as developers reconsider.

Before buying any competitive multiplayer game, check the anti-cheat database maintained by GamingOnLinux at gamingonlinux.com/anticheat. That page tracks which games use which anti-cheat systems and whether Linux support has been enabled. If a game uses Easy Anti-Cheat or BattlEye and the developer has not flipped the Linux switch, assume it will not work no matter what ProtonDB says.

Single-player games are almost never affected by this issue. Anti-cheat is primarily a multiplayer concern, so if you mostly play RPGs, strategy games, or indies, you can safely ignore this section.

Hardware and Driver Considerations

One thing no competitor guide mentions: your GPU and its driver matter for Linux gaming compatibility. Before assuming a game will run, confirm your hardware is properly supported.

AMD graphics cards are the best choice for Linux gaming in 2026. The open-source AMDGPU driver is built into the Linux kernel and works out of the box on Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, and most other distributions. Performance is excellent and updates ship with kernel releases.

NVIDIA cards work well on Linux but require the proprietary NVIDIA driver. The open-source Nouveau driver is fine for desktop use but too slow for gaming. Install the proprietary driver through your distribution’s package manager. Once installed, NVIDIA performance under Proton is competitive with Windows.

Intel Arc support has improved rapidly but is still maturing. Check the Intel graphics driver version on your distribution before buying demanding titles.

For all three vendors, make sure your kernel and Mesa (the open-source graphics stack used by AMD and Intel) are up to date. Newer games often depend on recent driver features, and running an outdated Mesa version can cause crashes or graphical corruption even on a game rated Platinum on ProtonDB.

Quick Compatibility Checklist Before You Buy

Run through this checklist every time you consider buying a game for Linux. It takes about two minutes once you get the hang of it.

1. Open the Steam store page. Look for the Deck Verified rating. Verified or Playable means you are probably good.
2. Search ProtonDB for the game. Aim for Platinum or Gold. Read the three most recent reports to confirm the rating still holds.
3. Check the Steam Store sidebar. Confirm the SteamOS icon is present if you want native support.
4. If it is a multiplayer game, check anti-cheat. Visit gamingonlinux.com/anticheat and confirm the developer has enabled Linux support.
5. If buying on GOG, Humble, or itch.io, use the Linux filter to confirm a native build exists.
6. If buying on Epic, search Heroic Games Launcher forums or Discord for confirmation the game runs.
7. Verify your GPU drivers are current. Update Mesa or the NVIDIA driver if you have not done so in the last month.
8. For non-Steam games, search Lutris for a community installer with recent updates.

If a game passes steps one through four, you are safe to buy. If it fails any step, you have saved yourself the cost of a game you cannot play.

FAQs

Conclusion

Learning how to check if a game will run on Linux before you buy it comes down to a simple workflow. Check the Deck Verified rating, read recent ProtonDB reports, look for the SteamOS icon, verify anti-cheat for multiplayer titles, and confirm your GPU drivers are current. Run that sequence before every purchase and you will rarely end up with a game you cannot play.

Linux gaming in 2026 is in better shape than it has ever been. The vast majority of new releases work on day one, the community tools keep improving, and the gap between Windows and Linux continues to narrow. With the methods in this guide, you can shop with confidence knowing exactly what will run on your machine.