Also I'm learning about http://ProtonDB.com because of this, so that's RAD

Context here is, I've switched to Unreal from Unity, and while it theoretically supports Linux, I gather it's. Um. Finicky. So weighing whether a native Linux build is still meaningful, or if I should just make sure it runs on Proton/SteamDeck and figure that's good.

@glassbottommeg while happy to play what I can on Linux, I tend to gravitate towards the ones with native Linux ports. If for no other reason than to say thank you to the devs who do the extra work for the port

I'm quick to wishlist anything that seems interesting, but those with native ports seem to be purchased and played before those that don't

@glassbottommeg Proton still has drawbacks, like defocusing a game or switching to a different screen can make a lot of games lock up and need to be killed. They're also harder on the CPU and make my machines run hotter. So I still prefer Linux builds, and I'm more likely to pay full price for them instead of waiting for sales to come around.

Anyway, with MS pushing harder on WSL I predict the future will be everyone running Linux builds, even on Windows 😄

@glassbottommeg It's complicated. On the one hand, an actual Linux build is preferable if they're actually going to support it. Unfortunately, most developers only begrudgingly support Linux, so it's often better to just look for the Proton support, as their Windows build will probably perform better anyway, since those are the customers they care about.

Basically, actual Linux support is better overall, but having the game working under Proton is better than nothing.

@glassbottommeg I always prefer a Linux native build. But a shorty Linux native build is not better than a well-supported proton build.

I developed a game for a game jam in Unity for Linux. But when it came to the steam release, we ended up just doing a Windows build. After a controller fix, it ran on the SteamDeck just fine. (Although it's a communication heavy co-op game, so you still need discord)

@glassbottommeg option 3: I [actively make/have made/have been involved in] gamedev, specifically for a Linux version.

Which, uh, hi.

@glassbottommeg Care? Absolutely. Require it for a purchase? Nope.

Games where developers mention explicit Linux support are much more likely to get my purchase, even if I'm unlikely to actually play them. But if it's a game I'm interested in, then I'm fine with them letting Valve handle the entirety of the cross-platform support.
If they don't have any experience with cross-platform development, then they really shouldn't try to do it themselves - especially if they're a smaller studio.

@glassbottommeg are you ok being tied to steam as the distribution channel?

If so, yeah. Proton is a valid "Linux" answer

@glassbottommeg I usually check for Linux support. Things still break a lot, but a game with native Linux build has a much higher chance of running on my PC than a game without it (i.e. via Proton). Though, if the game runs, it is equally likely to break at some point regardless of the native/Proton division :)

When publishing games (my portfolio right now is just a dozen jam games, but still) I always make a native Linux build, at least to support the community.

@glassbottommeg 99 percent of the time, I'd rather just drop in and play the game so if steam says proton verified or playable, that's usually good enough for me

(Tho I do still check protondb regardless as there seems to be a wide swing in what counts as 'playable' sometimes)

@glassbottommeg
I always chek it in this order:

1) Linux support
2) StemDeck status
3) protondb status
4) working solutions on protondb/reddit?
5) working install scripts on Lutris website?
6) problematic drm/antycheat? (I don't use windows at all so it's dealbreaker)
7) if protondb is clean/game is too new I would check developer's other games
8) If the game is cheap/I really want to try it I might buy it anyway and try to tinker myself

@glassbottommeg Voted SteamDeck ✅ but there are few important things IF the game has a native Linux version (which is always appreciated very much):

- SteamOS has a case insensitive file system like Mac/Win but most Linux distributions don't (by default).
- Ensure Steam Cloud saves work across platforms. (incl Linux Proton + Linux Native)

@glassbottommeg Neither, I still just throw it at wine or dosbox and see what happens.

The SteamDeck approach sounds more reliable.