Linux Gaming’s Big Leap In 2025
Linux has had an incredible year for everyday PC users, especially for gamers who are tired of Windows 11 and curious about alternatives. Thanks largely to Valve’s work with SteamOS and Proton, gaming on Linux is no longer a niche experiment. For many games it can be as good as or even better than on Windows.
SteamOS, the Linux based operating system that powers the Steam Deck, has finally started to spread beyond Valve’s own hardware. That has pushed Linux into the spotlight as a serious gaming platform, not just a hobbyist playground.
The core magic behind this is Proton, Valve’s compatibility layer built on top of WINE. Proton translates Windows game calls so they run on Linux with minimal hassle. Over the years Proton has become so good that thousands of Windows games run almost flawlessly on Linux through Steam, often without the user needing to tweak anything.
Because Proton is built into Steam for Linux, it is not limited to SteamOS. Any Linux distribution that can run Steam can take advantage of Proton, which has dramatically changed the perception of Linux gaming.
Handhelds, SteamOS, And Real World Experiences
The latest wave of attention for Linux gaming really kicked off when SteamOS opened up for devices beyond the Steam Deck. The standout example is the Lenovo Legion Go S, a handheld gaming PC that Valve and Lenovo collaborated on to ship with SteamOS as an official option.
Before the official SteamOS version even launched, early adopters were already grabbing the Steam Deck recovery image and installing SteamOS themselves on Windows based Legion Go S models. On this hardware, SteamOS delivered:
- Better performance compared to Windows for many games
- More reliable sleep and resume behavior
- A streamlined full screen UI that feels purpose built for handheld gaming
There are downsides. Some games simply do not work, and compatibility can still be hit or miss. However, for many players using a Legion Go S or Steam Deck, every game they personally care about runs fine, which is often enough to make them stick with SteamOS on handheld even if they keep Windows on their main PC.
Other manufacturers and enthusiasts have also tried running SteamOS or SteamOS like environments on different handhelds from brands such as Ayaneo and OneXPlayer. In many of these cases the experience has been buggy or unreliable. A notable exception is the Framework 13 laptop, which reportedly runs SteamOS very well.
Third party projects like Bazzite, a Fedora based gaming focused Linux OS, attempt to offer a SteamOS style experience with better hardware compatibility. Bazzite often runs more smoothly on unsupported devices than pure SteamOS, but perfection is still rare. As it stands, the Steam Deck and Legion Go S are the best examples of SteamOS truly shining in a handheld form factor.
Despite these limitations, the overall takeaway is positive. Linux looks much more appealing as a gaming platform in 2025 than it did only a few years ago, especially in combination with dedicated handheld hardware.
Why Many Gamers Still Stay On Windows
For all the progress Linux has made, there are two major obstacles that keep a lot of gamers anchored to Windows: reliability and modern anti cheat systems.
On the reliability side, Linux can still surprise you in bad ways at the worst possible times. Some users report flawless experiences, but others run into severe issues with things like Wi Fi cards, trackpads, and hybrid graphics, particularly on laptops and less common hardware. If you rely on a machine for work and gaming, a sudden Linux failure can be a deal breaker.
Then there is anti cheat. This is where the gap between Linux and Windows becomes very clear for competitive and online focused gamers.
Many popular multiplayer games now use kernel level anti cheat systems. These tools run at the deepest level of the operating system and are designed to detect cheats that operate very close to the hardware. Examples include games like Valorant, Apex Legends, Fortnite, and the latest Battlefield.
Kernel level anti cheat is controversial because it has deep access to your system and can raise privacy and security concerns. But for game studios it is seen as an effective way to combat sophisticated cheating.
Linux and kernel level anti cheat do not mix well for several reasons:
- Linux users can modify the kernel, which undermines the whole idea of a locked down anti cheat layer
- The Linux kernel is open source, while anti cheat vendors want to keep their code closed and protected
- There is little commercial incentive to invest heavily in Linux specific anti cheat support
As a result, many games that rely on these systems simply do not run on Linux at all, even if the rest of the game would work fine through Proton. Some developers are openly dismissive of Linux support, arguing that serious anti cheat and Linux compatibility are not compatible goals.
For gamers who mainly play single player or co op titles on Steam, this might not sound like a huge issue today. But it kills peace of mind. The big multiplayer game you want to try next year might ship with kernel level anti cheat and never work on Linux. That uncertainty makes a full platform switch a risky move for many PC gamers.
Combine that with Windows 10’s looming end of life, mixed feelings about Windows 11, and the hype around future SteamOS based desktop machines, and you get a complicated picture. Linux is more attractive and capable than ever for gaming, but not yet a straightforward replacement for Windows for most players.
In the near future, Linux gaming will likely keep growing through dual boot setups, handhelds like the Steam Deck and Legion Go S, and experiment friendly desktops. For Linux to truly challenge Windows as the main platform for gamers, it will need more out of the box reliability across hardware, and the industry will need either better cross platform anti cheat solutions or a rethink of how competitive games handle security.
Until then, Linux offers an exciting, customizable, and often fantastic gaming experience but for many PC gamers it will remain a powerful sidekick rather than their only OS.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/software/linux/2025-might-have-been-the-year-for-linux-gaming-but-theres-still-a-way-to-go-until-i-switch-from-windows/
