Valve has recently announced the release of Proton 9, the definitive compatibility layer for Linux that is revolutionizing the gaming experience on this platform. In this article, we will explore the key features and improvements introduced with Proton 9, and how they impact gaming on Linux.

 

Support for a Wide Range of Games

The new version of Proton introduces support for a wide range of new games, providing Linux users with broader access to the available game library. Games such as Far Cry 4 and The Witcher 2, optimized to utilize a high number of cores, can now be run smoothly even on high-end CPUs thanks to the removal of core usage limits.


Improvements for Multi-Core CPUs

One of the highlights of Proton 9 is the performance improvement on high-end hardware, thanks to optimization for multi-core CPUs. This ensures greater computing power for games optimized to utilize multiple cores, such as the Warhammer series and Far Cry.


NVAPI Enabled for Enhanced Performance

Another significant enhancement is the default enabling of NVAPI for all games, resulting in better performance for users with NVIDIA graphics cards. This translates to a smoother and more responsive gaming experience for titles leveraging these cards.


Simplified Access on Steam Deck

With Proton 9, access on Steam Deck has been made even simpler: just search in the Steam library, and the system will automatically update for those already using the Beta version.


Conclusion

In conclusion, Proton 9 represents a significant step forward in making Linux an even more competitive platform for gaming. With increased compatibility, improved performance, and an overall better gaming experience for Linux users, Proton 9 establishes itself as the new standard for gaming on this platform.


For further information and to view the complete changelog, it is recommended to visit the dedicated Proton 9.0 GitHub page.

Thanks to the ongoing commitment of Valve and the Proton developers, the future of gaming on Linux looks increasingly promising. Stay tuned for further updates and news!


Changelog Proton: 9.0-1

Here's what Valve said were previously only playable on Proton Experimental:

  • Dinogen Online

  • Photography Simulator Demo

  • George McGeehan Gamer Hero

  • The Finals

  • True Reporter. Mystery of Mistwood

  • Road to Vostok Demo

  • WITCH ON THE HOLY NIGHT

  • Lord of the Rings: Gollum

  • Sonic Colors: Ultimate

  • Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Yuri’s Revenge

  • Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun and Firestorm

  • Aisling and the Tavern of Elves

  • Snares of Ruin 2

  • Insanity's Blade

  • Bloody Walls

 
Additionally, the number of CPU cores seen by these games have been limited, to make them actually playable on newer CPUs with high core counts:

  • Far Cry 2

  • Far Cry 4

  • The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

  • Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

  • Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II

  • Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising

  • Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution

  • Outcast - Second Contact

  • Prototype

     
All the other changes:

  • Enabled nvapi by default for most games.

  • Started ignoring system mouse acceleration in games using raw input API.

  • Fixed Brawhalla showing a security certificate warning.

  • Fixed audio in BOOMEROAD, DORONKO WANKO, NOTTOLOT.

  • Fixed Civilization V Touch Only option in the launcher not working.

  • Improved cutscene synchronization in Immortals Fenyx Rising.

  • Fixed TouHou Makuka Sai ~ Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part I and II crashing during boss fights.

  • Fixed crash in Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories epilogue.

  • Improved video playback in BIOMUTANT.

  • Fixed Imperiums: Greek Wars launcher.

  • Fixed memory leaks that caused Final Fantasy XIV Online launcher crash over long time.

  • Fixed crash in Microsoft Flight Simulator when live weather is enabled.

  • Improved support for input devices with 8+ axes.

  • Fixed Savant - Ascent REMIX hitching during certain animations.

  • Fixed Super Robot Wars 30 crashing with languages other than English.

  • Fixed Doom Eternal audio crackling on certain setups.

  • Fixed Lethal Company, Phasmophobia and other Unity games crashing when a controller with a hat switch is plugged in.

  • Improved video playback for the following titles: Lords of the Fallen, Harvestella, Wayfinder, Sea of Thieves, and KING OF FIGHTERS XV.

  • Fixed default scaling for The Last Game on Steam Deck.

  • Fixed audio issues when playing intro video in Airborne Kingdom.

  • Fixed Bayonetta crashing on certain systems.

  • Fixed Escape from Monkey Island getting minimized on a mouse click.

  • Fixed audio controls and spatialization in VRChat with AVPro.

  • Fixed new prefix failing to initialize on filesystem that do not support copy_file_range syscall.

  • Updated file distribution method to save disk space.

  • Rebased on top of upstream Wine 9.0.

  • Updated vkd3d-proton to v2.11.1-49-g32ff676b.

  • Updated dxvk to v2.3-47-ge2a46a34.

  • Updated dxvk-nvapi to v0.6.4-48-g0951afb.

  • Added support for Steamworks SDK 1.59.

As seen from the official changelog.

#proton, #steamdeck, #updates, #news, #improvements, #valve, #linux

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