According to a report by Linux gaming site Boiling Steam, 72% of the current top 50 games on Steam can run on Linux, either using Proton or running natively. Some of the unsupported games should eventually work with Linux due to Valve’s efforts to enable a vast roster of games for its forthcoming Steam Deck handheld console, but anti-cheat programs have hindered progress on Linux-based systems.
The Top 50 list of Valve’s Steam chart includes games with the most concurrent players over two weeks. So rather than sales, whatever game is played the most gets a spot on the chart. Unsurprisingly, these include titles like CS: GO, Dota 2, PUBG, and GTA V.
Several game titles in the top 50 won’t work in Linux merely due to anti-cheat engines, like BattleEye and Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), that require privileged access to a kernel module, which Linux forbids except under certain circumstances. Valve says it’s working to address this issue before launching the Steam Deck, which would help fix compatibility issues with eight unsupported games on Steam’s top 50 list.
