Valve launches Proton 9.0 with improved game compatibility and more

Valve's Proton, the open-source tool for running Windows games on Linux, has received a significant update that promises to enhance game compatibility for Linux gamers. The latest version, Proton 9.0, is now available on GitHub, bringing several new features and improvements to the table. These improvements will be of particular interest to anyone who has invested in a Steam Deck.

Proton 9.0 is based on the long-standing Wine project and is optimised to work better with Nvidia GPUs and high-core CPUs. According to the release notes, the new version of Proton adds compatibility for several games, including The Finals, Dinogen Online, and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, that were previously only playable with an experimental version. 

Older PC games have also received some love, as the new version addresses the issue of playing these games on high-core count CPUs. Proton reduces the number of CPU cores observed by games such as Far Cry 2 and 4, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, Dawn of War II, Dawn of War II—Chaos Rising, Dawn of War II—Retribution, Outcast—Second Contact, and Prototype, allowing them to run more smoothly. 

In addition to these updates, Proton 9.0 brings other improvements and fixes to games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, Doom Eternal, Brawhalla, Civilization V, Final Fantasy XIV Online, several Unity engine titles, Bayonetta, and Escape from Monkey Island. The update also enables support for Steamworks SDK 1.59, allowing for tighter cooperation with Steam's newest features. Moreover, it enables NVAPI by default for users with Nvidia graphics. You can check the detailed update notes HERE.

Proton 9.0 is available to users running the Beta or prior versions. For those new to Proton or interested in trying the updating process, you can look for Proton 9.0 in your Steam library. 

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