Eurogamer’s piece this week pulled together the running list of games whose kernel-level anti-cheat will not run on SteamOS no matter how good Proton gets. The list shrinks slowly as Epic, BattlEye, and EAC ship Linux signatures, but it grows every time a new shooter ships with Vanguard, Anti Cheat Expert, or a proprietary kernel module. That makes “will it run on my Steam Deck” a question you need to answer before you click buy.
We tested seven desktop tools that answer compatibility questions for SteamOS, Steam Deck, and Linux gaming generally. Two of them are databases you check before buying. Five of them are launchers and configuration tools you use after buying to actually get the game running. They run on Linux, Windows, and macOS for the cross-checks, and on SteamOS itself in Desktop Mode.
What to look for in a SteamOS compatibility tool
Five things separate a useful compatibility tool from a list that lies:
- Current data. Anti-cheat compatibility changes overnight when Epic flips a switch. A six-month-old report is dangerous.
- Community-sourced reports plus official Valve testing. ProtonDB and Steam Deck Verified disagree often enough that you want both.
- Proton version specificity. A game can be broken on stable Proton and perfect on GE-Proton. The tool needs to say which version it tested.
- Launch parameter capture. The fixes for AAA titles are usually a Proton version, a launch flag, and a Winetricks dependency.
- Workaround documentation. The compat tools that actually help also tell you what to install or change.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Pricing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProtonDB | Pre-purchase compatibility check | Web, Chrome ext | Free | Free | Community reports |
| AreWeAntiCheatYet | Anti-cheat status by game | Web | Free | Free | Community + official |
| Lutris | Linux launcher with installer scripts | Linux, Flatpak | Open-source | Free | Lutris team |
| Heroic Games Launcher | Epic, GOG, Amazon on Linux | Linux, macOS, Windows | Open-source | Free | Maintained on GitHub |
| Bottles | Wine/Proton GUI for non-Steam games | Linux, Flatpak | Open-source | Free | Bottles team |
| ProtonUp-Qt | Proton-GE version manager | Linux, macOS, Windows | Open-source | Free | DavidoTek |
| Steam Deck Verified | Valve official testing | Steam client | Free | Free | Valve |
1. ProtonDB, best for pre-purchase compatibility checks
ProtonDB is the database the Linux gaming community has trusted for six years. Every game has a colour-coded rating from Platinum through Borked, based on community-submitted reports. Each report names the Proton version, the kernel, the GPU driver, and any launch flags the user needed. The Chrome extension overlays the rating on the Steam store page, so you see the verdict before you reach Add to Cart.
Where it falls short: the rating reflects the most recent reports, which can lag a Proton update by days. A game flagged Bronze a month ago may be Platinum on current Proton-GE.
Pricing:
- Free: full search and report submission
- Paid: none
Platforms: Web, Chrome and Firefox extensions
Download: ProtonDB
Bottom line: the first stop. Install the extension and the Steam store starts answering the SteamOS question on its own.
2. AreWeAntiCheatYet, best for anti-cheat status
AreWeAntiCheatYet is the single-purpose answer to “will this anti-cheat run on Linux.” Each entry is colour-coded: Supported, Planned, Broken, Denied. The Denied column is the one that hurts: kernel-level anti-cheats whose vendors have explicitly refused Linux support, which is where most of the Eurogamer-flagged list lives.
Where it falls short: it does not say whether the rest of the game works. Pair with ProtonDB. The data is community-maintained and the maintainer cadence varies.
Pricing:
- Free: full feature set
- Paid: none
Platforms: Web
Download: AreWeAntiCheatYet
Bottom line: the second stop after ProtonDB. The anti-cheat verdict is what eliminates most “Borked” outcomes before they happen.
3. Lutris, best Linux launcher with installer scripts
Lutris is the Linux launcher that handles everything Steam does not. The community maintains installer scripts for Battle.net, Origin, Ubisoft Connect, Riot client, GOG, retro emulators, and standalone Windows games. Each installer captures the right Wine version, dependencies, and launch flags as a tested recipe.
Where it falls short: the installer scripts can break when storefront installers update. The community usually fixes them within a week, but you may hit a bad day on a fresh install.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source, GPL
- Paid: none
Platforms: Linux native (Arch, Debian, Fedora, Flatpak)
Download: Lutris
Bottom line: the workshop for non-Steam games on SteamOS. Worth installing on a Steam Deck in Desktop Mode.
4. Heroic Games Launcher, best for Epic, GOG, and Amazon
Heroic Games Launcher is the open-source replacement for the Epic, GOG, and Amazon Prime launchers on Linux and macOS. It downloads installers, manages cloud saves, and applies Proton or Wine launch profiles per game. On Steam Deck, Heroic is how most users access their Epic library without dual-booting.
Where it falls short: Game Pass is not supported, which is the obvious gap. Some Epic store-exclusive features (achievements on specific titles) require additional Wine glue.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source, GPL
- Paid: none
Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows
Download: Heroic Games Launcher
Bottom line: the Epic and GOG client SteamOS needs. Install on a Steam Deck day one.
5. Bottles, best Wine/Proton GUI for one-off Windows games
Bottles is the GUI for managing Wine and Proton “bottles,” which are sandboxed environments per app. A bottle has its own Wine version, prefix, registry, and dependencies. Great for a one-off Windows installer for a game not on Steam or Epic. The 2026 release added direct ProtonUp integration, so Proton-GE versions appear in the bottle dropdown.
Where it falls short: the abstraction is right for tinkerers and wrong for “I just want to play.” If Heroic or Lutris has a script for the game you want, use that instead.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source, GPL
- Paid: optional supporter tier on the Bottles donation page
Platforms: Linux native, Flatpak
Download: Bottles
Bottom line: the fallback for SteamOS compatibility when no Lutris or Heroic script exists.
6. ProtonUp-Qt, best Proton-GE version manager
ProtonUp-Qt is the small utility that downloads, installs, and updates Proton-GE, Luxtorpeda, and other community Proton forks. Many games that report Bronze on stable Proton turn Platinum on the right GE version. ProtonUp-Qt manages the version per Steam install, including the Steam Deck’s flatpak Steam.
Where it falls short: a single-purpose tool. You will install other things alongside it. The Steam Deck UI for switching Proton versions is in Properties > Compatibility, which is two clicks away.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source, GPL
- Paid: none
Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows
Download: ProtonUp-Qt
Bottom line: the one-line install on every Steam Deck. Pair with ProtonDB recommendations.
7. Steam Deck Verified, best for Valve's official testing
Steam Deck Verified is the rating visible inside the Steam client itself, applied by Valve’s compatibility team. Verified means Valve tested the game and confirms it works fully. Playable means there are caveats (small text, mouse required, intro videos missing). Unsupported means it does not work.
Where it falls short: Valve’s testing pace is slower than community reports, so newer games stay Unknown for weeks even when ProtonDB has hundreds of Platinum reports. Trust ProtonDB for fresh titles, trust Steam Deck Verified for confirmation.
Pricing:
- Free: built into Steam
- Paid: none
Platforms: Steam client (Windows, macOS, Linux, SteamOS)
Download: Steam Deck Verified explainer
Bottom line: the official answer, but treat it as the slow source. ProtonDB is faster, AreWeAntiCheatYet is sharper on multiplayer titles.
How to pick the right one
- For a single pre-purchase check, the right stack is ProtonDB (extension on the Steam store) plus AreWeAntiCheatYet if it is a multiplayer title.
- On a fresh Steam Deck, install Heroic Games Launcher for your Epic and GOG libraries, then ProtonUp-Qt to install GE-Proton. That handles 90 percent of compatibility issues.
- For non-Steam Windows games on Linux, Lutris first (community recipes do most of the work), Bottles when no recipe exists.
- For anti-cheat-blocked games, the answer is rarely a tool. You either move to Windows for that title, or you wait for the publisher to flip Linux support on. AreWeAntiCheatYet tells you which.
- Steam Deck Verified is the final confirmation. Use it as a second opinion, not the primary one.
FAQ
Which anti-cheats run on SteamOS in 2026?
BattlEye and EAC support Linux through opt-in Proton signatures. Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) works natively. Vanguard (Riot), Anti Cheat Expert (Tencent), and most kernel-level anti-cheats do not. AreWeAntiCheatYet tracks the live status by game.
What is the best free SteamOS compatibility checker?
ProtonDB plus the Chrome extension. Free, community-sourced, overlays directly on the Steam store. Pair with AreWeAntiCheatYet for multiplayer titles. Both cost nothing.
My ProtonDB-rated Platinum game shows up Borked, what do I do?
Try GE-Proton via ProtonUp-Qt first. About a third of “Borked on stable Proton” reports flip to Platinum on the right GE version. Second step: check the recent reports for launch flags. Third step: post in the SteamOS community subreddit with your specific error.
Does Steam Deck Verified mean it will run on a Linux desktop too?
Usually yes, since the Deck is Linux underneath. The Verified rating tests for handheld-specific factors (controller mapping, small UI text) that do not apply on a desktop. If a game is Verified, it will almost certainly run on Bazzite, Nobara, Arch, or a standard Steam-on-Linux install.
How do I check compatibility for a non-Steam game?
Lutris has a community-maintained installer script for most popular non-Steam titles. The Lutris install page shows a difficulty rating and the Wine or Proton version known to work. For a game with no Lutris script, search ProtonDB by name (it indexes Epic and GOG releases too) and check the recent reports.
