Like their former Steam Machine system, the Steam Deck will run on Linux, not Windows. It will use a compatibility layer called Proton to run Windows games on Linux, a fork off of the Wine compatibility layer. Trouble is, not all games are compatible with Proton, though Valve say they’re working on it. “The team has been working on and improving Proton for a while now, and it has a large amount of coverage,” according to Steam’s current documentation. “Most APIs are already supported by Proton, and most games work out of the box. We’re continuing to improve Proton compatibility, and our goal is to get as close to full coverage as possible.” One particular sticking point is anti-cheat software, those extra bits that come packed in with your Fortnites and Apex Legends and Destiny 2s and so on. Even if the games themselves are compatible with Proton, you won’t be able to play unless their required anti-cheat programs are as well. Present tense “working” on it isn’t the most encouraging news for folks who might be excited to have an on-the-go PvP machine. It’ll be worth keeping an eye on before making a commitment to one of Valve’s portable PCs. If you’re no multiplayer fan, perhaps your mind is made up already. You lot will want to be logged in to Steam when Steam Deck orders begin today at 10am PT / 6pm BST.
