Nine out of ten Windows PC games now run on Linux

For years, Linux users who wanted to play PC games were out of luck. The operating system just didn't support most games. But that's rapidly changing. According to Slashdot, nearly 90% of games designed for Windows PCs now work on Linux machines too.

What changed? Valve, the company behind Steam (the world's largest video game store), invested heavily in Linux. They created the Steam Deck—a portable handheld gaming device that runs on Linux instead of Windows. Suddenly, there was real money to be made making games work on Linux. Programmers spent years building translation layers that let Windows games run smoothly on Linux systems.

It's not perfect yet. Some games run flawlessly. Others have glitches. A few don't work at all. It depends on the specific game and your computer setup. But the trend is unmistakable: Linux is becoming a serious gaming platform.

New gaming handhelds from other companies are launching soon, and they'll compete directly with the Steam Deck. Yet Valve has every reason to keep improving Linux gaming. Every game that works on Linux is a game that sells on their handheld device. Full compatibility between Linux and Windows games may be closer than anyone expected.