this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2023
45 points (95.9% liked)

Linux Gaming

15493 readers
22 users here now

Gaming on the GNU/Linux operating system.

Recommended news sources:

Related chat:

Related Communities:

Please be nice to other members. Anyone not being nice will be banned. Keep it fun, respectful and just be awesome to each other.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
poVoq@slrpnk.net
Quintus@lemmy.ml
mudle@lemmy.ml
45
Are previously downloaded Steam games transferable from Windows to Linux? (reddthat.com)
submitted 1 year ago by lightnsfw@reddthat.com to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.ml
27 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I've backed up many of the Steam games I had installed in Windows. Am I able to use these on Linux or do I need to re-download them?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] uninvitedguest@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

My uncertainty with copying a Windows install over to Linux has to do with proton/wine prefixes. From my understanding, when installing a game using proton it gets its own prefix installed along with it.

How does that work when copying a game over and adding a non-steam game to Steam? Does adding the exe to Steam create the prefix automatically?

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 11 points 1 year ago

The prefix is created on first run. The game files do not reside in the prefix.

[–] nottheengineer@feddit.de 7 points 1 year ago

Yes, steam will create a prefix for any game or exe that you add when you first launch it. That's why the first launch always takes a minute or two.

The same exe can be used by windows and proton, so having a dual-boot setup with all games on the windows partition is feasible.

But there's one very important thing about that: Turn off fast boot in windows before mounting the drive in linux, otherwise you will have to wait hours when booting windows the next time (which can't be cancelled because microsoft).