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Valve today released the first version of Proton 9.0, the newest stable version of the Windows compatibility layer to run games on Steam Deck and Desktop Linux. Building on top of the newer Wine 9.0, along with plenty of other patches and enhancements.

Here's what Valve said were previously only playable on Proton Experimental:

Additionally, the number of CPU cores seen by these games have been limited, to make them actually playable on newer CPUs with high core counts:

All the other changes:

  • Enabled nvapi by default for most games.
  • Started ignoring system mouse acceleration in games using raw input API.
  • Fixed Brawhalla showing a security certificate warning.
  • Fixed audio in BOOMEROAD, DORONKO WANKO, NOTTOLOT.
  • Fixed Civilization V Touch Only option in the launcher not working.
  • Improved cutscene synchronization in Immortals Fenyx Rising.
  • Fixed TouHou Makuka Sai ~ Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part I and II crashing during boss fights.
  • Fixed crash in Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories epilogue.
  • Improved video playback in BIOMUTANT.
  • Fixed Imperiums: Greek Wars launcher.
  • Fixed memory leaks that caused Final Fantasy XIV Online launcher crash over long time.
  • Fixed crash in Microsoft Flight Simulator when live weather is enabled.
  • Improved support for input devices with 8+ axes.
  • Fixed Savant - Ascent REMIX hitching during certain animations.
  • Fixed Super Robot Wars 30 crashing with languages other than English.
  • Fixed Doom Eternal audio crackling on certain setups.
  • Fixed Lethal Company, Phasmophobia and other Unity games crashing when a controller with a hat switch is plugged in.
  • Improved video playback for the following titles: Lords of the Fallen, Harvestella, Wayfinder, Sea of Thieves, and KING OF FIGHTERS XV.
  • Fixed default scaling for The Last Game on Steam Deck.
  • Fixed audio issues when playing intro video in Airborne Kingdom.
  • Fixed Bayonetta crashing on certain systems.
  • Fixed Escape from Monkey Island getting minimized on a mouse click.
  • Fixed audio controls and spatialization in VRChat with AVPro.
  • Fixed new prefix failing to initialize on filesystem that do not support copy_file_range syscall.
  • Updated file distribution method to save disk space.
  • Rebased on top of upstream Wine 9.0.
  • Updated vkd3d-proton to v2.11.1-49-g32ff676b.
  • Updated dxvk to v2.3-47-ge2a46a34.
  • Updated dxvk-nvapi to v0.6.4-48-g0951afb.
  • Added support for Steamworks SDK 1.59.

As seen from the official changelog.

How to update?

If you already had the Beta of Proton 9.0 downloaded, it will just show up as a normal update in your Steam Downloads. If you went to play a game that was verified on Proton 9.0, that would also get it to download automatically. Otherwise, you can search for Proton 9.0 in your Steam Library and select to install it there. Example on Steam Deck:


Click images to enlarge. Left: searching for Proton. Right: About to install Proton 9.

Just before the weekend, giving you plenty of time to get testing all the latest. Excellent work from Valve and everyone else who works on Proton. That's a really great list of improvements there overall.

Is there a specific game you're waiting on being compatible? Let me know in the comments!

Also in case you missed it: NVIDIA make it easier to get GeForce NOW on Steam Deck.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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11 comments
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Cool! Now how can we uninstall Proton 8, I've tried uninstalling but always get a error. I know I've done this before for Proton 7. Just don't remember what I did. Any help?
CatKiller May 2
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Quoting: Rui_CastroCool! Now how can we uninstall Proton 8, I've tried uninstalling but always get a error. I know I've done this before for Proton 7. Just don't remember what I did. Any help?
You need to tell the games that are currently using that version of Proton to not use that version of Proton; then you can remove it.
seamoose May 2
Quoting: Rui_CastroCool! Now how can we uninstall Proton 8, I've tried uninstalling but always get a error. I know I've done this before for Proton 7. Just don't remember what I did. Any help?

You probably have at least one installed game that is explicity configured to run under Proton 8 in its properties:

Game -> Properties -> Compatibility -> Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool

By the way, you don't have to uninstall Proton 8 unless you're really short of space in your root/home filesystem.
Pyrate May 2
Quoting: Rui_CastroI've tried uninstalling but always get a error. I know I've done this before for Proton 7. Just don't remember what I did. Any help?

What the others said, and to make fixing this easier, you can use something like ProtonUp-Qt which will show you a nice interface that lists all your installed games and what Proton version they're forced to use, if applicable.
Quoting: Pyrate
Quoting: Rui_CastroI've tried uninstalling but always get a error. I know I've done this before for Proton 7. Just don't remember what I did. Any help?

What the others said, and to make fixing this easier, you can use something like ProtonUp-Qt which will show you a nice interface that lists all your installed games and what Proton version they're forced to use, if applicable.

Thx. I did do this and found no game using Proton 8. I know I did this before. Not sure if it was on the Linux Desktop side. Perhaps I delete manual the files. Just can't remember
mylka May 2
why arent they update vkd3d?
i use 9 since the release and updated vkd3d myself. played some DX12 games (manor lords, 2077, hitman, starfield,...) an it works
Quoting: Rui_CastroCool! Now how can we uninstall Proton 8, I've tried uninstalling but always get a error. I know I've done this before for Proton 7. Just don't remember what I did. Any help?

I believe for a particular Proton to be uninstalled, you need to either:
a) Uninstall games that are using that specific version.
b) Change the Proton versions for those games manually.

After that you should generally be able to uninstall the Proton you don't need.
hatyii May 3
Oh no!

QuoteFixed default scaling for The Last Game on Steam Deck.
djib May 4
I have been waiting for years for Dragon Ball FighterZ to be fully compatible. The game works with Proton-GE, but you cannot play online because of Easy Anti Cheat which really is a bummer. I tried contacting Capcom about it, but it seems like they don’t care.
Quoting: djibI have been waiting for years for Dragon Ball FighterZ to be fully compatible. The game works with Proton-GE, but you cannot play online because of Easy Anti Cheat which really is a bummer. I tried contacting Capcom about it, but it seems like they don’t care.

Have you tried downloading the Proton Easy Anti-cheat through Tools on Steam? I use that for a few games with that feature which allows me to play them.
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