Games run faster on SteamOS than Windows 11, Ars testing finds

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Proton/Wine: “Translation layer” vs. “Implementation”

  • Debate over whether Proton/Wine is best described as a translation layer, compatibility layer, or a full implementation of Windows APIs.
  • Some emphasize it reimplements Win32/NT APIs and even NT syscalls; others say “translation” is fair because it adapts Windows ABIs to Linux and often forwards to libc/syscalls.
  • Legal/marketing considerations likely drive Wine’s “compatibility layer” branding, but functionally it behaves like an alternative Win32 implementation on top of Linux.

Benchmark Methodology and Game Selection

  • Several comments question Ars’ game choices (e.g., Borderlands 3, Homeworld 3) as arbitrary or “cherry-picked,” suggesting top-played titles would look different.
  • Others defend the selection because those games have built‑in, repeatable benchmarks and stress useful subsystems.
  • Some worry that Proton might be faster partly because certain rendering features/effects aren’t implemented or differ, and call for visual‑fidelity parity checks, not just FPS.

Handheld Context, Drivers, and Windows Tuning

  • Many note this is really a test of OS + driver stacks on a low‑power handheld APU, not “all PCs.”
  • Windows results may be hurt by OEM driver staleness; on identical hardware SteamOS often wins on both FPS and battery life.
  • There’s discussion of Microsoft’s in‑progress “gaming handheld” Windows variant and gamepad‑centric shell that disables desktop services and could reclaim ~2 GB RAM.

Real‑World Performance Experiences

  • Multiple users report Proton on Linux (especially Wayland) outperforming or matching native Windows in both average FPS and frame‑time consistency.
  • Others, especially on laptops or Nvidia GPUs, still see better raw FPS on Windows, though Linux often feels “smoother.”
  • Some Linux ports underperform compared to running the Windows build via Proton, due to lower-effort third‑party ports.

Windows Bloat, Storage, and Kernel Performance

  • Strong sentiment that Windows 11’s background services, Defender, and filesystem filters impose significant overhead; some report compilers and tools running faster in Linux VMs than on bare Windows.
  • Dev Drive/ReFS and Defender exclusions can improve performance, but opinions differ on how much versus simply removing filters.
  • LTSC and debloated builds are praised, but dismissed by others as non‑representative of what most gamers will actually run.

Target Platform: SteamOS vs Windows

  • One view: developers should treat SteamOS/Proton as the primary performance target, since it can now outperform Windows, and then validate on Windows.
  • Counterargument: Windows remains the “source of truth” for Win32 semantics; Proton must conform to Windows, not vice versa. Optimizing for Proton quirks risks future breakage.
  • Consensus: still test on both, and at minimum ensure good Steam Deck/Proton support, but Win32 remains the only truly stable ABI for now.

GPU Features, HDR, VR, and Nvidia

  • Linux gaming works very well with AMD GPUs; Nvidia support exists but is described as feature-lagging (HDR glitches, DLSS 3 gaps, spotty Wayland support).
  • HDR now works on Steam Deck and is emerging in GNOME/KDE, but desktop HDR gaming on Linux is still rougher than on Windows.
  • VR on Linux (e.g., SteamVR, ALVR) is possible but often described as “works with effort, not polished.”
  • Several emphasize that many “Linux doesn’t support X” issues are really vendor choices (e.g., Nvidia drivers, Netflix 4K DRM policies), not technical barriers.

Anti‑Cheat, Online Games, and Ecosystem Gaps

  • Major remaining blocker: kernel‑level anti‑cheat and publisher policies (e.g., some titles with BattlEye/EAC disabled for Proton) still lock out a chunk of competitive online games.
  • Some argue anti‑cheat should move toward server‑side checks and limited client data; others counter that latency and prediction requirements make this hard.
  • Peripheral and ancillary app support (VR gear, flight sticks, Discord, head tracking, proprietary installers) is cited as another friction point for a full Windows‑free setup.

Game Compatibility (Old, Indie, and General)

  • Modern Steam titles mostly work well via Proton; some even run more stably (e.g., specific Bethesda/Obsidian titles) than on Windows.
  • Older Windows games (pre‑DX9/XP era) remain hit‑or‑miss on both Linux and modern Windows; users mention using XP-era hardware, DOSBox/86Box, or specialized compatibility projects.
  • Questions remain whether “every indie just works”; consensus is that coverage is high but not universal, and individual corner cases still require tweaking.

Broader Takeaways

  • Many see this as evidence that the long‑standing “Windows is the only real gaming OS” assumption is crumbling, largely due to Valve’s investment in Proton, DXVK, and open AMD drivers.
  • Others caution that Ars’ single‑device results don’t prove SteamOS is universally faster, but do underscore how far Linux gaming has come and how much Windows’ general‑purpose overhead now costs on constrained hardware.