Valve is updating Proton to version 7.0, improving compatibility with Steam Deck games.
Why is it important: Valve has released a significant update to the Steam Deck Compatibility Layer for Windows games. Proton 7.0 adds compatibility with more games, support for Easy Anti-Cheat (used by Fortnite, Apex Legends, Rocket Arena and many more), and fixes issues found in some games.
The latest Windows-Linux Proton Compatibility Level update brings it to version 7.0. The new features and compatibility improvements it brings to Valve’s SteamOS arrive less than two weeks before the official launch of Steam Deck. Wine 7.0 and DXVK 1.9.4 are also part of the patch.
New games that can be played through Proton include Anno 1404, Forza Horizon 5, Monster Hunter Rise, Disgaea 4 Complete+, Persona 4 Golden, Oceanhorn, Resident Evil 0, Wargroove, Yakuza 4 Remastered and more. The update also fixes voice chat in Sea of Thieves; improves sound in Skyrim, Fallout 4 and Mass Effect; and adds controller support for games launched through the EA Origin client.
Proton 7.0 is now available! Highlights include a playable Persona 4 Golden, audio fixes for Skyrim and Fallout games, support for local H264 decoding, and a foundation for legacy EAC support. SW: Squadrons and Knockout City are currently playable with EAC, with more coming soon!
— Pierre-Loup Griffet (@Plagman2) February 16, 2022
Other improvements include support for local H.264 video decoding and Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) for games with Linux modules. Concerns about EAC support in the sheer number of Linux kernels are the main reason why Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney says Fortnite will not support Steam Deck.
Wine 7.0 which was rolled out last month includes improvements to how it handles DirectX, Vulkan, Windows-on-Windows 64-bit, and more.
