ProtonDB is the go-to for a lot of people to see how games run on Linux desktop and Steam Deck, and while its rating system is far from perfect it's nice to have. A recent upgrade also makes it a lot nicer to browse.
ProtonDB now has separate tabs for easier browsing of Steam Deck or PC reports. You can also view a combined tab that includes reports from both.
Both categories can be pretty useful, but some game fixes can only be found in the PC section. A lot of the PC report creators are more experienced Linux users and know of fixes that may not show up in the Steam Deck section.
ProtonDB is the go-to for a lot of people to see how games run on Linux desktop and Steam Deck, and while its rating system is far from perfect it's nice to have.
A recent upgrade also makes it a lot nicer to browse.
When the Steam Deck released ProtonDB added dedicated Steam Deck reports to game pages, which ended up making it quite a mess - especially for PC players where every page would have you scroll and scroll until you go to the desktop Linux reports — but no more!
There is now a tabbed submenu above reports on game pages.
In this menu, you can now filter by PC, Steam Deck, or a combined list.
When you select an item in the device submenu, the URL is updated and can be shared to send someone directly to reports corresponding to your selection.
From the very beginning, I have always believed that the design of protondb has been consistently and unequivocally terrible. Despite acknowledging the ingenuity of its idea, I cannot shy away from emphasizing the consistent shortcomings of its design.
Even the owner of the site has admitted he wouldn't use that rating system if he did it all over again. It's terrible. "Gold" is wildly variable. Check out Grand Theft Auto V. Hundreds of people having often game breaking issues, yet it's rated "Gold." Even "Platinum" games frequently require tweaks and experience issues. Whoever is in charge of rating, or whatever the algorithm, is misleadingly optimistic.
wooo! this is gonna make it so much easier to see if games will work on my hardware! I didn't realize it could be a big deal until I tried to start Forza horizon 5 on my PC. that had always worked decently on steam deck so I assumed it'd be fine on my PC too, but apparently Nvidia cards and Forza Really don't play nice together right now