Cronos: the New Dawn Now Runs Natively on Steam Deck, Boosting Linux Gaming
Seattle, WA - November 2, 2023 – Cronos: The New Dawn, the latest title from Bloober Team, is now playable on Steam Deck with a native Linux version, eliminating the need for the Proton compatibility layer. Steam announced the release, stating, “Today we released the native version of the game for Steam handheld, which is even better on this platform. Enjoy Cronos on Steam, wherever you are!”
The move highlights a growing trend of developers adding native Linux support to their games, largely driven by the popularity of the Steam Deck. Cronos: The New Dawn was already ”Deck Verified” at launch, but this update provides a smoother experience for Linux users. Other recent examples include native linux support added to Hollow Knight: Silksong last month, and a version implemented by an engineer at Larian Studios for baldur’s Gate 3.
Cronos: The New Dawn joins a catalog of over 42,000 games on Steam with Linux support, with more than 9,000 titles currently “Deck Verified.” Currently, six of the top ten best-selling games on the Steam US charts (excluding Steam Deck sales) are either playable or verified on Steam Deck, with two offering native Linux support.
According to the September 2023 Steam Hardware Survey, Linux usage among Steam users has risen to 2.68%, up from 1.92% in September 2022.While still a relatively small percentage, this growth is being noticed by developers like Bloober Team. Challenges remain, particularly with kernel-level anti-cheat systems preventing some games-like Fortnite and Valorant-from running on Linux, even with compatibility layers. Titles like Halo infinite and Smite remain unsupported. this lack of support discourages some players from adopting SteamOS or other Linux distributions.
Despite these hurdles, the 2.68% share represents a meaningful increase for Linux within the Steam ecosystem, underscoring the benefits of broader platform compatibility for game developers and players alike.
Sources: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/enjoy-cronos-on-steam-wherever-you-are-bloober-team-announces-native-linux-build-for-cronos-the-new-dawn/, https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2101960/view/498333631688737999?l=english, https://store.steampowered.com/charts/topselling/US, https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-Welcome-to-Steam
