Valve has given its PC handheld Proton 7.0 an important update that makes many multiplayer titles playable.
Recently, more and more reports have been making the rounds on the net that multiplayer games such as Lost Ark or the eagerly awaited action cracker Elden Ring would not be playable or would only be playable a very long time after the launch of the Steam Deck. This is because both titles rely on the Easy Anti-Cheat software to protect them from cheaters.
Unclear about multiplayer support
On the one hand, the discussion was triggered by statements from Tim Sweeney, the head of Epic Games (via The Verge). The company has developed Easy Anti-Cheat and accordingly implemented it in some of its top games – including Fortnite. According to Sweeney, the co-op survival shooter will not be made fit for the Steam deck.
Valve brings Proton 7.0
But that could soon change rapidly. Because Valve has extended the Proton compatibility layer with some important functions – you can find the complete patch notes on Github. Proton is the basis for games with DirectX support, which actually only run on Windows, to be launched on the Linux operating system. The Steam Deck in turn relies on Valve’s own Linux distribution Steam OS 3.0, which in turn is based on Arch Linux.
With the new Proton version 7.0, support for Easy Anti-Cheat is now coming sooner than many potential customers feared. This means Lost Ark and Elden Ring could be playable as early as the launch of the PC handheld on 25 February.
However, that could be capitalised here for the time being. Basically, Easy Anti-Cheat finally works on Linux and thus also on the Steam Deck, but the developers have to build a corresponding Linux module into their games. Whether and when this will happen is still written in the stars. Nevertheless, there are very good reasons for using the Steam Deck.
But it is quite conceivable that Valve will throw its weight around here. Titles like Lost Ark could become so-called system sellers for the Steam Deck. But no matter what happens in the end, Proton 7.0 is an important milestone for both Valve’s PC handheld and the Linux community.
