Windows still dominates PC gaming, but it is no longer the whole story.
Players are accessing their libraries across a wider mix of devices and environments, from traditional Windows PCs to Linux-based devices like Steam Deck. Valve reported that Steam Deck generated 330 million hours of Steam playtime in 2024, a 64% increase over the previous year, showing that PC gaming is increasingly extending beyond the traditional Windows desktop.
Proton has played a major role in making that possible by allowing many Windows games to run on Linux without requiring a separate native Linux build.
For publishers, this changes the conversation around protection. Securing games remains essential, but anti-piracy technology must also support the ways legitimate players expect to access them. In a more flexible PC ecosystem, publishers should not have to choose between protecting a game and making it accessible across compatible environments.
Why Proton matters
To understand why this matters for game protection, it helps to look at what Proton actually does.
When a game is built, it is usually compiled for a specific operating system. A Windows build and a native Linux build are not the same thing, because each relies on different operating system functionality. Supporting both can therefore mean additional development, testing, quality assurance and maintenance work.
Proton reduces that complexity by allowing Windows games to run on Linux-based systems and devices, including Steam Deck. It acts as a compatibility layer between the game and the operating system. The game expects Windows functionality, and Proton translates it into something the Linux environment can work with. This allows the existing Windows version to run on Linux-based devices without creating a separate build.
Linux is still far from overtaking Windows, but that is not the point. WithLinux now accounting for around 4% of surveyed Steam systems, compatibility has become a real consideration for studios.
How Denuvo Anti-Piracy works with Proton
The protection is applied to the game’s Windows build. When that build is launched through Proton, it is still the Windows version of the game running through a compatibility layer.
Denuvo Anti-Piracy therefore does not need to treat Proton as a separate native Linux build. If the game and its wider technology stack are Proton-compatible, the protected Windows build can run through Proton on Linux-based systems.
At the same time, compatibility is not determined by Denuvo alone. Whether a game works well on Steam Deck depends on the full game experience: the game itself, Proton compatibility, launcher behavior, middleware, performance and input support. Denuvo’s responsibility is to ensure anti-piracy protection does not become the barrier.
Compatibility keeps evolving
Compatibility is not a one-time checkbox, especially in an environment like Proton, where players may switch between versions to find the best performance or stability for a specific game. In the past, this could create edge cases around activation handling, as different Proton versions could be interpreted differently by the protection system.
Denuvo has since addressed this behavior, helping reduce unnecessary friction for legitimate Linux and Steam Deck players. For publishers, this shows an important aspect of modern protection: the ability to adapt alongside player behavior, compatibility tools and gaming environments.
Protection should follow how people play
For studios, the objective is clear: protect the Windows build while supporting the ways legitimate players choose to access it.
Denuvo Anti-Piracy helps publishers achieve that balance for Proton-compatible titles, bringing protection and compatibility together rather than treating them as competing priorities.
To learn how Denuvo by Irdeto helps studios and publishers protect Windows game builds while supporting Proton-compatible play across Linux-based systems, contact our team and continue the conversation.
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