ProtonPlus: Install and manage Linux game tools

Playing Windows games on Linux through Steam or Lutris involves a compatibility tool, such as a Proton release, that you can choose for each game. ProtonPlus is an app that downloads those tools from their projects and puts them where your launcher expects them.

I’ll walk you through installing ProtonPlus from Flathub and assigning a tool to a Steam game.

The short answer

ProtonPlus installs and manages Windows-game compatibility tools for supported Linux launchers. The project recommends its Flathub package, and the read-only check below confirms the current package ID and architecture before you install it.

• Install ProtonPlus from its Flathub listing.
• Choose a detected launcher, install a compatible tool, then assign it to the intended game.

What is ProtonPlus?

ProtonPlus is a compatibility-tool manager for Linux games. It downloads releases from their upstream projects and places them where supported launchers expect them. It detects Steam and several other Linux game launchers.

Proton-GE is one community Proton release. Wine builds and graphics compatibility tools are also in the catalog, with availability depending on the launcher. Boxtron is a Steam tool for DOSBox games, not a general Proton replacement.

If you need the emulator itself, see how to install DOSBox-X on Linux.

What to check before installing ProtonPlus

ProtonPlus is distributed on Flathub, so Flatpak and its Flathub remote must be available. The LinuxForDevices guide to setting up Flatpak and Flathub on Linux covers that prerequisite.

I ran the Flatpak version check, and it returned version 1.14.6. That confirms the command-line tool is available, not that ProtonPlus is installed.

flatpak --version

It returned:

Flatpak 1.14.6

Install the launcher you plan to manage and open it once so it creates its application data. For Flatpak launchers, use ProtonPlus’s official Flatpak package, which requests access to supported launcher data directories.

Steam libraries in custom locations must also be visible to ProtonPlus. These checks matter because the app lists detected launchers rather than every launcher that could exist on the system.

ProtonPlus filters releases by CPU architecture and supported instruction-set variants. I ran the read-only Flathub metadata query recorded below, and it returned an aarch64 stable package at version 0.6.8. That confirms the listing, not a completed installation.

Install and use ProtonPlus with Steam

Use Flathub for the app, then select the launcher and tool inside ProtonPlus. The steps keep package availability separate from assigning a compatibility tool to a game.

Step 1: Check the Flathub package

This read-only Flatpak command displays the ProtonPlus listing without installing it. Run it when you want to confirm the application ID and the package build Flathub offers for your system.

flatpak remote-info flathub com.vysp3r.ProtonPlus | grep -E '^[[:space:]]+(ID|Ref|Arch|Branch|Version|License):'

The command returned this package metadata:

ID: com.vysp3r.ProtonPlus
       Ref: app/com.vysp3r.ProtonPlus/aarch64/stable
      Arch: aarch64
    Branch: stable
   Version: 0.6.8
   License: GPL-3.0-or-later

The aarch64 entry is the architecture reported by this package query. Check the result on your system rather than assuming every machine receives the same build.

Step 2: Install ProtonPlus from Flathub

Open the ProtonPlus Flathub listing and select Install. Flathub opens the app in your software manager.

If nothing happens because your system does not handle flatpak+https links, download the .flatpakref file from Flathub. Open it in your file manager. The project recommends this package over community-maintained distro builds, whose versions and packaging defaults can differ.

Step 3: Select the launcher and tool

Launch ProtonPlus and choose a detected launcher from its launcher selector. Open the Tools view and choose a category.

Select a tool, then choose one of its available releases. ProtonPlus lists only installed and detectable launchers, and the release choices vary by launcher and installation type.

Step 4: Assign a tool to a Steam game

For Steam, open the Games view and select the relevant profile or game. Choose its compatibility tool and save the change.

ProtonPlus can also edit launch options or apply supported changes to a group of games. Steam may need to restart after a tool or configuration change.

The Steam installation guide for Linux covers the launcher prerequisite. For Steam controller setup, see the article on using an Xbox controller with Steam on Linux.

When ProtonPlus cannot find a launcher or release

A missing launcher usually points to visibility or setup, while a missing release can come from an upstream request or a compatibility filter. Check the case that matches what the app shows.

1. Launcher absent: confirm it is installed and has been opened once, then refresh ProtonPlus. For a Flatpak launcher, confirm its app data exists and that ProtonPlus came from the official Flatpak package.
2. Custom Steam library absent: make sure the ProtonPlus installation can access that library location.
3. Release list fails to load: check the network connection and any configured proxy. The project documents optional GitHub or GitLab API tokens for API-limit or authenticated-access cases.
4. Update or removal is blocked: close games using that compatibility tool, then retry. ProtonPlus prevents some changes while a game is using the tool.

If a release still does not appear, check the selected launcher and architecture before choosing another build. The provider may also be temporarily unavailable. A tool manager cannot make a game compatible when the game or its anti-cheat system blocks Linux.

Choose the manager that fits your desktop

ProtonPlus and ProtonUp-Qt both manage compatibility tools, so desktop fit and the controls you want matter more than a claim that one has every feature. ProtonPlus uses GTK4 and libadwaita, while ProtonUp-Qt uses Qt.

ProtonPlus offers Adwaita, Breeze, SteamOS, and OLED themes, but the underlying GTK interface may still feel different from a Qt desktop. The LinuxForDevices guide to ProtonUp-Qt gives you a separate starting point for comparing the tools.

Common errors with ProtonPlus

When ProtonPlus cannot find a launcher or load a release, check the installation type, launcher data access, and network path before changing tools.

• Confirm the launcher is installed and has been opened once.
• Check that a custom Steam library is visible to ProtonPlus.
• Check your network and proxy if releases do not load.

The official ProtonPlus documentation lists supported launchers, tools, and troubleshooting guidance.

Conclusion

Install a compatibility build only when a game or launcher calls for it, then assign that build to the intended Steam game. ProtonPlus keeps the install and assignment steps in one manager, and these resources cover the prerequisites and alternative workflow.

• Set up Flatpak and Flathub before installing.
• Compare ProtonUp-Qt if you prefer a Qt interface.

Once a game launches with the selected build, leave its setting in place. Change it only when the game’s behavior gives you a reason to test another tool.

Frequently asked questions

These answers cover topics documented by the ProtonPlus project.