Proton Windows-to-Linux compatibility layer pretends Nvidia is AMD to improve stability

Valve’s Windows-Linux compatibility tool Proton has received a major update, one which is set to greatly increase the support of Windows-only games on the Linux operating system, using Wine to facilitate the process through the Vulkan API. 

As part of update 3.16-4, Valve has forced Nvidia graphics cards to present themselves as AMD hardware, addressing issues which relate to Nvidia’s Windows-only NVAPI, which is causing games to crash or exhibit poor performance when games run on Linux through the Proton compatibility layer. 

This fix should allow games that use the NVAPI on Windows to offer increased stability and performance on Linux, as the NVAPI will not be used in conjunction with AMD graphics hardware. In an odd turn of events, Nvidia’s custom API is has resulted in a poorer gaming experience. That being said, none of the affected games was designed with Linux in mind, and neither was the NVAPI. 

Over time, Proton and Wine will evolve to make gaming on Linux increasingly viable, even for games that lack native support for the OS.