Hey there!
I’m a solo dev working on a sci-fi grand strategy game (I didn’t manage to find if self-promo is allowed so I’ll keep the name for myself).
I was updating my planning and started to think: since my game will be published on Steam, it will be playable on Linux using Compatibility Mode even if I don’t specifically target Linux itself. I myself play on an Ubuntu and this allows me to play almost every Windows game (old ones are more capricious, but recent ones are ok).
So I’m wondering, is there really an advantage to have native Linux support nowadays? As a solo dev, the thing I lack the most is time. The days/weeks/months it would take me to add it and fix all the probable bugs it entails could be used to improve the game itself or add features instead for example.
On a more general note, what do you other Linux players expect from a Linux game?
I prefer a working Proton build over a untested broken native build. If you can’t afford the time to test the Linux builds, go ahead and just rely on Proton.
Testing on Steam Deck so it can be verified probably does make sense from a marketing standpoint though. Mostly checking that controls work, graphic settings are not too demanding by default and font scaling works properly.
I think it’s what I’ll do indeed. And for the Steam Deck I intend to make the game fully compatible with it as I’ve read a lot of time how it enabled people with otherwise few opportunities to play to get a bit of “me time”. Being a dad I empathize a lot with that struggle haha