I get your point, but Valve now has Steam on Linux as a maturing product where users are expected to spend money. Having them unclear on whether to use Proton Stable, Proton Experimental, or go down the rabbit hole of adding Proton GE doesn't strike me as a realistic model for the average end user.
Maybe Valve should reach out to GloriousEggroll and offer Proton GE as an official option while those improvements make their way into the mainline release. That way you get the best of both worlds: the flexibility of the fork, without burdening regular users with the decision.
The Linux gaming world doesn't need more fragmentation of options and configurations. The work behind it is undeniable and worth appreciating, Proton GE staying ahead of Proton is commendable, but please, get on the same page with Valve and follow a single development path.
One thing is Linux for servers, where it has no real rival, and another is Linux Desktop, which I’ve been using for more than 20 years. But despite Windows’ reputation, I honestly think that no Linux distribution — whether with KDE, GNOME, or Hyprland — comes close to Windows in terms of stability and cohesion when managing windows, even though Windows still has a lot of room for improvement.
So Windows + WSL for anything you want to develop on Linux seems to me like one of the best solutions. I’d say you get the best of both worlds.
No, I’m not joking. To me, it seems pointless to keep using this tool, as it only serves to complicate the architecture. It might make sense for on-premise data centers, but in the cloud—despite the vendor lock-in, it’s still more cost-effective than adding layer after layer of extra complexity.
Does it really make sense to use Kubernetes in 2026? Especially in the cloud? I think it’s just adding unnecessary layers, increasing operational debt, and complicating the developer experience.
Maybe Valve should reach out to GloriousEggroll and offer Proton GE as an official option while those improvements make their way into the mainline release. That way you get the best of both worlds: the flexibility of the fork, without burdening regular users with the decision.