A month following its debut, Cronos: The New Dawn has made a significant leap by introducing a native Linux build. The development team at Bloober Team shared this exciting update in a recent post on Steam, stating, “Today, we’ve released a native build of the game for Steam’s handheld console, which means even better performance on this platform. Enjoy Cronos on Steam, wherever you are!”
Enhanced Performance for Linux Users
Initially, Cronos: The New Dawn was already recognized as Deck Verified at its launch, but this new native build eliminates the need for Linux players to rely on a compatibility layer. The growing trend of games receiving native Linux support is largely attributed to the rising popularity of the Steam Deck. Notable titles like Hollow Knight: Silksong launched with native Linux support last month, while a dedicated engineer at Larian Studios successfully delivered a native version of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Currently, there are over 42,000 games available on Steam with Linux support, and more than 9,000 games have achieved Deck Verified status. Impressively, six out of the top ten games on Steam’s U.S. Top Sellers list—excluding the Steam Deck itself—are either “Playable” or “Verified” on the Steam Deck. While only two of these titles boast native Linux support, this is still a step forward for the platform.
According to the latest Steam Hardware Survey, Linux usage has risen to 2.68%, up from 1.92% in September 2024. Although this figure represents a small fraction of Steam users, the upward trend in Linux adoption has not gone unnoticed by developers like Bloober Team.
However, challenges remain. Certain games, particularly those requiring kernel-level anti-cheat systems, continue to pose significant hurdles for SteamOS and Linux. Titles such as Fortnite and Valorant are unable to run on Linux, even with compatibility layers. There are exceptions, including Halo Infinite and Smite, but competitive online multiplayer games generally struggle to find a home on Linux platforms. This limitation may deter many players from considering a switch to SteamOS or any other Linux distribution.
In this context, a 2.68% share of Steam players using Linux is commendable. Regardless of the operating system preference, it’s encouraging to witness games like Cronos: The New Dawn becoming accessible across multiple platforms, even if the reception has been mixed, as noted in PC Gamer’s review, which rated the game at 58%.
