How to install Steam on Linux Mint (step by step)
How to install Steam on Linux Mint 22 from the Software Manager, turn on Proton to run Windows games, set up graphics drivers, and fix common problems.
To install Steam on Linux Mint, open the Software Manager, search for Steam, and click Install, or run sudo apt install steam-installer in a terminal. Then turn on Steam Play in Steam's settings so Proton can run Windows games. The whole process takes about ten minutes.
This guide covers each step on Linux Mint 22.x, including graphics drivers, Proton, the alternative install methods, and fixes for the most common problems.
What you need
- Linux Mint 22 or newer (22.3 "Zena" is the latest release at the time of writing, September 2026). The steps are similar on LMDE.
- A 64-bit PC with an internet connection. Steam needs the 32-bit libraries that Mint's package installs automatically.
- Enough disk space for your games. Modern games often need 50 GB or more each.
- A Steam account, which you can create when Steam first opens.
Check your Mint version in Menu → System Reports or by running cat /etc/linuxmint/info. Support dates for each release are on the Linux Mint versions page.
Step 1: Update your system
Open the Update Manager, click Refresh, then Install Updates, and restart if it asks. In a terminal, the equivalent is sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade. Installing Steam on an up-to-date system avoids most dependency errors.
Step 2: Install graphics drivers
Games depend on your graphics driver more than anything else.
- NVIDIA: open Menu → Administration → Driver Manager, pick the recommended proprietary NVIDIA driver, apply the change, and restart. The open-source nouveau driver that Mint uses by default is not suitable for most games.
- AMD and Intel: the open-source Mesa drivers are already installed and are what Steam uses, so there is nothing to add. Keeping Mint updated brings driver fixes.
Step 3: Install Steam
The easiest way is the Software Manager: open it, search for Steam, and install the entry named Steam. In a terminal, run:
sudo apt install steam-installer
This installs the Steam launcher and its 32-bit dependencies from the Ubuntu 24.04 package base that Linux Mint 22 uses. Other options exist if you prefer them:
- Valve's installer: download the .deb from Steam's website and open it to install. It tracks Valve's launcher directly.
- Flatpak: Flathub offers Steam as com.valvesoftware.Steam. It is sandboxed and handy for game libraries on external drives, but it is community-maintained, not provided by Valve, and sandboxing sometimes gets in the way of controllers or extra drives.
Use only one method, so you do not end up with two Steam installations.
Step 4: First launch and sign in
Open Steam from the menu. On the first start it downloads the rest of the Steam client, which can take a few minutes. Sign in or create an account when the window appears.
Step 5: Turn on Proton for Windows games
Most games on Steam are built for Windows. Valve's Proton compatibility layer runs them on Linux.
Open Steam → Settings → Compatibility and switch on the option to enable Steam Play for all other titles. Restart Steam. Windows games now show an Install button like Linux games. To change the Proton version for a single game, open its Properties → Compatibility and choose one.
Step 6: Check a game before you buy
Proton runs most single-player games well, but not every game works. Two checks save money:
- ProtonDB collects player reports for each game, with ratings from Platinum (works perfectly) to Borked (does not start).
- Anti-cheat: many online games with kernel-level anti-cheat block Linux, even when the rest of the game would run. If a game's online mode matters to you, search for its Linux or Steam Deck status first. GTA 6, for example, is console-only at launch.
Step 7: Store games on a second drive (optional)
If your system drive is small, add a library on another drive. Format the drive as ext4 in the Disks app, set it to mount automatically at startup in its mount options, and create a folder on it. Then open Steam → Settings → Storage, add the drive as a new Steam library folder, and pick it when installing games.
Avoid putting a Steam library on an NTFS drive shared with Windows. Proton relies on Linux file permissions and symbolic links that NTFS does not handle reliably, which is a common cause of games failing to start. Valve's Proton documentation recommends a Linux file system for game libraries.
Troubleshooting
Steam will not start or closes immediately. Update the system and restart. If you installed Steam two ways, remove one. Starting steam from a terminal shows the error message, which helps when searching for a fix.
Games run slowly on an NVIDIA PC. Confirm in Driver Manager that the proprietary driver is active, then restart.
A Windows game shows no Install button. Steam Play is not enabled yet. Repeat step 5 and restart Steam.
A game crashes in Proton. Try another Proton version in the game's Compatibility settings, and check its ProtonDB page for launch options that other players use.
Controller not detected. Most Xbox and PlayStation controllers work over USB. With the Flatpak version, sandbox permissions can block some controllers; the Software Manager version avoids this.
What to do next
Linux Mint works well for gaming, but if gaming is your main use, a distribution built around it may save you setup time. See our best Linux distros for gaming, or compare Linux Mint and Pop!_OS if you have NVIDIA graphics. New to Mint? Start with the Linux Mint profile.
Is Linux Mint good for gaming?
Yes, for most single-player games and many multiplayer ones. With Steam and Proton, a large part of the Steam library runs on Mint. The exceptions are mostly games whose anti-cheat blocks Linux.
Does Linux Mint come with Steam?
No. Steam is not preinstalled, but it is one click away in the Software Manager.
Is Steam on Linux free?
Yes. The Steam client and Proton are free. You pay only for the games you buy, and games you already own on Windows can be installed on Linux without buying them again.
Should I use the Flatpak or the Software Manager version?
For most people, the Software Manager version is the simplest and has the fewest permission issues. Choose the Flatpak if you want a sandboxed install or keep your library on removable storage.