Can't launch Steam games for Windows that are known to work

[Hew-ux]

Issue: Initially I though this was just an incompatibility issue, I've never been able to launch certain Windows-only games on Steam using any version of Proton. However I found another user reporting that those games work fine: https://forum.batocera.org/d/7339-solved-steam-proton-not-working/9 so now I am reporting this issue.

Expected behaviour: To be able to launch the games, like other users are reporting.

Logs: stderr.txt (the game in this particular instance I attempted to launch was Sonic CD):

killall: evmapy: no process killed
2022-03-04 16:00:04,162 ERROR (emulatorlauncher.py:574):runCommand INFO:root:https://github.com/flathub/com.valvesoftware.Steam/wiki
INFO:root:Will set XDG dirs prefix to /userdata/saves/flatpak/data/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam
DEBUG:root:Checking input devices permissions
WARNING:root:Missing permissions for input devices
INFO:root:Overriding TZ to Australia/Melbourne
steam.sh[2]: Running Steam on org.freedesktop.platform 21.08.11 64-bit
steam.sh[2]: STEAM_RUNTIME is enabled automatically
setup.sh[76]: Steam runtime environment up-to-date!
steam.sh[2]: Steam client's requirements are satisfied
max open descriptors set to 4096

--- Logging error ---
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/logging/__init__.py", line 1087, in emit
    self.flush()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/logging/__init__.py", line 1067, in flush
    self.stream.flush()
BrokenPipeError: [Errno 32] Broken pipe
Call stack:
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/configgen/emulatorlauncher.py", line 623, in <module>
    exitcode = main(args, maxnbplayers)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/configgen/emulatorlauncher.py", line 210, in main
    return start_rom(args, maxnbplayers, args.rom, args.rom)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/configgen/emulatorlauncher.py", line 370, in start_rom
    videoMode.changeMouse(False)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/configgen/utils/videoMode.py", line 49, in changeMouse
    eslog.debug("changeMouseMode({})".format(mode))
Message: 'changeMouseMode(False)'
Arguments: ()
--- Logging error ---
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/logging/__init__.py", line 1087, in emit
    self.flush()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/logging/__init__.py", line 1067, in flush
    self.stream.flush()
BrokenPipeError: [Errno 32] Broken pipe
Call stack:
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/configgen/emulatorlauncher.py", line 627, in <module>
    eslog.debug("Exiting configgen with status {}".format(str(exitcode)))
Message: 'Exiting configgen with status 0'
Arguments: ()
Exception ignored in: <_io.TextIOWrapper name='<stdout>' mode='w' encoding='utf-8'>
BrokenPipeError: [Errno 32] Broken pipe

And the standard output file (too long to embed here): es_launch_stdout.log

Additional info: Ordinary flatpaks and Linux-native Steam games are running fine.

[AjdinoX]

Hell, I can't even launch natively supported Linux games like Left4Dead, everything insta-crashes back to the Big Picture Mode menu,

[maioni]

Are you using V33 Stable or a Beta V34 version? Cause my Steam Games on V33 using Nvidia Drivers (with Vulkan) are woking fine! Some games you will need to follow some tinkers to make it works, like put a missing DLL or config .XML file into game's folder, or setting a launch parameter, or selecting the proper proton version. Check https://www.protondb.com/ for more details

Right now, V33 cant load games with proton 7, but will be into V34.

Before everything:

• Use flatpakconfig to install Steam and Proton Comuunity versions
• After install, run via terminal: sudo batocera-flatpak-update
• After install steam games, run via terminal: sudo batocera-steam-update
• Make sure the string "updating files permissions is displayed" this indicates everything is fine

Tips:

• At flatpak config app, download the proton community versions available.
• Some native linux games will not works or not detects gamepads, prefer to use the proton version.
• Some proton versions cant recognize the gamepad, switch to another one.
• 99% games I tested are working, those 1% didnt recognized the gamepad in the proton version compatible.

Setting tips:

• I prefer to open steam regular version, and press the HOTKEY to open BIG PICTURE MODE, cause it easier to setup and find things on regular version than big picture version.
• I advise to setup steam for low performance devices (you can find that on settings)
• at settings > library: limited internet (+ disble community content), and low permormance

Last one, if you dont know how to setup proton games, at settings:

• account: Steam BETA update;
• command > select your gamepad (playstation, xbox, switch, steam, ...);
• download shaders: pre-loading, and proccess async
• steam play: active for compatible only
• reboot steam
• for each game, just launch it, if it dont works try the community protons first, at last find the correct config with protondb website: https://www.protondb.com/

Right now, 148 games installed and running in my Batocera V33 Stable

[Hew-ux]

Right, that seems to have done it. I've done the following:

• Upgraded to v34 and ran flatpak update.
• Downloaded Proton GE 7 Community Build.
• Navigate to /userdata/saves/flatpak/data/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/data/Steam/steamapps/common/SONIC CD/ and place the d3dcompiler_43.dll and d3dx9_43.dll files from the appropriate CAB files in userdata/saves/flatpak/data/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/data/Steam/steamapps/common/SONIC CD/directx folder.
• Launch Steam, go into Sonic CD's "Manage game" properties and make it use the aforementioned Proton GE 7.
• Wait a few minutes after launching, then the game eventually started.

If this is the same for all games, then there should be a way to automate this to fix the issue.

[n2qz]

@Hew-ux any value in keeping this ticket open?