Can I play Windows (Steam) games on Ubuntu?

I am downloading Ubuntu and I really want to play Windows games from Steam but I don't want it to replace my OS.

Solution 1:

You can install Ubuntu along side Windows and boot into either one when you turn on your computer. But that is beside the point. (You will probably NOT want to replace Windows if this is your first time installing Ubuntu.). Just select 'Install Ubuntu alongside Windows X' in the installer.

You can run Windows steam games on Linux through WINE. Though it will be a huge amount easier just running Linux Steam games on Ubuntu, it IS possible to run some of the windows games (though it may be slower). I think there are instructions here: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Steam_under_Linux#Step_2:_installing_steam.

Basically you want to run this in a terminal (for Ubuntu 18.04+):

sudo apt-get install wine winetricks
winetricks steam

Note that for Ubuntu 16.04 and earlier, winetricks is a dependency of wine. You can do do this instead, and it'll be equivalent:

sudo apt-get install wine
winetricks steam

Solution 2:

You should take a look at PlayOnLinux. You can install steam on it and play your games just like you would in Windows.

_{(source: ubuntu.com)}

In the PlayOnLinux window that pops up click the “+ Install” button. In the popup window that appears, search for: Steam. Select "Steam" from the list and click the "Install" button.