Proton Compatibility Update: Steam Deck and Linux Testing
Hello everyone,
A new compatibility-focused update has been released for Invaders Evolutions. This release confirms that the Windows build has been tested successfully on Steam Deck and Linux-style setups using Steam Play / Proton.
This is not a major gameplay feature update. Instead, it is a practical compatibility release to give players more confidence about where and how they can play.
Please note: this release does not include a native Linux build. Linux and SteamOS compatibility is currently provided through the Windows version running via Steam Play / Proton. We are not yet eligible for formal Steam Deck certification, so while our testing has been successful, we cannot currently provide that second layer of official assurance.
Highlights
- Steam Deck testing has been completed successfully
- The Windows build has been tested successfully on Linux through Steam Play / Proton
- Video playback and audio have been checked under Proton
- Controller-only play has been checked across the core game flow
- Steam text entry for high scores has been checked through the Steam input overlay
- 1280x800 display and text legibility have been checked
Steam Deck Testing
Invaders Evolutions has now been tested on an actual Steam Deck via Proton and has been reported to run effectively.
The game has been checked for the areas that matter most on handheld play, including controller input, readable text, 1280x800 display behaviour, video playback, audio playback, and general gameplay flow.
Please note that this does not mean Invaders Evolutions has received an official Steam Deck Verified rating from Valve. It means our own testing and player testing have shown the Windows build to run well on Steam Deck hardware through Proton.
Linux and Proton Testing
The Windows build has also been tested successfully on Ubuntu 24.04 using Steam Play / Proton.
During testing, the game launched correctly and the key media systems worked as expected. This included not only gameplay, but music, sound effects, splash videos, and in-game video playback.
This gives us good confidence that players using Linux with Steam Play / Proton should have a solid experience. No native Linux build is currently included.
Controller and Input
Recent testing also focused heavily on controller-only play.
Core menus, gameplay, pause handling, upgrade screens, high score flow, and Steam text input have all been checked with controller support in mind.
The high score name entry flow now uses Steam's controller-friendly text input path when available, making it more suitable for Steam Deck and Big Picture style play.
Display and Readability
The game has been checked at 1280x800, the native Steam Deck display resolution.
Text-heavy screens have also been reviewed for readability, including menus, options, high scores, upgrade screens, how-to-play content, difficulty selection, and end-of-level statistics.
Additional Compatibility Improvements
Alongside the testing work, several small compatibility improvements were made:
- Improved controller-only high score name entry using Steam's gamepad text input overlay where available.
- Updated continue prompts to use controller-friendly wording.
- Updated How To Play control text so it better reflects both keyboard and controller play.
- Improved logo splash positioning at different display sizes.
Compatibility Notes
This update is focused on compatibility confidence rather than large gameplay changes.
The current testing indicates that Invaders Evolutions should run well on:
- Windows
- Linux through Steam Play / Proton, using the Windows build
- Steam Deck through Proton
As always, if you encounter any issues on your own setup, please let us know through the Steam community page so we can investigate.
Thank you for playing, and thank you to everyone who helped test the game across different systems.
Upcoming Roadmap
- 1.0.3:
- Player Upgrade Expansion
- Language Expansion Release: Russian, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, and Traditional Chinese
