You might have heard that Linux is a poor choice for operating system when it comes to gaming. Once that might have been true, but these days that's definitely not the case. You can enjoy your favorite games on Arch Linux by installing the official Steam client.

Downloading Steam on Arch can seem tough to some users as the Steam package is not available in the official Arch repository. But, you can still install Steam on Arch by using third-party sources. We'll talk about downloading Steam on Arch, along with fixing some common issues that may occur during or after the installation.

Installing Steam on Arch Linux

Although there are many free Linux games available online, playing Steam games on a Linux system is still a dream come true for many. In addition to playing Linux games, you can also enjoy Windows games on your Arch machine with Steam Play.

Here's how you can download and install the official Steam client on Arch Linux.

Using Pacman

Since Steam is not available in the official Arch repository, you can't download it directly using Pacman without some reconfiguration.

  1. Launch your terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
  2. Open up the Pacman configuration file located at /etc/.
            sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf
        
  3. Search for the following line.
            #[multilib]
    #Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
  4. Uncomment both of these lines by removing the # character from the beginning.
            [multilib]
    Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
  5. Save the file with Ctrl + O.
  6. Enter the following command in your terminal to update your system's package lists.
            sudo pacman -Syu
        
  7. Install Steam with:
            sudo pacman -S steam
        
  8. Pacman will start downloading all the necessary dependencies along with the official Steam package.
  9. You can reboot your system after the installation by entering the following command.
            reboot
        

Related: How to Install Android Apps and Games on Linux

Using Flatpak

Steam client is also available on the Flatpak repository. Flatpak doesn't come preconfigured on Arch-based distributions so you will have to install it manually. Here's how you can do it.

  1. Open up your terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.
  2. Update your system's package list by typing in the command.
            sudo pacman -Syu
        
  3. Enter the below-given command to download and install Flatpak on your system.
            sudo pacman -S flatpak
        
  4. Now, configure Flatpak by adding the Flathub repository to your system.
            sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
        

You can now easily download Steam using Flatpak. To do it, enter the following command in your terminal.

        sudo flatpak install com.valvesoftware.Steam
    

After you have installed Steam on Arch, make sure to configure Steam Play on your Linux system. Doing this will allow you to run any Windows game on Linux with ease.

Common Issues with Steam on Arch Linux

On the official ArchWiki for Steam, it is clearly mentioned that "Steam for Linux only supports Ubuntu LTS". Therefore, Valve is not responsible for fixing issues and bugs associated with Steam on Arch. This in turn has lead to unstable development of the package with a lot of problems.

No Font Problem

One such issue with Steam on Arch is the no font or broken font issue. The characters in navigation menus look something like this. Notice that the menu fonts aren't visible clearly.

broken font in steam

This happens because the font pack that Steam uses in its software is not present in Arch Linux by default. To fix this, download and add the font manually:

  1. Open your terminal with Ctrl + Alt + T.
  2. Create and enter the "/.fonts" directory.
            sudo mkdir ~/.fonts/ && cd ~/.fonts/
        
  3. Download the Steam fonts into the folder you've just created.
            wget https://support.steampowered.com/downloads/1974-YFKL-4947/SteamFonts.zip
        
  4. Unzip the fonts in the directory using the "unzip" command.
            unzip SteamFonts.zip && rm SteamFonts.zip
        

If you do not have the "unzip" package on your system, download it in pacman with

        sudo pacman -S unzip
    

Now that the official Steam Client is installed on your Arch-based system, it is time to play some games. Here are some of the best games that you can play on Arch Linux using Steam.

1. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

There's probably no one who hasn't heard of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It is one of the most popular games in the world that has its influence in the e-sports industry. CSGO is a multiplayer first-person shooter game developed by Valve.

Players can join together to create teams that further participate in various challenges such as Deathmatch, Bomb Defusal, Arms Race, Danger Zone, etc. With 9 terrific maps to choose from, you won't get bored of this game anytime soon.

2. Dota 2

Dota 2 is another multiplayer online battle arena game developed by Valve Corporation. The game is played between two teams, each containing five players that control a primary character called "The Hero". Both teams defend their base located on two opposite edges on the common map. The first team to destroy the enemies' base wins the game.

3. Rocket League

Do you know what's even better than playing soccer with legs? Playing it with cars. Rocket League is the perfect game for fans of racing and sports games. Choose your favorite car from the garage, customize it, and hit the giant ball around the field to score goals.

4. Portal 2

Portal 2 is no doubt one of the best games ever developed for computers. The player takes control of a character handling a Portal gun. Instead of bullets, the gun fires portals that connect together two distant surfaces.

Players have to solve puzzles using the futuristic gun provided to them. Portal 2 also has a co-op mode that can be played with a friend locally or over the internet.

Playing Steam Games on Arch-based Distributions

Millions of users around the globe use Steam for playing games on their computers. But for Arch users without Steam, the game catalogue is significantly reduced to a great extent. But, you can easily install the official Steam client on Arch Linux using Pacman or Flatpak.

Playing games is the best way to bind your time while having some fun. Despite what the internet says, Linux users aren't really deprived of the fun when it comes to gaming.