Feb 01, 2026 16:00:00

Linux game developers form 'Open Gaming Collective' to work together to improve the entire gaming ecosystem

With reports that the share of Linux desktops in the US

exceeded 5% in July 2025, and improvements to Proton , a compatibility layer that allows Steam games to be played on Linux , approximately 80% of PC games sold on Steam are now Linux compatible , the number of people playing PC games on Linux is increasing. To further advance the Linux gaming environment, several Linux game developers have formed the Open Gaming Collective (OGC) , a group aiming to improve the Linux gaming ecosystem.

Open Gaming Collective | The Future of Linux Gaming
https://opengamingcollective.org/

Linux gaming developers join forces to form the Open Gaming Collective | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/tech/870159/linux-gaming-open-gaming-collective-bazzite

According to Steam's Hardware & Software Survey, the number of Linux users will surpass macOS users for the first time in 2023, and then by May 2024, Linux users will account for more than 2% of all Steam users. By October 2025, Linux's share will finally exceed 3%. In the October 2025 data, the breakdown of Linux usage was 27.18%.

Linux gamers on Steam finally surpass 3% - GIGAZINE

The increase in Steam users on Linux is due to technological advancements such as the Proton compatibility layer. However, it has also been pointed out that Linux has become fragmented, with many development teams each working independently to improve the system, requiring different approaches to address the same issues.

So, OGC was formed as a group to collaborate on improving the Linux gaming ecosystem, with the goal of centralizing efforts around key components such as sharing game-optimized kernel patches, unifying tooling around input devices, and essential gaming packages like GameScope.

Founding members of OGC include Universal Blue , developer of the gaming-focused Linux distribution Bazzite , as well as ASUS Linux , which focuses on Linux for ASUS hardware, ShadowBlip , which works to improve the Linux gaming experience on portable and console PCs, PikaOS , a Linux distribution specializing in gaming and optimization, and Fyra Labs , a community that verifies, improves, and broadens access to open source software. Each of these teams has made their own unique efforts to make gaming easier on Linux, and by joining forces, they aim to feed their improvements back into the project.

While the wide range of distributions to choose from is one of the biggest benefits of using Linux, collaboration on key gaming components will hopefully improve the overall gaming experience, strengthen hardware compatibility, and reduce duplication of work, resulting in a more unified experience. 'A win for one project is a win for all,' Universal Blue said. 'We believe the future of Linux gaming is collaboration based on mutual interest and friendship, and we want to do our part to make that happen.'

More information about the OGC project can also be found on GitHub.

Open Gaming Collective (OGC) · GitHub
https://github.com/OpenGamingCollective