Proton may not be perfect but it works for the vast majority of games at this point. And most mod managers can also run through Lutris, curious to hear which ones you've tried that didn't work
In my experience, 90% of games work on Linux just by using proton. I've even had some of my GoG games that just absolutely did not work on modern Windows just straight up be "install and click play" on Linux via just Wine or by using Proton. The 10% that don't are multiplayer games with heavy anticheats--which, unfortuenatly are what a lot of people play. Some of them already work (Apex, Dead by Daylight, Halo) some are getting worked on (Genshin--tho there IS a way to play it on Linux, at the risk of a ban, a buncha easy-anticheat games like Hunt: Showdown, etc) and some have just plain said a Linux version is out of the cards (Fortnite, Destiny 2 AFAIK).
Modding games also works fine on Linux, but there's a bit of a catch: it's not as simple as installing MO2 and Vortex (you CAN install both via Lutris or Steamtinker, but I've personally never gotten either to work like that so i can't say how well it does or doesn't), you kinda have to play around and see what works. I was able to mod Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout New Vegas, and Morrowind exactly as i do on Windows (the former three using Rockerbacon's Mod Organizer 2 script, the last one manually), Fallout 4 manually (haven't tried the script since i don't really play FO4, tho I'm sure it works), Pathfinder WOTR via using it's mod manager in Proton, using Steam Workshop if a game supports it, and using Mod Managers for Linux when they're available, like Baldur's Gate 3's LAMP. Yeah, it's a hassle depending on the game. For me, it's fine because I accepted long ago that there would be some annoyances to Linux, and as long as there isn't any native mod managers built specifically for Linux and we're stuck jury rigging mod managers made for Windows, modding will be one of those annoyances. But my tolerance is not everyone's tolerance and I completely understand if people are put off by this and just stick to Windows for modded games.
Oh, I'm not disputing that a large chunk of gamers play games that aren't playable on Linux yet (tho i disagree with the claim that the majority of PC gamers play those). I've always said "it depends on what you like to play" when it comes to gaming on Linux and I'll stand by that until/if that stops being the case. My first point still stands tho:
The unplayable ones are a drop in the bucket. That's a straight up fact. And some, if not most of the unplayables are getting patched to work on Linux sooner or later (save for Fortnite. Why do I pick on that one specifically? 1) I personally dislike it and Epic, but more importantly, 2) Epic's CEO straight up shot the idea of Linux compatability down....even tho there's nothing really stopping them from enabling Easy Anticheat on their side and making it work vs say, making something like Battle Eye Anticheat play nice with Linux).
If you look at the steam charts, the big FPS games pretty much dominate. I’d argue that does mean the majority are playing at least 1 of the incompatible games at least somewhat casually or with friends.
Most of the unplayables aren’t going to be Linux compatible. Most have come out and explicitly said so. If it hasn’t enabled Linux support by now, I’d expect it to never come.
EAC being enabled for Linux brings the security of the whole system down, which is why there’s resistance to it. You’re not able to cover nearly as much, so cheaters have exponentially more attack surface for a very minimal gain of players.
Strange, last I checked most of the top played games were also Linux compatible. Then again, the most played titles change frequently, so I've no doubt at least a couple of non-Linux compatible games make it up there depending on several factors like update/DLC resurrance and such.
Really? I've heard the opposite, but maybe their stances have changed and i just didn't keep up with em or i was misinformed to begin with. Regardless, I have seen a couple of multiplayer games go from broken/not working at all to actually launching and being playable (as an example Naraka: Bladepoint. It also took Dead by Daylight forever to be playable on Linux, but it is now. I believe Apex was the same). Some aren't perfect yet, but they work instead of stopping at the title screen--if even that. Sure, not all of incompatible games are gonna make it to Linux for one reason or another, but they are being brought in--albiet, i admit It's slow as hell but hey, s'long as more people get to play what they want on the OS they choose to use at the end of the day--at least from what I'm seeing. Could be very wrong and am willing to admit so if shown otherwise.