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Python (JSONDecodeError) error when launching games when using latest Proton Experimental

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ValveSoftware/Proton#8641 · opened 2025-05-01 by anders-larsson · updated 2025-05-20 · 2 comments · github
Aanders-larsson 2025-05-01 github

Played games using Proton Experimental earlier today. Got an update around 20 minutes ago and can no longer launch Path of Exile 2. Fails with the python error below.

Distribution: Gentoo Linux

steam[1252]: Adding process 57384 for gameID 2694490
steam[1252]: Traceback (most recent call last):
steam[1252]:   File "/home/user/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Proton - Experimental/proton", line 1869, in <module>
steam[1252]:     g_session.init_session(sys.argv[1] != "runinprefix")
steam[1252]:   File "/home/user/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Proton - Experimental/proton", line 1776, in init_session
steam[1252]:     g_compatdata.setup_prefix()
steam[1252]:   File "/home/user/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Proton - Experimental/proton", line 1175, in setup_prefix
steam[1252]:     setup_openvr_paths()
steam[1252]:   File "/home/user/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Proton - Experimental/proton", line 333, in setup_openvr_paths
steam[1252]:     contents = json.load(file)
steam[1252]:   File "/usr/lib/python3.9/json/__init__.py", line 293, in load
steam[1252]:     return loads(fp.read(),
steam[1252]:   File "/usr/lib/python3.9/json/__init__.py", line 346, in loads
steam[1252]:     return _default_decoder.decode(s)
steam[1252]:   File "/usr/lib/python3.9/json/decoder.py", line 337, in decode
steam[1252]:     obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
steam[1252]:   File "/usr/lib/python3.9/json/decoder.py", line 355, in raw_decode
steam[1252]:     raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
steam[1252]: json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)
steam[1252]: Game Recording - game stopped [gameid=2694490]

Switching Proton-9.0-4 and the game starts successfully.

Aanders-larsson 2025-05-01 github

$HOME/.config/openvr/openvrpaths.vrpath exists but was empty for me. Added an empty JSON document to it and Proton Experimental works as expected afterwards.
$HOME/.config/openvr/openvrpaths.vrpath:

{}
Mmmatis 2025-05-20 github

Confirmed, anders-larsson's fix worked for me.

Proton versions