protonscr

Steam games won't run without Steam client Native Wayland flag

steamclosed Distro Family: Fedora
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#12997 · opened 2026-03-17 by Kyloof · updated 2026-03-17 · 2 comments · github
KKyloof 2026-03-17 github

Your system information

  • Steam client version (build number or date): 1773426488

  • Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Fedora 43 Workstation GNOME Wayland

  • Opted into Steam client beta?: No

  • Have you checked for system updates?: Yes

  • Steam Logs:
    steam-logs.tar.gz

  • GPU: Nvidia RTX4070 Super 580 driver

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

None of my steam games wan't to work while running the client without forcing wayland on steam: steam --enable-features=UseOzonePlatform --ozone-platform=wayland. They either crash instanly or open with a black screen. When they open with a black screen I can hear all the audio and the game seems to be running but the screen is completely dark (Only the custom cursor shows up).

Now the strange thing is that I tried to edit my steam.desktop file to run with the working option given above so i wrote:
Exec=steam --enable-features=UseOzonePlatform --ozone-platform=wayland %U
but still it doesn't work and crashes the games.

I don't know how the client options corresponds to games. The only thing that came to my head was the Overlay, which I disabled but to no avail sadly.

Games I tested the issue on (the same behaiour on all of them):

  • Stronghold Definitive Edition
    - Europa Universalis V
  • Sid Meier's Civilization VI
  • Assasin's Creed Origins

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. Fedora 43 with nvidia GPU
  2. Run steam via .desktop file or just steam command via terminal
  3. Run any game
  4. The game doesn't work
  5. Run steam via steam --enable-features=UseOzonePlatform --ozone-platform=wayland via terminal
  6. Games work normally
Kkisak-valve maintainer 2026-03-17 github

Hello @Kyloof, please copy the contents of Steam Runtime Diagnostics from Steam (Steam -> Help -> Steam Runtime Diagnostics) and put it in a gist, then include a link to the gist in this issue report.

The symptoms you've described contradict your claim that the CEF options have an effect. How does it behave if you completely close Steam, then run steam from a terminal with no options after it?

Kkisak-valve maintainer 2026-03-17 github

Closing in favor of https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/issues/9583. Please add the requested information there.

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