Encountering unusual color patterns or non-playing videos in games on Linux, SteamOS, or Steam Deck? This guide explains the reasons behind these issues and provides solutions. This is a frequently asked question across various support communities, making an explanation timely.
The issue often manifests as a screen similar to this:
Witnessing such a display can be concerning while attempting to play a game. This visual anomaly, often appearing where a video should be playing, is typically a test card or test pattern.
This problem arises when running Windows games on Linux systems through Proton. The fundamental reason is that these games often utilize video codecs that Proton does not support. This lack of support can stem from technical limitations or complex legal and licensing issues associated with proprietary codecs.
Shader Pre-Caching
Valve frequently addresses this by re-encoding videos into formats compatible with Proton. To ensure these re-encoded videos are downloaded with your game, verify that the Shader Pre-Caching system is enabled. This system includes not only game shaders for performance enhancement but also the necessary re-encoded video files. On Desktop Linux and in Desktop Mode on SteamOS, this setting is located at the bottom of the main Steam Downloads settings:
The option is not visible in Gaming Mode on SteamOS, as it is generally not intended to be disabled in that environment.
GE-Proton
If enabling Shader Pre-Caching does not resolve the issue, another solution to consider is GE-Proton. As a community-maintained version of Proton, GE-Proton is not bound by the same restrictions as Valve’s official build. It often includes additional components that enable video playback in various specific games. A guide to setting up GE-Proton is available, and while it frequently fixes video problems, success is not guaranteed in all cases.
Contacting the game developer is also recommended. Inquire if they can implement a more open video codec for their game, which would improve compatibility across a wider range of systems.
