I’ve switched entirely to Linux and I’m currently using Ubuntu 24.04. I want to transfer a few games, specifically Dota 2, CS2, and Euro Truck Simulator 2, from my Windows Steam library. My internet connection isn’t the best, so I’d prefer to move them over instead of redownloading. I know there might be some issues with incompatible files like executables, but I’m curious about the textures, sounds, and similar files, which usually take up the most space. Can anyone guide me on how to do this properly?
2 Answers
Transferring Steam games from a Windows install to Linux can be hit or miss. Textures and sound files usually transfer well since they’re platform-agnostic, but the executables and other specific files often need to be redownloaded. A good way to try it is to start the download in Steam, pause it, then close Steam and replace the folder with the one from Windows. When you reopen Steam, it’ll verify the game files and download any needed ones, but be aware it might not work every time.
You can usually drag and drop the game folders from steamapps/common into your Linux setup. When you launch the game for the first time on Linux, it should verify the files to check for anything missing and fix it up. Just make sure everything is in the right place!
I tried that on Windows before but it didn’t work on Linux. Steam doesn’t seem to recognize the game files.