Linux will always be a second-class citizen to game devs until it gets a lot more users.
But the new people that come in, those that likely migrated from Windows or Mac, are not going to care whether or not the game is a native Linux port or if its running on Proton. They'll only care that the game works, and works well.
If we ever get to the point where Linux gamers become a significant percentage of the market, then developers will be forced to pay attention to Linux support. If Proton can't deliver competitive performance and stability, then that means they will be forced to do proper Linux ports.
So the only thing needed to encourage developers to provide real Linux ports is to increase the size of the Linux gaming community by any means necessary. Whether that's through Proton, or even virtualization, the goal stays the same.
But the new people that come in, those that likely migrated from Windows or Mac, are not going to care whether or not the game is a native Linux port or if its running on Proton. They'll only care that the game works, and works well.
If we ever get to the point where Linux gamers become a significant percentage of the market, then developers will be forced to pay attention to Linux support. If Proton can't deliver competitive performance and stability, then that means they will be forced to do proper Linux ports.
So the only thing needed to encourage developers to provide real Linux ports is to increase the size of the Linux gaming community by any means necessary. Whether that's through Proton, or even virtualization, the goal stays the same.