Sims 4 (and Origin client) on Linux with Steam

Recently, I've spent some time trying to make Sims 4 running on Linux. (That's the way you might spend time when you have a growing up daughter.) The ProtonDB entry was (and still is) GOLD, so it was encouraging. However, it didn't work on the first computer I tried. Steam client showed the game ran, but there was no window. Neither for the Sims 4 game, nor for the Origin client. It was:

• Distro: Mint 20.2
  
• CPU: Intel i5-7400
• GPU: Nvidia (Zotec GT 610 1GB)
• Kernel: 5.4.0-88 (Ubuntu/Mint)
• Drivers: Nvidia closed source 390.144
• Mesa: 21.0.3
• Proton: various versions
• Sims 4 works: No
  

Then I tried on my Crux machine, and it worked fine. I don't remember if I had to add PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1. The machine had:

• Distro: CRUX 3.6.1
  
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
• GPU: AMD RX 6600 XT
• Kernel: 5.13.2
• Drivers: amdgpu
• Mesa: 21.2.2
• Proton: 6.3.7
• Sims 4 works: Yes
  

So I thought that maybe GPU from the original  machine was too old, or NVidia drivers were causing problems. I replace the Nvidia GPU an AMD FirePro V5900 card. It didn't help.

The next step was to run a test on my old Dell XPS-13 laptop. I installed the OpenSuse Leap 15.3 on it. I played a bit with Proton version, but in the end Sims started with the Proton 7.0rc2-GE-1, the latest release from the Glorious Eggroll branch.

• Distro: OpenSuse Leap 15.3
  
• CPU: Intel i7-4510
  
• GPU:Intel i915
  
• Kernel: 5.13.18-59.10-default
• Drivers: intel
• Mesa: 20.2.4
• Proton: 7.0rc2-GE-1
• Sims 4 works: Yes
  

In the same time, I realized that I could swap CPUs between machines. The Ryzen had the build in Vega GPU core, which was not in use. The first phase was to check that Sims 4 could start on CRUX without discrete GPU. It worked fine. Then I swapped the CPUs (with motherboards). The CRUX (with Intel CPU and AMD GPU) worked fine, but the Mint with AMD Ryzen (and integrated AMD GPU) still struggled. I tried using the Proton from GE branch, which helped me on OpenSuse. No luck.

• Distro: Mint 20.2
  
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
• GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 11
• Kernel: 5.15.6-1-default
  
• Drivers: amdgpu
• Mesa:21.3.1
• Proton: 6.3.8
• Sims 4 works: No

I started to consider that something wrong is with Mint. The Sims 4 problem seems to be the problem with Origin client.  The first relatively easy change was to use the KDE instead of Cinnamon as a Window Manager for the Mint system. It didn't help. Next was to install OpenSuse along Mint. The only change compared to the Dell laptop was to use the Tumbleweed rather than the Leap edition.

• Distro: OpenSuse Tumbleweed
  
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
• GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 11
• Kernel: 5.15.6-1-default
  
• Drivers: amdgpu
• Mesa:21.3.1
• Proton: 6.3.8
• Sims 4 works: Yes
  

This time it worked fine. No issues. In conclusion, there is something wrong with Mint, but Sims 4 and Origin client works fine on Linux with Steam.