In addition to the what others have said (DXVK, pre-configured WINE, D9VK), the Steam client integration is also a MASSIVE quality of life boost and a serious lowering of the barrier to entry.
With Proton, the Windows versions of games appear in your library [1] and you just click to download and install [2]. And then that's it! No faff, no managing wine versions. If someone is intending to play a whitelisted game then for all intents and purposes their UX is exactly the same as playing the game on Windows - which is to say "very straightforward".
[1] By default only whitelisted games appear. While this whitelist is expanding, it's also possible to enable Proton to automatically run for all non-native games.
[2] A warning window will pop up to inform the user that a compatibility layer is being used, but otherwise it's identical.
>[1] By default only whitelisted games appear. While this whitelist is expanding, it's also possible to enable Proton to automatically run for all non-native games.
Or better, enable it for the game you want to try. Properties -> use compatibility tool.
This also allows you to use different version of Proton for different games (e.g. it's fixed in a beta build or broken in the latest build) and to enable Proton for games which have a native version!
In my experience, random non-whitelisted indie games work pretty great. My guess is that the average small shop is using more 'default' tooling with less custom engine stuff, meaning things are more likely to work under proton out-of-the-box than a giant AAA megabeast.
(I've had very similar experiences in a very different context with OEM Android. Small manufacturers don't screw around with the OS internals, while big shops (eg, the one rhyming with HamStrung) are more likely to change things in non-obvious ways.)
With Proton, the Windows versions of games appear in your library [1] and you just click to download and install [2]. And then that's it! No faff, no managing wine versions. If someone is intending to play a whitelisted game then for all intents and purposes their UX is exactly the same as playing the game on Windows - which is to say "very straightforward".
[1] By default only whitelisted games appear. While this whitelist is expanding, it's also possible to enable Proton to automatically run for all non-native games.
[2] A warning window will pop up to inform the user that a compatibility layer is being used, but otherwise it's identical.