Is it possible to use a virtual machine to more safely run pirated games on linux?

2026-07-12 06:55 UTC

I am looking for help on how to run closed source / pirated games on linux within a virtual machine. I would like to start by saying if I could walk into a shop and buy with cash, a game on a CD like in the old days I would. I have recently become very privacy conscious and until I figure out a way to anonymously and privately purchase things like this I am going to stick with pirating. Also, it is helping me to archive content as everything seems to be moving online and I want to stick with offline applications / media etc in my control. Now, I am familiar with virtualbox but of course, it is no good for gaming. I have read about other applications that offer much better performance with support for GPU passthrough or similar (but how does this affect the security side of things when running pirated games). Forgive me, this is all quite new to me. What I want is a virtual machine capable of gaming so that I can more safely run pirated games on linux. Also, I am very new to linux and some help in how I should actually go about running games on linux in the first place. I do not want to just install steam because it has closed source elements and being more privacy conscious now, I’m not sure I want to. Though I am aware I can use the proton layer to enable gaming support which I believe is fully open source. For my purposes lutris sounds like it may be the route to go. Thoughts on this welcome. As a side note, I am thinking of signing up to GOG as they, to me, seem like a better alternative to steam where I can actually own a DRM free copy of a game that I buy. On a pirating note I thought locating signed, hash checked GOG installers to be a good option for security for dipping my toe into pirating games on linux. I am much, much more comfortable with detecting and removing malware in a windows ecosystem. Linux, completely foreign. So I am trying to be careful. Once I get fully set up I plan to buy the games I enjoy on GOG, I think that will be the path I can be most comfortable with. At the end of the day I will own a DRM free copy of the game itself. That is the best I can do where I cannot get it on physical media I think. I already do this for CD’s and DVD’s etc. Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

Replies (13)

@buried_treasure@feddit.uk 2026-07-12 07:03

You keep talking about “safely” running these programs. What is the threat that you are trying to protect yourself against? Are you concerned that your unofficial copy of the program may contain malware, are you worried that the copyright owners may try to find you (via IP address perhaps?) and prosecute, or what.

Open ##3755773
@Shimitar@downonthestreet.eu 2026-07-12 07:14

Quit thinking as a windows user now you are on Linux. You running a pirated game with proton? Or looking to run windows inside Linux? In any case run the game offline, disconnect the PC from internet and you should be safe. What? It’s an on line game? It’s a game that need internet access to run? Then what are you complaining about? There is nothing you can do to be “safe”. Anyway running a windows game on linux with wine or proton should be safe enough from most of the possible threats (environment is too different). Running in a VM would be a serious hit on performances even if you use qemu+KVM (forget about virtual box) with all drivers set to passtrough and you give up your video card on Linux and pass it to windows At that point, you are again at risk because e you are again running windows … Define your threat at least. That would make a response easier My guess you are overthinking stuff.

Open ##3755952
@edinbruh@feddit.it 2026-07-12 08:11

First of all, don’t expose yourself to danger. Get your pirated games from reputable sources. Most games only need a Steam emulator like Goldberg’s to run without license, and you can get clean steam files from cs.rin.ru, or using DepotDownloader if you get your hands on a manifest file. You don’t need VMs for this, it’s literally the original game. If you need an actual crack, you can also look up on cs.rin.ru and try to gauge the reputation of the uploader. You can also check fitgirl or dodirepacks, they are both highly reliable. These are unlikely to have malware, but it’s not impossible. If you want to use a vm because you still don’t trust the pirated game in question (reasonable), then there is no shortcut. Use the arch wiki to learn how to setup a VM with GPU passthrough, even if you don’t use arch it’s always a good place to get started.

Open ##3757006
@helix@feddit.org 2026-07-12 09:00

tldr: use firejail. I already answered in your other thread: feddit.org/comment/13927222 You know you can cross-post so it shows up as cross-posted in other communities? You just need to hit that “copy” button once you posted thr first one. I’d have answered here instead of !piracy if I had seen that it’s a crosspost.

Open ##3757932
@cosmosaucer@hexbear.net 2026-07-12 10:34

im not a linux expert but isnt the whole thing with linux that there isnt really malware for it because no one bothers to make any? but with regards to games like other posters said check cs.rin.ru for the games and either use the goldberg method or just get the games pre-installed/cracked and run them through Lutris/Heroic alternatively you can also download linux versions, theres a couple of people who crack linux games, one of them is john_cena and another whose name i forget is on torrrminator. ive downloaded a couple games from torrminator and had no issues with them but of course ymmv and this may not be entirely up your alley with regards to the privacy etc concerns

Open ##3759527
@BananaTrifleViolin@piefed.world 2026-07-12 18:12

So I’m not condoning or condeming. I would say you can dual boot linux - that is have TWO entirely separate Linux installs on your PC. Have one be your main Linux desktop, and have a separate partition which you boot into to use for riskier stuff. Just ensure it has no access at all to your other drive and be careful mouting peripherals like USB drives. That way you can get full native experience with your PC, without having to sacrifice performance for a VM set up. I would also set up a VPN to run at all times within that 2nd Linux install, with kill switch for the network if it disconnects.

Open ##3766672
@umbrella@lemmy.ml 2026-07-12 21:31

you can with GPU passthrough. not a simple process though, and not all hardware supports it. plus you need a dedicated gpu for the VM.

Open ##3769626
@Kory@lemmy.ml 2026-07-13 07:18

I’m running everything that is proprietary (Steam for example) on a second user that is a not an admin account. Heroic and the like are installed via Flatpak that is sandboxed. Sometimes games contain malware, even on Steam. If something goes badly wrong, I purge that second user.

Open ##3780126
@Obnomus@lemmy.ml 2026-07-13 07:28

If piratded games have malicious files its most likely for windows users, you can install repacks on Linux very easily though.

Open ##3780276
@borax7385@lemmy.world 2026-07-13 08:49

I just use a different user with no privileges to run any pirated or suspicious software.

Open ##3781494
@eclipse7@feddit.nu 2026-07-13 11:11

QubesOS? :D

Open ##3783526
@throwaway403@programming.dev 2026-07-13 15:45

OP, FYI: GPU passthrough isn’t riskless (OpSec-wise), unfortunately. This Hacker News thread contains pointers if you’d wish to read up on that.

Open ##3788237
@throwaway403@programming.dev 2026-08-03 20:48

Yo OP, in case you couldn’t get GPU passthrough to work; vm-curator makes that a piece of cake, somehow even with a single GPU.

Open ##4363893