Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas

2006 Ubisoft Montreal Action

Windows 11Runs

MacNot sold

LinuxGold

Steam DeckPlayable

Gamicality score

Metacritic 854

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 761

How it’s combined

Playability today

3.5

Runs today3.5/5

Design today3.5/5

Steam user reviews

Mostly Positive

80%

1,491 reviews1

Get it on Steam

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11Runs

Listed in the store's system requirements.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Steam DeckPlayable

Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup.1

Played Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas running today

Install the General Fixes and Enhancements mod to fix the HUD at high resolutions, along with audio and controller problems (PCGamingWiki).
If the game crashes at startup, install the legacy PhysX System Software 9.03.0604 (PCGamingWiki).
If a controller is not recognized, set UseXInput=true in the game's configuration file (PCGamingWiki).
Cap the frame rate, since some behavior is tied to it and characters twitch at very high frame rates (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

Rainbow Six Vegas is a tactical first-person shooter in which a counter-terrorism squad fights through a terrorist attack on Las Vegas. You lead two AI teammates through casinos, hotels and streets, ordering them to breach doors, clear rooms and hold positions. A cover system lets you snap to walls and fire from behind them in a third-person view.

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Released: 2006
Genre: Action
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics rated the PC version highly, praising its gunplay, its cover system and the way it rewards tactical thinking. Some reviewers found it lighter than earlier entries in the series, disliked the far-apart save points and found the levels outside Vegas generic. Players today still call the shooting tight and responsive, though they find the AI teammates clumsy at times. Official online play ended in 2021, so co-op and multiplayer now work only over LAN.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

3.5/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
Official online multiplayer shut down on March 1, 2021; only LAN play remains (PCGamingWiki).
No proper support for modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen is only hackable: there is no native 16:10 and the HUD stays at 4:3 without a mod (PCGamingWiki).
Full controller support or remappable controls
XInput controllers are supported, though not fully, and some need a configuration edit to be recognized (PCGamingWiki).
Steam Deck Verified or Playable
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
The known startup crash and launch failure both have listed fixes, and no open issue blocks progress (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

3.5/5

Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Mouse and keyboard shooting is tight and responsive, and orders to the two teammates take a single key rather than menus; only Enter and the mouse wheel cannot be rebound. Source: steamcommunity.com, honestgamers.com, pcgamingwiki.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
On widescreen displays the HUD stays squeezed into a 4:3 area in the middle of the screen, and the game has no native 16:10 support without a patch or mod. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is harsh: few saves or checkpoints, progress gets lost
Progress is saved only at fixed checkpoints that are often far apart, and the player's death ends the attempt, so a single mistake can mean replaying long stretches. Source: honestgamers.com, gamesradar.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
A tutorial level covers movement, cover and squad orders before the campaign, and early deaths push players toward the slow, cover-based approach, though the learning curve is steep for players used to faster shooters. Source: honestgamers.com, ign.com.
Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
The campaign moves from one firefight to the next through a train yard, casino floors, the Strip and the Hoover Dam, with little filler, though some levels away from Vegas feel generic. Source: honestgamers.com, ign.com, gamesradar.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
Taking cover switches smoothly to a third-person view and leaning out returns to first-person aim, a system critics singled out as the game's best feature. Source: honestgamers.com, ign.com.