I honestly might switch to Linux. I know people say that a lot, but gaming has been the only thing keeping me on Windows.
But I’ve also come to realize I just don’t have that much free time to game any more. Most of my computer use is putting YouTube on in the background or web browsing. I still occasionally game, but Linux support keeps improving and even if I only pick Linux supported games… I still won’t have enough time to play them all.
I’ll be that guy, use bazzite. Unless your doing advanced shit or VR it’s basically everything you need in a simple package. Shit I didn’t even have to install drivers for my… well everything.
Only annoying thing I’m finding is my Firefox audio goes wonky sometimes while using the built in audio booster (FF extensions that boost audio were even worse) but rebooting Firefox fixes it.
Gaming works great on Linux now and often better. The only scenarios I can think of where things are majorly behind are competitive games with anti cheat that doesn’t work on Linux and anything requiring peripherals with custom software, for example SIM racing. This means that the vast majority of games work great!
Sim racing works great for me. Anything from Moza, Logitech, and even my PXN wheel “just worked” out of the box on cachyOS. Bazzite is now getting wheel support. I did have to add USB descriptors for udev rules on my simmsonn pedals, and also learn to always disable steam input and use glorious eggroll proton. JacKeTus did a fantastic job with the ffb driver and I see him on matrix ALL THE TIME helping newbies and getting stuff working.
I game often, and 100% on Linux. Unless you’re doing competitive multiplayer games with kernel level anti-cheat (read: rootkit malware), games run perfectly fine.
There are two exceptions to this still, STALKER Gamma doesn’t work on Linux still and SKSEx64 doesn’t work either. Also modding Baldurs gate 3 through Nexus is fucky.
You can test most Linux distros using a “live” image on a thumb drive. If you put Ventoy on a drive, you can try as many ISOs as you can fit on the drive.
Bazzite or Fedora are both really good places to start.
I don’t consider myself to be an advanced PC user, but even I was able to get Arch Linux to run with some googling and tinkering as my first dive into Linux. I really think you should make the switch if you don’t have any work restrictions. I dualboot still, just in case, but I can’t remember the last time I needed to use Windows.
Like you and the others say, if you have limited time gaming or don’t play AAA on launch day, that’s just one more reason not to use Windows! Good luck!
I only did it to try to impress people online lol.
Everything is like a Hodge Podge of fixes just to make it work, so if anyone asks me about the inner workings of everything, I wouldn’t be able to answer like 75% of it. I’m still learning.
Your scenario sounds like mine. Don’t game much anymore and definitely don’t play triple A crap that requires kernel.level anti cheat. Been on bazzite for about 6 mos and everything has been great. So much better than Windows.
I honestly might switch to Linux. I know people say that a lot, but gaming has been the only thing keeping me on Windows.
But I’ve also come to realize I just don’t have that much free time to game any more. Most of my computer use is putting YouTube on in the background or web browsing. I still occasionally game, but Linux support keeps improving and even if I only pick Linux supported games… I still won’t have enough time to play them all.
I recommend installing Ventoy on a USB stick, then putting some ISOs on there of various distros to try. Like CachyOS, Bazzite, or perhaps Kubuntu.
You can boot into them straight from the Ventoy USB stick without having to format the USB between new tests.
And if you end up liking one over the others you can install straight from the stick.
You can do it, I believe in you random internet stranger!
Flash a distro onto a usb and boot from that to test drive it and ensure your hardware is compatible - zero risk.
I’ll be that guy, use bazzite. Unless your doing advanced shit or VR it’s basically everything you need in a simple package. Shit I didn’t even have to install drivers for my… well everything.
Only annoying thing I’m finding is my Firefox audio goes wonky sometimes while using the built in audio booster (FF extensions that boost audio were even worse) but rebooting Firefox fixes it.
Gaming works great on Linux now and often better. The only scenarios I can think of where things are majorly behind are competitive games with anti cheat that doesn’t work on Linux and anything requiring peripherals with custom software, for example SIM racing. This means that the vast majority of games work great!
Sim racing works great for me. Anything from Moza, Logitech, and even my PXN wheel “just worked” out of the box on cachyOS. Bazzite is now getting wheel support. I did have to add USB descriptors for udev rules on my simmsonn pedals, and also learn to always disable steam input and use glorious eggroll proton. JacKeTus did a fantastic job with the ffb driver and I see him on matrix ALL THE TIME helping newbies and getting stuff working.
As long as you don’t jump on AAA title games on launch day, you’ll be fine gaming on Linux.
That, or if you are a fortnite, LoL addict… Those don’t work for reasons totally up to the devs.
I switched to Linux a year or two ago. Pretty much every game I’ve played has worked fine. (Elden ring, guild wars 2, nioh2, pillars of eternity…)
Even non-steam stuff was basically click and go with Heroic launcher
I game often, and 100% on Linux. Unless you’re doing competitive multiplayer games with kernel level anti-cheat (read: rootkit malware), games run perfectly fine.
Good news!
Apparently DeNovo’s been hacked!
P.S. I’m shit at games… so I don’t know if this actually really matters 😝
The Denuvo workaround only runs on Windows and creates the mother of all security holes.
There are two exceptions to this still, STALKER Gamma doesn’t work on Linux still and SKSEx64 doesn’t work either. Also modding Baldurs gate 3 through Nexus is fucky.
You can test most Linux distros using a “live” image on a thumb drive. If you put Ventoy on a drive, you can try as many ISOs as you can fit on the drive.
Bazzite or Fedora are both really good places to start.
Come on in, the water is great!
I don’t consider myself to be an advanced PC user, but even I was able to get Arch Linux to run with some googling and tinkering as my first dive into Linux. I really think you should make the switch if you don’t have any work restrictions. I dualboot still, just in case, but I can’t remember the last time I needed to use Windows.
Like you and the others say, if you have limited time gaming or don’t play AAA on launch day, that’s just one more reason not to use Windows! Good luck!
Doesn’t “consider [themselves] to be an advanced PC user…”
Picks Arch as their first Linux distro.
Found Linus Sebastian.
I only did it to try to impress people online lol.
Everything is like a Hodge Podge of fixes just to make it work, so if anyone asks me about the inner workings of everything, I wouldn’t be able to answer like 75% of it. I’m still learning.
Nah, he would have removed his DE.
Lol that loser can’t even install popos right
Zorin OS is a good one if you want a nice UI transition from Windows or Mac.
I just gonna go live in the woods and take up bird watching or something.
Your scenario sounds like mine. Don’t game much anymore and definitely don’t play triple A crap that requires kernel.level anti cheat. Been on bazzite for about 6 mos and everything has been great. So much better than Windows.
Pop_OS has been a piece of cake to use. Switched last year, never looking back.