I feel like this is a question that might have been asked around and maybe there are guides around, but that’s a discussion that I’d like to have with the lot of you.

The context

Using Linux on both my work laptop and the Steam Deck has made me quite interested in a full switch to Linux - my other computer is a gaming desktop, which I use a lot for many things, but mostly for gaming. Getting used to Linux has made me quite more intolerant to all the BS Microsoft is pushing than I used to be, the latest one being forcing the users to switch from the older email client to the new Outlook, which has a big, nice ad banner that looks like an unread email. So I’ve began wondering: after all, why not? Why shouldn’t I embrace the penguin? Well, the answer is that I should not if there are too many hinders and drawbacks in using Linux, which would make me need a dual boot instead of a single OS install.

We all know gaming has long been one of the main limiting factors in switching, but the Deck has changed the whole landscape on that front. We’ve basically switched from “Windows is the only OS suitable for gaming” to “Linux is also viable”, and the Deck has been made that available to the general audience. Therefore, nowadays, how viable is Linux for a gaming computer? What are the limitations users will encounter? Would I be able to play all the games from my Steam, Epic and GOG library with a bit of tinkering, including the new releases?

The drawbacks of using Linux (or those that I can think of)

  1. Other gaming launchers support on Linux suck: GOG and Epic will work through Heroic Games but Activision/Blizzard, Ubisoft, EA and Rockstar games will all be a pain, or even not work at all. Is is true? Is there any way around that?
  2. No Microsoft GamePass. Or none that actually matters, as the only solution is to pay for the higher tier and stream the games - so no game actually runs on the desktop. No, thanks.
  3. Some DRM will prevent games from working, and this is especially true for games with heavy online content.
  4. NVIDIA support for Linux is far from being on-par with that on Windows, especially the open-source drivers. Is this still true?
  5. Many devices, especially those for gaming, might not have good (or even working) compatibility drivers for Linux. I know my UWQHD monitor works flawlessly on Windows, but requires quite a bit of tinkering on Ubuntu
  6. Newer games might not be optimized for Linux in the first place
  7. Tinkering is inevitable (as with any Linux computer, really)

What can we add?

The advantages (I can think of)

  1. It’s free
  2. It’s ad free
  3. Customization on Linux is awesome, and I might end up spending more time ricing, breaking it all and reinstalling than gaming (see also, previous section’s 7.)
  4. I will no longer be sending data to Microsoft

What else am I not thinking about?

What distro?

And finally, let’s say I make the switch. What Linux distro should I use? I’ve read a bit about Drauger, Ubuntu GamePack, or even Pop! OS with some manual setup. What do you guys think, and advise?

  • @[email protected]
    3•1 year ago

    For the drawbacks:

    1. I’ve never used those other launchers (I just buy from Steam), but I know at least Ubisoft works through Steam, so it should work reasonably well through WINE
    2. This is essentially the same as 3, Gamepass is a huge pile of DRM
    3. True, though more work than most expect
    4. NVIDIA support is fine if you use the proprietary drivers, which are usually packaged on most distros; I used NVIDIA for gaming for ~10 years on Linux without issues, though I’m now on AMD for Wayland support
    5. I haven’t had any issues for the last 10 years out so, at least not any more than on Windows; that said, I make sure to only buy Intel network cards (eliminates most headaches) and tend to avoid bleeding edge tech (too expensive and buggy, even on Windows)
    6. True, though look at Ratchet & Clank on Steam Deck, it’s essentially Day 1 support; that has been the case more often than not lately, Valve is killing it
    7. Not really; I don’t tinker much because I just don’t have the time for it anymore; I have three kids, a full-time job, and I only get a few hours each week to play games; if a game requires tinkering to work, I bail and tag it with “Technical Issues” in Steam; I think I have 5 games there, and at least one has moved out just by trying again a year or so later

    To be fair, I’m coming at this from the perspective of a patient gamer. I generally play older SP games (rarely play MP), wait to upgrade hardware (recently bought a 5600 and 6650XT to upgrade my 1700 and 960GTX), and am pretty technically inclined (I’m a SW dev by day, and have used Linux exclusively for ~15 years).

    For me, Windows is unacceptable, and macOS is too limiting for hardware choices (and I just don’t like it; I’ve used macOS at work for 2 years and still dislike it).

    So instead of discussing native advantages of Linux, I’ll list things I’m glad I don’t have to deal with on Windows:

    • I control my updates, and can update my OS while using it
    • the OS doesn’t need a ton of disk space
    • no licensing nonsense, so I can keep my same install going even if I drastically change hardware (I upgraded my CPU and mobo, and I didn’t need to do anything but bring my old drive along)
    • most software can be installed using the package manager or FlatPak, on Windows and macOS, there’s very little consistency
    • pretty much no viruses; Linux isn’t a big target, so it’s just not something I worry about; and installing through the package manager eliminates most threats
    • no spying/telemetry in the OS, and no privacy settings I feel I need to tweak
    • no bloatware, if a distro has stuff I don’t like, I can pick one that doesn’t
    • full disk encryption is a thing, including the boot partition; on Windows, the boot partition isn’t encrypted even with “full disk” encryption with bitlocker
    • command line is really useful, but you don’t need it for gaming
    • lots of game servers run on Linux, so you can learn to self-host or run something for a local LAN if you want; not sure if that’s a thing on Windows

    For me, Linux solves my non-gaming problems much better than Windows, and I fundamentally disagree with how Windows works so I refuse to use it for gaming. But even for people who aren’t like me, Linux is a pretty good option with few downsides, provided you don’t need something specific to run (e.g. that one MP game you play all the time). If you can be a little flexible, Linux offers a ton of choice and even more freedom.

    Edit: As for distro, just try stuff. I think Mint is decent, so I tend to recommend it, but I use OpenSUSE Tumbleweed myself (also recommended). There’s not a ton of difference when it comes to running games for most distros, so pick one that seems to have decent community support and have fun! You can always change later, I’ve used several (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, OpenSUSE Leap, Debian, probably others).

    • HydroelOP
      1•1 year ago

      Thank you for the input!

      For me, Windows is unacceptable, and macOS is too limiting for hardware choices (and I just don’t like it; I’ve used macOS at work for 2 years and still dislike it).

      I agree, and that is one of the reasons I would switch. The more time goes on, the more I feel like Windows and MacOS’s decisions are becoming unacceptable, for different reasons. Microsoft’s philosophy of delivering Windows as a service would be fine, were it not for its package of pre-installed apps and ad services. That could be acceptable for free users, but paid versions should be exempt of ads, at least, and pro versions should have neither. MacOS environment is becoming more and more closed, which is why I have stopped buying Apple devices altogether.

      Updates are forced on users by basically all OS providers, nowadays: Apple, Microsoft and Google mainly, of course. This is done for security reasons, and the reasoning behind that makes sense to me - they’re for the generic users, not for advanced users, which is generally the Linux crowd. Besides, I feel like both MacOS and Windows manage those aspects seamlessly, nowadays, so this is not a point on which I feel very constrained.

      Now, I’m really attracted to the philosophy and freedom brought by Linux. Besides that, the customization options are fantastic, and I’d love to be able to hand pick and tinker with every single part of my software as much as or even more than I did for my hardware.

      However, given the number of people who advised to keep a Windows install on the side, I feel like Linux might not be completely ready to be used as a single gaming OS - even for tech-oriented people, which I consider myself as. So I might switch, but I would have to buy a new NVMe first, so I might jump ship at one point, maybe just not right now.

      • @[email protected]
        2•1 year ago

        I have Windows alongside Linux, and I don’t think I’ve used it for over a year, maybe more than two. The last time I remember booting into Windows was to try to get Minecraft Bedrock set up so he could play with a friend at school (apparently the kid only has an Xbox or something), and the friend ended up flaking out anyway. Before that, it was for remote school during COVID.

        For gaming, I only ran it for Among Us to play with coworkers because I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t join (I’m pretty sure it was not Linux related, the server was just flaky). The game ran fine, and it probably would’ve worked fine, but this was an occasional thing and if it required any effort, I would’ve just bailed anyway.

        I don’t play many multiplayer games because I just don’t enjoy them much anymore. But even then, there’s a growing list of Linux-compatible games thanks to the Steam Deck. I don’t bother checking ProtonDB anymore unless I really want to play an “unsupported” game (and most of the time it just works anyway). I’ve run into a few that don’t work, so I just move on to something else. In my experience, most SP games just work without any tinkering whatsoever.

        So hopefully you get the second drive soon! I think Linux is a lot of fun, and it really suits my workflow.