Ubuntu and Fedora are popular choices for gaming on Linux due to their stability and performance.
Ubuntu and Fedora are popular choices for gaming on Linux due to their stability and performance.
Didn't see if the other person had finished setting up their system. I’d definitely pick an AMD GPU rather than an NVidia one if possible. Still, NVidia drivers aren’t always bad. They might cause issues with things like hibernation, so for laptops it’s especially important to lean toward AMD. Back then it was the opposite, but times have changed! NVidia drivers remain functional too. It might seem minor, but the point is clear: both manufacturers offer drivers at similar levels. The main difference lies in whether the drivers are open source or closed source. AMD drivers are open source (the desktop version and the CUDA/enterprise one), while NVidia’s are closed source. In reality, this means two things: users often depend on NVidia for driver updates and kernel support, which hasn’t always been ideal. The AMD side has a stronger track record in development thanks to open-source benefits. If you encounter a serious issue with NVidia, try posting on their forum—hope it gets noticed! For AMD problems, knowing how to submit a proper bug report can help your issue get attention unless it’s an extremely rare case. Edited March 10, 2022 by Wild Penquin – noted out-of-tree and tainting points.
I wouldn't suggest any Debian-based options right now—popOS isn't the best fit either. A lot of Valve's efforts are currently on Arch, which means it'll take a long time before things get merged into something like PopOS. There are simpler Arch alternatives like Manjaro that beginners can easily use. Just give it some time... I'm pretty sure Valve mentioned you could eventually run SteamOS 3.0 outside of Steam decks. Keep an eye on tutorials and blogs from people who've tried it—hopefully this becomes a user-friendly Linux distro for gamers soon.
The core functionality mainly applies when using AMD Graphics. Some users also extend the Kernel and Mesa builds to various distros. All other components in Valves Steam Proton Build are packaged, which should ensure stable updates. The only exception for Proton is Native Builds such as Proton-TKG, which mainly run on Arch and often bring limited changes, occasionally adding new problems.
The primary focus of most game publishers for Linux remains Ubuntu. It doesn’t make much sense to switch to another distribution if the main aim is gaming. I have to say, the latest Arch Linux versions are quite appealing. Still, they come with risks; sometimes they fail or become unstable due to limited testing. That’s okay for me since I’m comfortable in Linux. I wouldn’t suggest Arch for beginners overall—unless you’re ready for issues and willing to dive into documentation. Manjaro is a decent option, but it’s smaller than Ubuntu or Arch, so quality control is weaker, which can lead to more rough spots. If stability is important, Manjaro isn’t the best fit compared to some Ubuntu variants. There have been minor fixes since my last attempt, but their customization and differences from Arch introduced more headaches than help. Manjaro feels too far from Arch to be a natural choice, and it sits awkwardly between reliability and cutting-edge features. That said, there might be improvements—though I can’t confirm what exactly broke in the past. Another consideration is the AUR; since Manjaro isn’t fully aligned with Arch, some packages may not work without adjustments. But that’s up to you—maybe you won’t care about AUR or want to tweak PKGBUILDs yourself. For a reliable, straightforward Linux setup that “just works,” I’d pick a mainstream release like Ubuntu.
Major game publishers focusing on Linux are concentrating on Steam’s containerized runtime. Other open-source initiatives have begun releasing in containerized FlatPaks. Lutris, the primary manager for Windows executables, also provides its own runtime. We’re approaching a stage where the core distribution is becoming less critical beyond development, and that landscape is evolving. Still, there’s been a noticeable move toward upstream distributions such as Arch for Developers.