this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2026
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Linux Gaming

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Distro Recommendations (kbin.earth)
submitted 2 weeks ago by HarkMahlberg@kbin.earth to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.world
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I have a home built PC that I want to get off Windows 11.

Specs:

  • Ryzen 3700X, upgrading to a 5800X3D soon
  • RTX 2080 Super
  • 500GB NVME for OS, 2TB SATA SSD for files, programs, etc.
  • 1440p Ultrawide monitor
  • an 8bitdo Ultimate controller

Usage:

  • I usually play indie games, emulators, and occasional AAA games. Most of my library is on Steam, with some games on GOG, e.g. Cyberpunk.
  • I have an original Steam Link in my living room, and I use it to play games from my PC on the couch. Does Steam on Linux even support this?
  • I also write game mods, so I need a distro that is a good fit for software development (C++, Python, and Lisp).
  • Random miscellany: I use mullvad VPN, stream movies from a friend's plex server, and use an SFTP client to back up photos and videos from my phone.

I've been an on/off Linux user in the past, so I know my way around basic/intermediate terminal usage and configuration. Buuuut every previous attempt to move to Linux ended in disaster, so I have little patience for asterisks, strings attached, etc. If you're offering a distro I've never heard of before, you're probably gonna be hard pressed to convince me.

Thanks for the help!

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[–] popcar2@piefed.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

CachyOS. Hands down the best for you.

  • Gets updates as soon as they come out which is important for gaming and software development

  • Really good performance, has access to a huge amount of software

  • Beginner friendly, automatically creates snapshots (backups) in case you mess up

  • Has a simple to follow wiki with lots of useful info. Also it lets you install all the gaming packages you need with one button click.

No offense to people on this site but every time this thread pops up there are a lot of terrible recommendations being thrown around. Don't bother using base Arch linux if you're new to Linux. Don't use random niche distros like MX Linux. Debian is very barebones and requires you to manually set up a lot of things that come by default in other modern distros. And finally IMO don't use an immutable OS unless you know what you're getting into, as many people get burned by how hard it is to install applications on them.