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)
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?
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.
Some DRM will prevent games from working, and this is especially true for games with heavy online content.
NVIDIA support for Linux is far from being on-par with that on Windows, especially the open-source drivers. Is this still true?
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
Newer games might not be optimized for Linux in the first place
Tinkering is inevitable (as with any Linux computer, really)
What can we add?
The advantages (I can think of)
It’s free
It’s ad free
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.)
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?
I say use the best tool for the job and that tool sadly is usually Windows for most games if you demand top performance and minimal fuss especially when your free time is limited.
Linux has come leaps and bounds from a time where just getting a AAA game running was a feat. But it’s not quite there yet for myself at least.
That’s something way too many Linux fanboy’s repeat again and again, which does not make it any more true than it is.
The fact of the matter is that games designed for Windows run better on Windows in almost all cases. There are some games that work better on Linux and these examples are then repeated endlessly (“Look, my Linux is better than your OS!!1!1!!!1”). Iirc some of these games only worked better with a particular GPU vendor, so even some of those examples weren’t universally true (DOOM 2016?).
Especially the 1%/0,1% lows are often worse on Linux than Windows. But I don’t want to discourage anyone from using Linux for gaming! I’m exclusively on Linux and I’ve played countless hours of GTA, BattleBit and Overwatch and many more.
A german news outlet did some benchmarks on recent titles on Windows and Linux. Not on identical hardware but close enough to show that there’s still some aspects lacking, especially those 1% lows.
Idk just seems like my steam libery runs more officently then compared to windows, but I was using win 11 and probably my cpu was getting used to harvest my data and spy on me instead of doing its job :v
@Simplesyrup@Kushia Star Conflict and Elite Dangerous are playable on linux in 4K whereas on the same machine on Win10, not so much (lower fps). So, for these two, I say yes, they are.
Games with intrusive (or what doyou call it) anticheat, e.g. Valorant, don’t work (yet?).
I say use the best tool for the job and that tool sadly is usually Windows for most games if you demand top performance and minimal fuss especially when your free time is limited.
Linux has come leaps and bounds from a time where just getting a AAA game running was a feat. But it’s not quite there yet for myself at least.
Dosent most windows games run better on linux then windows? :/
That’s something way too many Linux fanboy’s repeat again and again, which does not make it any more true than it is.
The fact of the matter is that games designed for Windows run better on Windows in almost all cases. There are some games that work better on Linux and these examples are then repeated endlessly (“Look, my Linux is better than your OS!!1!1!!!1”). Iirc some of these games only worked better with a particular GPU vendor, so even some of those examples weren’t universally true (DOOM 2016?).
Especially the 1%/0,1% lows are often worse on Linux than Windows. But I don’t want to discourage anyone from using Linux for gaming! I’m exclusively on Linux and I’ve played countless hours of GTA, BattleBit and Overwatch and many more.
A german news outlet did some benchmarks on recent titles on Windows and Linux. Not on identical hardware but close enough to show that there’s still some aspects lacking, especially those 1% lows.
Original: https://www.computerbase.de/2023-07/star-wars-jedi-survivor-linux-test/
Google Translate: https://www-computerbase-de.translate.goog/2023-07/star-wars-jedi-survivor-linux-test/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Original: https://www.computerbase.de/2023-06/diablo-iv-linux-benchmarks/
Google Translate: https://www-computerbase-de.translate.goog/2023-06/diablo-iv-linux-benchmarks/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Idk just seems like my steam libery runs more officently then compared to windows, but I was using win 11 and probably my cpu was getting used to harvest my data and spy on me instead of doing its job :v
@Simplesyrup
@Kushia
Some games do run better some don’t, I wouldn’t call it most but it’s not an insignificant amount either
Kinda like the sandboxes of proton with easy anti cheat, wait does easy anti cheat installs itself into linux kernal??
EAC runs in userspace on Linux. It’s not as secure as on Windows, but who cares. There’re cheats on Windows who trick EAC anyway…
@Simplesyrup @Kushia Star Conflict and Elite Dangerous are playable on linux in 4K whereas on the same machine on Win10, not so much (lower fps). So, for these two, I say yes, they are.
Games with intrusive (or what doyou call it) anticheat, e.g. Valorant, don’t work (yet?).
Valorent is stupid
@Simplesyrup Do you mean by that the anti-cheat method the developers made, or do you mean you really don’t like that game?
No.