In a few previous years (#1, #2), I decided to do a fresh take each time on what the best Linux distribution was for gaming - so I'm back for a 2025 edition of the article that will cause you to tell me how wrong and terrible I am.
What's changed? Well, quite a lot actually. Both previous times I firmly suggested going with plain Ubuntu. However, time moves on, and the software world evolves rather quickly. So I have a new recommendation for you! Why am I even writing this? Sadly, there's still articles out there pushing for tiny completely random fringe distributions and plenty with stupidly outdated and republished information to get to the top of Google.
My current home for a while now, and what I'll recommend you pick up, is Kubuntu. It has all the goodies and support of plain Ubuntu, but with the KDE Plasma desktop environment, which is the same one used on the Steam Deck's Desktop Mode. It has an interface that will be much more familiar to people coming over from Windows, it's more customizable (if you want it) but with a sane default setup that just gets you going quickly.
The latest Long Term Support (LTS) version of Kubuntu, Kubuntu 24.04.1, is supported with security and maintenance updates until April 2027. So you can install it and basically forget about it and keep it running and secure for years to come. However, you're likely better off with Kubuntu 24.10 which is more up to date, if you're okay upgrading again when the next version of Kubuntu comes out (Kubuntu 25.04) which is around April 17, 2025. Either way, both work well.
I've been through Fedora, Manjaro, Linux Mint, plain Ubuntu, Arch and many others over the years. No Linux distributions is perfect and they all come with their own set of quirks and problems, just as Windows has its own set of unique issues. To me, Kubuntu just offers the best all around middle-ground of everything you need to get going.
People will argue about Snaps, but for the majority of normal users — it just doesn't matter in the slightest. I use the Spotify, Thunderbird, Telegram and other Snaps and they work great and are kept nicely up to date without me even needing to do anything.
I will suggest though, that you enable Flatpaks from Flathub, so you get the best of all worlds and access to even more easily installable packages. It's incredibly easy to do as well.
You can download Kubuntu from their website.
If you need help and support for Linux and Steam Deck gaming, you can try asking in our Forum and Discord. Don't forget to follow me on Bluesky and Mastodon too while you're at it.
Don't agree with me? That's fine! The benefit of Linux is that there's truly no one-size-fits-all. Leave a comment to tell me how wrong I am. You're still wrong if you disagree though.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
BlackBloodRum about 17 hours ago
Quoting: tmtvlAh, but with Gentoo it's easier to manage the compilation flags of the software you install so you can squeeze out more performance, so that's better for the 1337 g@mers with the custom built PCs with water cooling and all that nonsense. Joking aside, I think Tumbleweed might also be good for someone who just wants to play games as you get up-to-date drivers and everything without having to do the scary big update dance every couple of months (plus it makes it easy to set up automatic backups).Haha, let me just say as a Gentoo user with a custom built PC, it's not about being '1337' it's about having control over how things are setup. Some of us just want the simplicity of doing it yourself. Quick applying of patches, able to modify the software easily, etc, etc.
It's just convenient.
What you're meaning to refer to, is arch users. We don't get time to post how 1337 we are, we're too busy compiling our software.
Last edited by BlackBloodRum on 3 December 2024 at 11:39 pm UTC
solarisguru about 16 hours ago
On another note, I had some weird issues in Ubuntu after waking from sleep mode sometimes. In some cases when the computer would go to sleep the backlight on my monitor wouldn't dim. I also had weird issues in Ubuntu trying to alt+tab out of certain games and then switching back to the game. I don't have any of these issues running Fedora. I don't think these issues are specific to Ubuntu either, because I had similar quirks when trying out other Debian-based distros, except Pop! OS. I always seem to have a great experience in Pop whether playing games or just using it. So it's like System76 works out some of the quirks left in Ubuntu. I will say I do love the look of Ubuntu 24.10 and the new wallpapers, but the gaming quirks were just too much for me so I went back to Fedora 41.
Last edited by solarisguru on 4 December 2024 at 12:48 am UTC
Quoting: BlackBloodRumSome of us just want the simplicity of doing it yourself. (snip)Doing everything yourself . . . ah, this must be some new meaning of the word "convenient" that I hadn't heard before.
It's just convenient.
Quoting: dibzNot encouraging or arguing with you, was just legit curious and felt like playing with it.
On my current setup where this is happening I am using 2 monitors not 3. One monitor, to my left, is a portrait mode monitor, and the other is my main laptop screen. Warframe spawns in the middle of these, and while I can maximize it on my main monitor, the actual silver in-game cursor only has access to 40% of my screen so I can't click certain menu options. I would record it and show you but I'm on nobara project KDE and that doesn't have an X11 session installed.
I have a 3 monitor setup on my main desktop PC, but this bug with X11 is happening on my laptop. I also never play warframe full screen, I always have it windowed so I can tab away to music players and warframe.market
Last edited by WMan22 on 4 December 2024 at 6:33 am UTC
BlackBloodRum about 9 hours ago
Quoting: Purple Library GuyThink of it like buying a car. It's far more convenient and simple if when you go to the dealer they deliver your car as the source components. You just get the metal pieces, then weld the chassis together, start building the engine, bolt the parts onto the chassis, etc. followed by the rest of the cars parts. It's just far more convenient than simply going out and buying a car that's already built and having to then modify it to suit your needs.Quoting: BlackBloodRumSome of us just want the simplicity of doing it yourself. (snip)Doing everything yourself . . . ah, this must be some new meaning of the word "convenient" that I hadn't heard before.
It's just convenient.
That's the convenience of gentoo, you're basically given a toolbox, and the parts and you've got to put it together.
I used Manjaro KDE for about two years. It was mostly good, but dependencies trouble and such made me move again. I like KDE, but some things never really worked on that Lenovo Legion of mine. So, now back again to Linux Mint. I can absolutely confirm that gaming, even FPS do work fine for me. Wayland seems to be trouble with my AMD/nVidia-Combo on every platform. At the end, its not important on which OS i get my back kicked in Valheim again.
Last edited by Chrisznix on 4 December 2024 at 10:15 am UTC
Quoting: BlackBloodRumHaha, let me just say as a Gentoo user with a custom built PC, it's not about being '1337' it's about having control over how things are setup. Some of us just want the simplicity of doing it yourself. Quick applying of patches, able to modify the software easily, etc, etc.
It's just convenient.
What you're meaning to refer to, is arch users. We don't get time to post how 1337 we are, we're too busy compiling our software.
A couple of months ago I decided to try and give Gentoo another spin (in the past I bounced off kernel configuration because I couldn't manage to get a working kernel), and this time I got a working system installed... and then I bounced off before I got X set up because I got sick and tired of waiting for the compilation times. Maybe some day I'll give it another shot (although I've actually kinda got my eyes on Guix), but for the moment I'll keep flipping between Arch and Tumbleweed.
ProfessorKaos64 about 5 hours ago
But yes, I understand it's meant to imply a traditional desktop OS that beat supports gaming. It depends on your bias for Fedora, Debian, and core variants.
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