this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2025
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The main thing stopping me is that I only use my PC for gaming, and I know the support for drivers etc isn't as good on Linux (though I know this is debated).
However if Linux became more centralised, with a "gaming first" distro like this, the graphics drivers would have a "main test case" to work with.
This is my theory anyway.
If you have the exact hardware supported by the SteamOS then you'll be fine. However, I don't even know of they support nvidia video cards yet, I believe most of their stack is optimized for AMD cards.
In that sense, installing a more generalist linux distribution will net you a better driver compatibility.
Linux gaming is at a fantastic state right now, you install steam and games work. 20 years ago I would have never believed it to be possible.
I've recently gotten sick of windows and changed my gaming rigs to Nobara and Mint, both with AMD processors and 3090s. Zero issues gaming, or modding games, on either one.
Edit: you could dual boot into a Linux distribution just to try it and keep your windows just in case you don't like it.
Yeah, the driver thing is pretty much solved at this point. If you have AMD there's literally nothing to worry about. If you have Nvidia, you're probably also good to go, but slightly less guaranteed. Make a Bootable USB of the distro you choose and try it to see if your hardware is supported. It's low effort and no risk.
Something you might not know is the drivers come packaged with the kernel, so you literally never have to worry about updating your drivers. They're just there in the background up to date. It awesome.
The experience with Linux is so much smoother than Windows because the system manages most things for you. All your applications will be updated by the package manager, so you don't need to go to websites to download updates. Graphics drivers are just there. Everything is just handled for you.