this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2025

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Linux Gaming

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Linux is now the best gaming system. (blog.fernvenue.com)

submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (12 children)

Linux is now the best gaming system.

I'll just share how my latest bout with gaming on Linux looked like, compared to Windows.

Install Anno 1800 on Windows:

Start installation in Steam
Ubisoft Launcher installs
Anno 1800 starts
Enjoy the rest of my evening

Install Anno 1800 on Linux:

Install Anno 1800 in Steam
Research how to start game
Enable Proton compatibility layer
Game fails to start due to missing Ubisoft Launcher
Install Ubi launcher using method 'add installer as game, set compatibility layer, install and change executable for application executable'
Game fails to start due to missing Ubisoft Launcher
Try with different Proton versions, fail each time
Install Lutris and install Ubi launcher through that
Game fails to start due to missing Ubisoft Launcher
Give up for the evening

Next day:

Read up some more
Install Protontricks
Encounter weird errors when starting it
Try to find out what is going on
Suppress tendency to just say 'fuck it' and start Windows
Install Protontricks through Flatpack instead of system package, as the Flatpack version is slightly newer. Accept that this will result in a much larger installation due to not using system-provided libraries.
Add Ubi launcher through protontricks, ignoring out-of-date instructions on the Internet
Start game
Cry at slideshow performance
Give up for the evening

Next day:

Research possible causes of performance issues
Try multiple ways of enabling Nvidia GPU instead of integrated graphics
Fail each time
Turn off Secure Boot
Correct GPU now available
Better performance, although still not great
Feel no enjoyment anymore at getting it to run or while playing

As much as I want to like it, this experience makes me feel that Linux is not fully ready for the masses yet.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Huh... I just installed and played Anno 1800 on my Bazzite PC a month or two ago with no issue whatsoever. Played great.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago

Same. Bought a new gaming laptop sans OS with the intention of switching to Linux full time. After 3 weeks climbing the walls trying to get the thing to run properly, I submitted and installed windows. Everything is designed to work with windows, Linux is redesigned to run windows stuff, we are not the same. Once Linux has caught up I will make the leap, but today is not that day.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

I had a similar experience but when i installed lutris everything worked so in total it only took like 20 mins to get everything up and running. Tho i do have a huge bias because i started using linux first(more than 10 years ago) and only started playing pc games a few months ago. Also if its a proper game without 20 launchers its really easy to get working, usually works outa the box.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 day ago

Ubisoft isn't ready for the masses yet. Linux works just fine

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I'm not just willing to never play another ubisoft game, I'm eager to. The games that don't work are typically exploitative investment vehicles moreso than games.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Can someone recommend a distro that will be used exclusively for gaming?

I've not used Linux in like a decade and only know I dislike Ubuntu for reasons I can't remember (pretty sure it's apt fucking up my system related) I'm between Mint, PopOS, and Bazzite.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Bazzite 100%

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Second vote for bazzite. It's been so great. It's my 8 year old son's first non-console experience and he's loving it.

I've had zero problems with it. The only thing I've had to do is select the proton launch option using an easy-to-find gui setting. Everything else has been normal steam GUI stuff.

It's also my first experience with an immutable distro, which has been interesting for me to learn about. Knowing about those details is completely unnecessary to run bazzite though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I can only speak to PopOS as that's what I chose when I switched last year. It's been mostly fine but there have definitely been pain points. If you use a hard drive other than your os install drive then you need to go to the steam website to get the installer and not use the one in the built in app store. Getting mods working for games has been incredibly annoying anytime I have to use protontricks.

Non gaming related I've had numerous issues trying to manage permissions for my hard drives. Not sure if this is a Pop issue or general Linux issue.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Getting mods working for games

Yeah mods can be quite troublesome.

If you use a hard drive other than your os install drive then you need to go to the steam website to get the installer and not use the one in the built in app store.

Sounds like a steam problem.

Non gaming related I've had numerous issues trying to manage permissions for my hard drives

Eh, i remember mounting being a bit troublesome a few years back, but current GNOME should take of that for you with very little input on your end. This brings us to PopOS 22 which is starting to get really old at this point, I'd consider moving away to something that's not left abandoned while they finish up Cosmic.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Coming from someone who gamed only on a steamdeck for a few years (i.e I have no other console or PC) and then switching to a desktop with a better GPU/CPU. I can't believe how easy Bazzite was to install use and get gaming. Simply amazing what this team is doing to make it easy for the average person to get gaming on Linux.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago

Definitely bazzite

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Not true. There are still a lot of games which don't just run on Linux. Or if they do, it doesn't run out of the box. I'd like for that to be the case however

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