Is Linux Ready For Gaming? - A Challenge

With Valve’s new hardware (which runs SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system) coming out this year, and the Steam Frame even running on the ARM architecture instead of x86, there’s an interesting question that popped up for me: is Linux really ready for a gaming setup?

To answer that question, I set a challenge for myself: from today, the 1st of April, to the 1st of June, I will run Linux on my main PC no matter what. If I can’t play a game I like, I’ll suffer without it. If I have weird driver problems, I’ll try to solve them. I will not touch Windows at any point for any personal reason, and at the end, I’ll figure out whether or not Linux is good enough for gaming in 2026.

Now, I’m not just going to decide based on vibes I get during this period  — I’ll be using a system. I’ll start with 100 points, which is “the same as Windows”, and add or deduct based on my experience. Note that this system only applies to titles that do not have a native Linux build, only ones using the Proton layer. The rules are as follows:

• If a game requires some work to get running, I’ll deduct one point.
• If a game runs with some annoying but still playable Linux-only bugs, I’ll deduct two points.
• If a game runs but is unplayable due to bugs, I’ll deduct four points.
• If a game simply can’t run, I’ll deduct five points.

Now, Linux can also earn some points in this system, with the following rules:

• If a game runs smoother on Linux, I’ll add two points.
• If a game has fewer bugs on Linux, I’ll add three points.

The distribution I’ve chosen for this test might be a bit of a surprise, as it’s not SteamOS or one that was made specifically for gaming: CachyOS. I’ve made that choice due to three factors: it’s about as simple to use as Windows, so it could function to replace it for the average user; it’s made for general use, so it doesn’t have any weird custom drivers and tweaks that improve gaming specifically but hurt other things you’d want to do with your computer; and it’s a pretty mainstream distribution that should have a level of troubleshooting help online that is at least slightly similar to Windows.

There is one exception to my Linux usage during this period: when I review a game, if it can’t run or has some issues, I’ll try it on my laptop with Windows so I can give a fair score. Other than that, I will be staying on Linux for at least two months, and if it’s really as ready as Valve thinks it is, maybe even forever. Personally, I’m hoping it is, both because I’m tired of all the bullshit Microsoft is doing with Windows, and because I just love Linux as a concept.

So, depending on how this goes, it might actually be a good idea to make the switch at this point. Thanks to Valve, the industry is going more and more in the direction of full Linux support, and given that in Linux, drivers are baked into the Kernel and there isn’t any bloatware, this open-source operating system might even get better performance than Windows does.