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Linux gaming for a non-technical person? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 2 days ago by grueling_spool@sh.itjust.works to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.world

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I'm putting together a gaming system for the kind of person who needs help if their TV is set to the wrong input. Obviously I'm committing myself to providing a certain amount of tech support no matter what, but I'm wondering if any of these modern Linux distros can provide a user experience at least on par with Windows in terms of ease of use and reliability for someone who doesn't know how to do much more than check their email and log in to Steam.

So far, I've looked at Bazzite, Cachy, Nobara, and PopOS based on what I commonly see recommended here. I'm leaning toward Bazzite based on its stated goal of being friendly to Linux newcomers, and the quality and amount of available documentation. Are there any other distros I've missed, or other considerations that might sway my preference?

I'd also like to hear about your subjective experiences with Linux gaming:

What distro are you using for gaming?
How long have you used it?
How often have you had issues that require Linux knowledge and/or searching the web to solve?
Have you had any other minor/annoying complaints?

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[–] Fletcher@lemmy.today 20 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I've been using Linux Mint for the last....eight years? I think? Anyway, it's been great for gaming and if you want a minimum of fussing about, I would just install Steam and use Proton for compatibility. It's by far the easiest and most tinker-free gaming experience for Linux - at least in my experience. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to really research and tinker with any annoying issues. protondb.com has been extremely helpful in checking the compatibility of a certain game for Linux and even offers tips and tricks to make the fussier games work.

[–] grueling_spool@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I must shamefully admit I've been ignoring Mint since I first heard about it years back, under the assumption that it was just another transient Ubuntu derivative. But as a Debian guy, this looks like it might actually be perfect. I think I'll actually slap Mint on an old Thinkpad and try it out as a daily driver.

[–] brax@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

From what I've heard, Wayland isn't really a thing in Mint yet. So if that's important to you, you're gonna have a bad time lol

[–] grueling_spool@sh.itjust.works 1 points 19 minutes ago

Thanks for the heads up. I'm fine with X11 for general usage, but I've read that games tend to perform better under Wayland, so that's probably going to be an important factor.

[–] wizzim@infosec.pub 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

If you come from Debian, you can also consider Linux Mint Debian Edition - LMDE, which should be even easier for you.

Currently it's LMDE 6 but a new release is around the corner, with the imminent release of Debian Trixie.