
Manual setup may be difficult for non-technical users.Only works with Steam games out of the box.Out of the box compatibility with the Steam Store.But, if you can get through the initial setup process, you will be hard-pressed to find a better Linux distribution designed for gaming. It also uses many different proprietary drivers, which may annoy some open source purists. However, the setup can be difficult for anyone that has never used Linux before, and the hardware requirements are somewhat higher compared to other Linux distributions. Out of the box, you will find drivers ready to go to support a huge variety of video cards and controllers/joysticks.Ĭombine that with its smooth integration with the Steam Store and Steam games built for Linux, and you have a Linux operating system that is perfect for gaming. Originally designed for the Steam Machine, Valve has also made the Linux-based operating system available for download as well, but with limited support.

Let’s look at the eight best Linux distributions for gaming and decide which one will be right for you and your gaming needs. These distributions come with everything you need for gaming, so you don’t have to spend hours setting up your system just to play your favorite game.

While you can transform any Linux distribution into a Linux gaming machine, there are several Linux distros out there that are designed specifically for gaming. Of course, to run the games, you will need the right Linux distribution to do it. Once you add to that count all of the different classic emulators, Windows games, and the Steam Store, there are probably more games available for Linux than any other platform. There are thousands of games available for Linux.

Still, more and more people are beginning to recognize the power and usefulness of Linux every day, even for gaming. Sure, it still has a long way to go before it hopes to replace Microsoft Windows or Apple’s macOS as the top operating system. Linux, the free and open-source operating system, is more popular today than it has ever been. There was a time when you had to go with Microsoft Windows if you wanted to play games.
