Linux has come a long way when it comes to gaming. What was once a barren wasteland for PC games has evolved into a viable platform complete with tools that make running Windows games straightforward. Thanks to compatibility layers like Wine and Proton, as well as native Linux ports, many of the most popular Windows games now run flawlessly on Linux.
In addition, several Linux distributions cater specifically to the needs of gamers. These distros optimize performance, bundle key gaming tools, and choose desktop environments tailored for playability. While you can game on just about any general-purpose distro, these gaming-centric options take most of the setup work out of the equation.
If you want to enjoy AAA titles or indulge your nostalgia for classic games on an open-source operating system, these are the best Linux distros for gaming to consider.
1. Drauger OS
Drauger OS lives up to its billing as "Linux for Gamers" by providing quick access to Steam along with configuring hardware and drivers for optimal gaming performance out of the box.
Based on Xubuntu 20.04, Drauger OS utilizes the lightweight Xfce desktop environment. The interface includes Conky system monitors for keeping track of metrics like CPU, memory, and disk usage as you game. Custom dock bars, themes, icons, and wallpapers give the distro its own unique look and feel.
Underneath the hood, Drauger OS automatically sets up graphics drivers from AMD, Intel, or Nvidia. Alternative drivers are also available through the built-in driver manager GUI. The OS enables key gaming technologies as well, like AMD FSR, VKD3D, and Gaming Mode from Feral Interactive.
For managing games, a dedicated Steam launcher resides in the main menu. It enables installing, uninstalling, and backing up Steam games from one simple interface. A console launcher modeled after the Xbox provides a controller-friendly way to access all your games in Big Picture Mode.
Best For: Gamers who want a distro where everything works for gaming off the bat. From drivers to software tools, Drauger OS has you covered with no extra configuration required.
2. Pop!_OS
System76 specifically designed its Pop!_OS Linux distribution for STEM and creative professionals. Given that focus, Pop!_OS proves an excellent springboard for gaming as well.
Built on Ubuntu, Pop!_OS sets itself apart with the custom COSMIC desktop. The interface includes tile windows, improved workspaces, and refined system menus aimed at improving workflow and concentration. Pop!_OS also utilizes systemd-boot for quicker startups and shutdowns.
For gaming, Pop!_OS really shines regarding Nvidia graphics setup. An integrated utility makes installing and managing Nvidia drivers a breeze compared to other distros. AMD users can also install cutting-edge graphics drivers via the Pop!_Shop.
Pop!_OS doesn‘t include Steam by default, but adding it takes just a few clicks. Once installed, all the gaming tools you need reside within close reach.
Out of the box, optimizations like disk caching, input polling, and thread scheduling afford Pop!_OS better gaming performance over standard Ubuntu. Still, you can utilize extensions like GameMode and Feral GameMode to eke out even more FPS and smoothness. Auto-refresh rate switching is also enabled for those with variable refresh rate monitors.
Best For: Nvidia users and tinkerers who like optimizing performance. The specialized tools make it easy to push your hardware‘s limits when gaming.
3. Fedora Games Spin
Fedora Workstation already provides a polished experience for development, programming, and daily computing. The Fedora Games spin takes the same foundation and rips out unneeded software to deliver a lean, mean gaming machine.
By default, Fedora includes only free and open source software. The Games spin adds useful non-free apps and codecs for enjoying everything gaming has to offer. This includes Steam, Lutris, MangoHud, GameMode, and Spotify.
In keeping with Fedora‘s focus on emerging technology, this gaming distro ships with the very latest software versions. So you‘ll always have access to the most modern gaming innovations. Updates roll out on a six-month cadence as well.
Under the hood, the Linux kernel receives gaming optimizations like FSync and BBR TCP congestion improvements. Updated Mesa drivers ensure maximizing graphics performance, especially for vulkan-based games.
The Xfce desktop provides a lightweight yet contemporary gaming interface. Custom theming via the Dynamic Wallpaper tool helps you toggle between dark and light modes depending on your gaming mood.
Best For: Gamers who always want the latest gaming tech upgrades. Fedora Games Spin makes that easy by baking in new optimizations and innovations with every semi-annual release.
4. Garuda Linux Gaming Edition
Arch-based distros like Manjaro offer seasoned Linux users a highly customizable foundation for gaming. Garuda Linux goes several steps further by providing a ready-made Arch gaming configuration.
Booting from the live media provides three gaming options suited for different experience levels. Dragonized Gaming Edition serves up bleeding-edge packages for those chasing maximum FPS. Chaotic Gaming Edition provides the latest drivers and software as well. Game-ready Кошка Edition offers a more cautious selection of mature, time-tested packages.
All the editions include Lutris and Steam preconfigured for playability. The Anbox compatibility layer also enables running Android games natively. And specialty kernels like XanMod and Zen improve performance and responsiveness during gameplay.
Visually, the Dragonized Gaming Edition stands out with a customized KDE Plasma desktop. The Chaotic and Game-ready Кошка editions feature the tiled i3wm. Its keyboard-driven navigation keeps your fingers on WASD during intense gaming sessions.
Best For: Existing Arch Linux users seeking a pre-optimized path for gaming. Also suitable for intermediate Linux enthusiasts wanting to dip their toes into the Arch ecosystem.
5. Nobara Project
The Nobara Project strips down Fedora Workstation 35 into an experimental gaming distro. By removing non-gaming packages, Nobara minimizes background processes that can interfere with gameplay performance.
Nobara Project doesn‘t ease you into gaming gently. Configuration requires using command line tools and editing text config files manually. So it poses a trial by fire for enthusiasts wanting to understand Linux gaming at a whole new depth.
On the plus side, all the tweaks and customizations in Nobara aim squarely at delivering the best possible gaming experience. That includes bleeding-edge drivers, low-latency tuning, bleeding-edge Wine and Proton builds, and much more.
Due to its razor focus on no-compromise gaming performance, compatibility issues can arise with Nobara Project. So treat this Fedora spin as a technical showcase rather than an everyday gaming OS.
Best For: Bleeding-edge experimentalists who want to push Linux gaming to its limits. Understand that breakage can and does occur given the nature of testing the latest changes.
6. SparkyLinux GameOver Edition
SparkyLinux GameOver Edition provides a ready-to-game Debian/testing-based distro complete with 100+ preinstalled games. Just about any game genre you can think of makes an appearance in the massive catalog.
Booting from the live media gives you immediate access to the fun via the LXQt desktop. Compriz compression ensures even the huge game selection fits within a reasonably sized 4GB ISO. Favorites like 0 A.D., Minetest, SuperTuxKart, and Warzone 2100 make playing easy right away.
The real magic comes after installing GameOver to a hard drive or SSD. You gain permanent save game storage along with the benefits of running native rather than live. Performance improves, especially for 3D games.
You‘ll have everything you need to start gaming quickly with Steam, Wine, PlayOnLinux, DOSBox, and ScummVM available out of the box. GameOver Edition also includes handy tools like Discord, MangoHud, and GameMode.
Best For: Trying tons of open source Linux games with no hunting down installers or tinkering with configurations. With 100+ titles preloaded, playing games starts immediately.
7. Manjaro
Easy out-of-box setup made Manjaro one of the most popular Arch-based distros. Those attributes also make Manjaro a great launchpad for gaming on Linux.
After installation, Manjaro automatically detects graphics hardware from AMD, Intel, or Nvidia. Proprietary drivers automatically install to ensure optimal gaming performance. You can toggle between the open source and closed source drivers easily if needed.
The intuitive graphical Manjaro Settings Manager provides fine-grained control over system tweaks. That gives you an accessible way to disable unnecessary services and optimize boot times.
Manjaro offers multiple official flavors featuring desktops like Xfce, KDE Plasma, and Gnome. Each caters to gamers in different ways. Xfce provides max FPS on lower-powered hardware while KDE offers more eyecandy.
While Manjaro doesn‘t offer Steam installation out of the box, the Manjaro User Repository hosts community-maintained gaming packages. These serve popular titles like Steam, Lutris, DXVK, and GameMode in ready-to-use fashion.
Best For: Gamers who want Arch‘s benefits without the steep learning curve. Manjaro gives you an easy on-ramp to optimize a system for your favorite games.
8. Ubuntu GamePack
Canonical‘s Ubuntu ranks among the most popular beginner distros. However, it doesn‘t cater specifically to gamers out of the box. This is where the community-maintained Ubuntu GamePack steps in to fill the gap.
Built on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, GamePack lives up to its name by focusing squarely on gaming. Tweaks like the performance governor, I/O scheduler, swappiness, and more eke out better frame rates. The OS also enables Feral GameMode and locks to a performance-friendly CFS scheduler.
On the desktop front, GamePack offers a choice between GNOME and KDE Plasma depending on your preference. Under the hood, you have access to the latest graphics drivers and Mesa updates for Vulkan gaming. Wine, Steam, and Lutris ship preconfigured to handle Windows game compatibility.
Thanks to its Ubuntu base, GamePack enjoys all the software compatibility and hardware support you‘d expect. Gaming optimizations make it attractive for players who otherwise enjoy Ubuntu. And you can easily customize the distro even further to suit your individual needs.
Best For: Ubuntu users who want a familiar foundation optimized for playability. GamePack delivers all the gaming tools without sacrificing day-to-day desktop usability.
9. Solus
Independent Linux distro Solus offers home users and gamers a true curated rolling release model. Rather than constant bleeding edge updates, Solus integrates new versions only after extensive stability testing. This philosophy balances staying up to date while maximizing compatibility.
Solus furnishes two gaming options out of the box: Steam integration and Lutris. Optimize Mode utilizes Feral GameMode, CPU governor tuning, and real time kernel for better performance. Solus also supports variable refresh rates up to 240Hz.
The desktop front-end caters to gaming as well. Budgie utilizes modern GTK alongside the non-resource intensive Mutiny panel. Custom theming, fonts, icons, and animations complete the experience.
Rather than shoehorning gaming into a general purpose OS, Solus built its entire computing stack with gaming in mind. Quality packages vetted via the controllers program ensure both stability and latest available functionality.
Best For: Stable usability rather than bleeding edge. Solus keeps your system gaming ready without constant drastic changes causing breakage.
10. RetroArch/Lakka
While Lakka serves as a showcase for RetroArch, the emulation frontend works wonders across just about any distro. By centralizing configuration, metadata scraping, shader packs, and more, RetroArch provides a unified hub for all your retro gaming.
From Atari to PlayStation to Nintendo 64, RetroArch taps into the rich emulation capabilities of cores like MAME, SNES9x, VBA-M, BlastEm, Genesis Plus GX and many more. Cross platform support means enjoying arcade, computer, and console libraries on everything from Raspberry Pis to gaming powerhouses.
Lakka serves as a demonstration platform for RetroArch on real and virtual hardware. By streamlining Linux system configuration, Lakka delivers emulation performance as its primary function. With one-click game downloading via RetroArch Online Updater, you can easily build complete classic libraries.
While Lakka works best as a dedicated retro gaming environment, you can just as readily run RetroArch alone from any desktop distro like Ubuntu, Pop!_OS, or Manjaro. Customizing shaders, overlays, playlists, and controller bindings cater to your specific retro revival needs.
Best For: Rekindling your nostalgia for classic computer and console games via emulation. RetroArch and Lakka together handle everything from usability to performance.
How to Pick the Best Linux Distro For Your Gaming Needs
With so many Linux distros supporting gaming out of the box, choosing one optimized for playability makes sense. But not all Linux distributions cater specifically to gaming. And even those designed for gaming place emphasis in different areas.
Here are some key factors to look at when deciding which Linux distro will provide the best experience for your needs:
Desktop Environment – Lightweight desktops like Xfce and LXQt help maximize frames per second. But you may prefer interfaces like KDE Plasma with more eyecandy. Test options like live media to get a feel for performance versus aesthetics.
Stability vs Cutting Edge – Compatibility layers like Proton work best against bleeding edge versions of Wine and kernel components. But updating key packages frequently can also introduce game-breaking bugs. Choose a distro philosophy matching your own.
Dedicated Gaming Tools – Utilities like Feral GameMode, Steam integration, Lutris setup, and easy graphics driver installation eliminate tons of manual configuration. Distros like Drauger OS, Pop!_OS, and Manjaro include these by default.
Hardware Support – Check against community hardware polls or test via live environment before installing. Key areas like Nvidia graphics, game controllers, and VR hardware see varying degrees of cooperation.
Games Library – If focusing on native Linux ports, distros basing off Ubuntu or Debian Testing offer the largest ready-to-run catalogs. Retro gaming and emulation often receive optimization in Arch-based distros as well.
No one distro checks every box for every type of gamer. Try out multiple options before settling on the one catering closest to your own wishlist and gaming habits.
What‘s the Experience of PC Gaming Like on Linux?
Today Linux offers PC gamers greater choice and compatibility than ever before. While Windows still commands the lion‘s share of gamers, Linux adoption continues trending upward.
Several factors contribute toward making Linux not just viable but preferable for PC gaming:
Performance – Tuned distros like Pop!_OS, Drauger, and Manjaro often run games faster than Windows out of the box. Cutting unnecessary background processes and services enables squeezing out extra FPS.
Stability – The modular Linux architecture minimizes system instability from game crashes. Resources like audio, networking, and controllers run isolated from the rest of the system.
Compatibility – Layers like Wine, DXVK, vkd3d-proton, and FAudio convert DirectX API calls for native Linux execution. Proton makes running new and past Windows games seamless. Native Steam Play integration built into Steam launches titles automatically via compatibility tools.
Open Source Bonus – Contribute to gaming improvements like GPU drivers, kernel patches, Wine development and more. Or just benefit from the work of someone else.
Cost Savings – Completely free gaming awaits across hundreds of native Linux game ports. Enjoy new titles across every genre rather than being limited to free-to-play games.
While the occasional rough edge still shows itself, support continues growing. Hardware vendors Optimus and PowerColor now offer video cards tailored for Linux. Anti-cheat compatibility also continues improving thanks to coordinated efforts by Valve, BattlEye, EAC and the Wine project.
For casual players and enthusiasts alike, Linux leaves Windows in the dust when it comes to stability, cost, innovation and fun.
Wrapping Up
The days of gaming being Limited to Windows PCs continues fading. Thanks to concerted efforts by Valve and open source developers, Linux now furnishes everything most PC gamers could ask for. Whether your passion runs toward the latest AAA extravaganzas or becoming the Tetris grand master, a Linux distro catered toward gaming has you covered.
From polished ready-to-game desktops like Manjaro and Pop!_OS to bare metal performance obsessed options like Drauger OS, Linux gamers enjoy choice. The recommendations here only skim the surface of what‘s possible. As hardware and software continues evolving rapidly to embrace Linux gaming, the next few years promise even more exciting innovation.
