Fellow DCT authors Jim Hillier and Terry Hollet have written extensively about Linux in its various forms, not least the growing number of Windows users migrating to Linux. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main ones is the extraordinary lengths Microsoft is going to to drive users away from Windows 11. Hardware requirements (TPM 2.0), the end of Windows 10, and the quite nauseating proliferation of AI, whether we like it or not. I’m an enthusiastic Windows user and have been since Windows 3.1, but with each iteration, it’s become more bloated than ever – another reason many are jumping ship and not just gamers.
Linux Now Supports 90% Of Games
In the past, Linux was considered a no-go for gaming, but not anymore. Steam OS, a Linux-based operating system found in the Steam Deck and upcoming Steam Machine, is a serious driving force in Linux gaming, and many more distros are joining the revolution, including Bazzite and CachyOS. It’s now become much easier to run your games through the Steam platform on Linux, without having to jump through the hoops of Wine (Wine is not an emulator). I dabbled in Linux about 10 years ago and even managed to get some games running through Wine, but the scene has changed dramatically since then. On Steam alone, there are over 25,000 games playable on Linux, most of which are through a compatibility layer such as Proton and largely influenced by the Steam Deck.
I’m Giving Linux Another Go
It would be remiss of me not to try gaming on a Linux machine, and since I have a spare PC with the following specs, I’ll be doing just that:
- Ryzen 5600G
- Radeon RX 580 8GB
- 32GB DDR4 RAM
- NVMe 256GB
- Hard drive 500GB
I currently use it for VHS to digital conversion, and it has numerous paid licenses tied to it, so I’ll be removing the Windows 11 NVMe, inserting a spare one, and installing Bazzite, which means I can easily revert because it won’t be permanent. Or maybe it will be? I have another PC set up for VHS conversions anyway. I have hundreds of games in my Steam library, and since I don’t play multiplayer, I won’t need to worry about kernel-level anti-cheat software, which isn’t compatible with Bazzite, so games that insist on anti-cheat software won’t install. It’s horrible software anyway.
I’ll report back with my experiences very soon, but in the meantime, please let us know in the comments if you have taken the leap from Windows to Linux.
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