You will often hear Linux fans praising that gaming on Linux is better than on Windows. I also researched whether playing games on Linux is okay. But, is it something to be hyped about? Can we recommend Linux to a gamer? Is Linux suitable for gaming?
In this article, I want to share a few things about gaming on Linux and share my thoughts on it.
Can you play games on Linux?
If someone has ever told you that you can’t play games on Linux, it’s not true.
You can play a lot of different games on Linux without any major hiccups. And, most games are playable, it also provides a good experience.
In fact, you guys have a tutorial on Games on Linux if you don’t know where to start.
Do you need to choose the right version of Linux for gaming?
It also depends on your needs and the experience you want.
For example, if you want a Linux distro that works well with your graphics driver and gets the latest hardware support, then you need to choose the right distribution you want. Similarly, if you just want to play native Linux indie games with the integrated GPU, any Linux distro should work.
Therefore, you must consider carefully when choosing the right Linux distribution for your game. But don’t worry, to help you, I have prepared a list of the best Linux operating systems for Games.
Virtual Reality Games on Linux
VR Games are not yet widely available, however, if you want a fun experience while playing VR Games, then choosing Linux might be a bad idea.
Linux does not have the necessary drivers or applications to give you the best experience. There is also no distro that can help you with this problem.
If you’re curious, you can check out the details of the state of VR gaming in a Boiling Steam post and enjoy Valve’s VR machine on GamingOnLinux.
My advice is to avoid using Linux if you want to play VR games. However, you should also try it out if you have time.
Play Windows-specific games on Linux?
The answer is No and….Yes.
You can use Steam Play to play Windows-only games, but it also has some problems. Not every game works well.
Maybe we’ll see it in action via Steam Play without issue, but in the future, who knows?
And, to see if your game will work on Linux, go to ProtonDB and search for the game to see if it has at least a “yellow” status.
You can read the article How to install Windows Games on Linux with PlayOnLinux to learn more.
A large portion of gamers enjoy playing multiplayer games like Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and Fortnite.
However, some popular titles based on the anti-cheat engine still do not work on Linux. I think Linux will develop this feature in future Linux Kernel releases.
Multiplayer games like CS:GO, Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, Valheim and a few others that support Linux still work great.
Should I recommend Linux to gamers?
You can play many Windows-specific games, indie games, and many AAA games that support Linux, so you can recommend newcomers to try Linux gaming.
However, that comes with a caveat – I recommend creating a list of games you want to play to make sure it runs on Linux without any issues. In either case, you may end up spending a lot of time trying to fix the problem to no avail.
Don’t forget my advice, you shouldn’t play VR games on Linux.
And, if you want to discover all the latest and greatest games, I recommend using Windows.