I'm considering switching to Linux for gaming purposes, mainly focusing on my library that includes both old classics and some newer releases. Most of the games I play are from Steam, GOG, Battle.net, and Ubisoft, with about 70% being from the 90s to 2000s era, like Caesar 3, The Settlers, and some remastered versions. The other 30% consists of modern games like Diablo 4 and Age of Empires 4.
Can I expect Linux to be compatible with these games? Since there are various distributions of Linux, which one would be the best choice for an exclusive gaming setup? I plan to use this PC solely for gaming and occasional browsing with Brave, so I'd love some insights on which Linux version might be the smoothest for my needs.
5 Answers
If you're looking into older titles, I'd recommend avoiding Wayland-based distros since you might run into some issues without tweaking settings. Stick with an X11-based distro for better compatibility. Personally, I've had success running games like WoT, Deus Ex, and Witcher 3 on my setup without any major hiccups, which is pretty great!
Good point! I've also had success with older titles on Debian. It seems to be a solid choice!
Gaming on Linux has definitely come a long way, especially with titles available on Steam. However, it's not as polished as Windows just yet. You should definitely check your games on ProtonDB for compatibility. While many Windows games can run on Linux now, not all of them operate perfectly; only about half might give you a smooth experience right out of the box. Especially with older games, you might find some compatibility issues due to their unique use of hardware resources. So, just do some research on the compatibility of your favorite titles before making the switch.
Honestly, it’s a shame to see questions like this pop up so frequently without thorough research first. But don't worry, we’re all learning! You can find answers on Google for many common queries. Just take your time and explore; there's a lot of valuable info out there!
For checking game compatibility, ProtonDB is a great resource to see how well your titles will perform on Linux. Just keep in mind that certain games might have different compatibility across varying Linux distributions, so it could be beneficial to look at reports for each one.
I can vouch for Battle.net games like Diablo and WoW working well on Linux, especially on distributions like Fedora. In fact, I found that WoW performs better in Fedora than it did on Windows for me. Just keep in mind those older games might take a bit of tinkering to get them running flawlessly, so be prepared for that!
How about specific distros? Which ones do you think are the most reliable for gaming?