I currently use Windows 11 Pro, but its frequent annoyances are making me consider switching to Linux. I'm comfortable building and troubleshooting PCs, and my first real Linux experience was using a Steam Deck. Most of my PC games are on Steam, although some use Easy Anti-Cheat, and I also play Steam VR titles with a PSVR2 headset. I regularly do post-production work for indie short and feature films in DaVinci Resolve Studio, so that workflow needs to remain dependable. I don't mind learning or doing some troubleshooting, but I'm not interested in spending weeks getting basic gaming and editing working. Would Linux be a practical daily driver for my hardware and use case, and which distributions or testing methods would you recommend?
4 Answers
Linux can be a good fit if you’re willing to learn a few new habits, but switching solely because Windows is frustrating may not be enough motivation when something breaks after an update. Game compatibility and VR support are very much case by case. I’d make a list of the games and production features you rely on, test them from a separate installation, and keep Windows around until you’re confident everything works.
The biggest question is which specific games you play. Easy Anti-Cheat can work on Linux, but support has to be enabled by each game’s developer. Single-player games are generally much easier, while some competitive multiplayer titles may not work at all. Check each game on ProtonDB before switching. DaVinci Resolve has a Linux version too, though you may need to adjust your workflow or install a few dependencies. Fedora, Linux Mint, and similar mainstream distributions are good starting points because troubleshooting information is easy to find.
DaVinci Resolve does run on Linux, but don’t assume the experience will be identical to Windows. Some plugins, codecs, hardware acceleration setups, and other production tools may require research or replacement. If your editing work is deadline-sensitive, test a complete project—including media imports, effects, exports, and plugins—before making Linux your only operating system.
Try Linux without risking your current setup. The safest option is installing it on a spare SSD while keeping your Windows drive intact. You can also boot a distribution from a USB drive first to check hardware compatibility, or test the desktop in a virtual machine. For a more gaming-focused setup, Nobara is worth considering, while Mint is a straightforward general-purpose choice.
A separate drive is especially useful here because you can keep Windows available for any game or production tool that turns out to be unreliable on Linux.