Which Linux Distribution Is Best for a Beginner Who Mainly Wants to Game?

For a gaming-focused setup, take a look at Bazzite. It comes with many gaming features configured already and is designed to be difficult to break, which can be helpful when you're new to Linux. The tradeoff is that its immutable design makes some deeper customization less straightforward.

Zorin OS is worth considering if you want the desktop to feel close to Windows. Pop!_OS and Ubuntu-based options are also approachable. You can try most distributions from a bootable USB drive before installing, so you can check whether your hardware, Wi-Fi, graphics, and displays work properly.

Linux Mint is probably the safest starting point. It's beginner-friendly, stable, familiar to people coming from Windows, and easy to customize. Ubuntu is another reliable choice with lots of documentation and software support.

If you want newer hardware support and plenty of customization, Fedora or CachyOS with the KDE Plasma desktop could be a good fit. Mint is excellent on older hardware, but it can lag behind on support for very new graphics cards, multi-monitor setups, or variable refresh rate. Also check whether any Windows-only games or programs you rely on work through Proton or another compatibility layer before switching completely.