Which Linux distro is easiest for everyday use and light gaming?

If you want an Arch-based system without doing everything manually, CachyOS is a more approachable option. Its setup tools can install NVIDIA drivers, Steam, and other gaming components with relatively little terminal work. Still, Arch-based systems aren’t automatically more compatible; they mainly tend to provide newer kernels, drivers, and packages. Make sure you have backups and a recovery plan before experimenting.

Before changing distributions, it would help to identify the exact problems you’re having. For most ordinary Steam games, the distribution itself usually isn’t the deciding factor. Proton’s current, Experimental, or GE versions handle many Windows games, while compatibility problems are more often caused by missing drivers, an incorrect GPU selection, or games with kernel-level anti-cheat. You could try updating Mint’s kernel and graphics stack first, and create a Timeshift snapshot before making major changes.

Bazzite is worth considering if gaming is the main reason you want to switch. It’s designed around Steam and gaming, with much of the setup handled for you. It should still cover normal desktop tasks such as browsing, videos, and writing. That said, it’s not necessary just to play lightweight games—Mint with properly installed NVIDIA drivers and Proton may already be enough.

Using Arch or another do-it-yourself distribution doesn’t require programming knowledge, but it does require learning more about system administration. You’ll be mounting partitions, installing packages, and configuring services from the terminal. If Mint already meets your daily needs, changing distributions may create more work than it solves. Try to diagnose one failing game at a time and check whether it needs a different Proton version, Vulkan support, or a specific NVIDIA configuration.