Hey everyone! I recently got a gaming laptop as a gift, and I'm considering switching to Linux since I stumbled upon it while setting up Windows (thanks, PewDiePie!). I don't have much experience with Linux apart from a couple of fun Comp Sci classes in high school.
I'm looking to use it not just for general purposes, like coding for fun and music production, but mainly for gaming competitively in Guilty Gear Strive (GGST) - a Steam multiplayer fighting game. I'm located in the OCE region, but the main competition takes place on the Japan servers. I know that I can switch servers easily, and I also plan to use a free Proton VPN because I've heard it can help.
So my big question is: is playing competitively on Linux feasible based on my setup? What should I consider about gaming on Linux? I also have some additional questions:
- What Linux distributions are best for my situation?
- How does Steam and Proton work with multiplayer games?
- Are open-source music software options as good as the traditional programs?
- What's the music-making experience like on Linux?
And finally, where's a good starting point for learning Linux if I decide it's suitable for competitive gaming? Thanks a lot for any advice! 🙂
5 Answers
From personal experience, I’ve gotten Guilty Gear Strive to run on Linux via Proton with decent results! Many people assume competitive gaming is impossible on Linux, but it's not that black and white. It's really about checking individual game compatibility, and you might be surprised by what works!
I'd recommend being cautious with Linux for competitive gaming. A lot of competitive titles use anti-cheat systems that don’t support Linux, which could lead to issues. You can check game compatibility on sites like ProtonDB and AreWeAntiCheatYet, but be prepared for some limitations since not all multiplayer games work seamlessly on Linux.
Right? I noticed that some games might work, but it's really hit or miss depending on the specific title.
If you're set on using Linux, I'd suggest starting with Linux Mint for ease of use. It’s user-friendly and has a lot of support. Plus, you can always transition to something like Arch later if you're feeling adventurous! Just keep in mind, Linux does have a learning curve, but it's not as bad these days. You can do a lot of cool customization too!
Mint sounds great! I’m all about customization and learning as I go.
It really depends on the game you're looking to play. Some multiplayer options run fine on Linux, while others won’t work due to anti-cheat restrictions. Dota 2, CS2, and Rocket League are examples that do well, but games like Valorant and CoD are a no-go. You might want to dual-boot with Windows just for those specific games if you run into issues.
True, I was thinking about dual-booting too. Just in case the game I want doesn’t run well on Linux.
For your music production questions, there are open-source DAWs like LMMS and Audacity, which are actually pretty decent! Just remember that many professional tools don’t have Linux support, so you might want to try them out on Windows first to see if you like them.
Thanks for the heads-up! I’ve used Audacity before, so I’ll check out LMMS too.
Awesome! That’s good to know about GGST!