I've been using a Steam Deck for a couple of years and really enjoy the Linux experience, especially with KDE Plasma in desktop mode. I'm considering making the switch to Linux for gaming, particularly because I have an Nvidia GPU paired with an AMD CPU. However, I'm uncertain if Linux is truly ready for gaming with Nvidia graphics. Additionally, I have questions about drivers: does the motherboard manufacturer need to provide Linux drivers? Lastly, which Linux distribution would be the best for gaming with Nvidia support, especially since SteamOS isn't quite ready for general use yet?
2 Answers
Check out Ubuntu! They've streamlined the process for installing Nvidia drivers, and everything else is usually built into the kernel, so you shouldn’t have to hunt for drivers online. Other distros can be a bit tricky with Nvidia installs, but Ubuntu makes it pretty straightforward.
It really depends on your specific setup and games. You can check ProtonDB to see if your games run well on Linux. If you don’t mind sacrificing 10-30% performance in DX12 games, then yeah, Nvidia on Linux can work for gaming! Most hardware works out of the box, thanks to the Linux kernel including many drivers. For gaming-friendly distros, Nobara and Bazzite come with Nvidia drivers pre-installed, making them a good starting point. But honestly, any Fedora-based distro with KDE will do well if you're willing to tweak a little.
What else do Nobara and Bazzite include for gamers aside from Nvidia drivers?
That's a bit concerning about the performance drop. I think I might hold off for now.
Awesome, I figured I'd need to check ProtonDB since I'm familiar with it on my Steam Deck. How does gaming performance compare to Windows? And what’s the deal with HDR?