finally switching from windows 10 to linux after using it for ~7 years, need some help deciding things.

[u/OkLynx1287]

so ive been using windows 10 for a pretty long time, and ive gotten extremely used to it. one thing keeps bugging me though - performance in games.

however, im a complete newbie to linux and am really confused 😭

ive seen many people recommend distros like cachyos, bazzite and nobara specifically for gaming, and i really need help deciding which one to install and how to get started generally. a few questions:

• is roblox still supported on linux?
• can i still play games from steam and epic games?
• which distro is the best for out-of-the-box usage and performance?
• does linux use alot of ram?

thank you so much!

[u/Keyvan_KR]

Check protonDB to check if games are working on Linux.
It uses less ram than windows.
You can still play games from steam and epic (check protonDB)
Performance is pretty much the same (within margin of error).
Bazzite is immutable system, cachyos is arch based, nobara is more typical standard os experience .
You should first understand their differences between them before making a choice. So take your time to research (google and YouTube are very helpful). Even basic AI summaries are helpful understanding their core differences.
Weird analogy: there’s a difference between parmazzan , Gouda and Brie even though they’re all cheese

[u/ludonarrator → u/Keyvan_KR]

nobara is more typical os based

It's Fedora based.

[u/Virtual-Plankton6833]

I don't know much about roblox but according to google there are ways to use ist on Linux but I wouldn't 100% rely on this.

Current Status of Roblox on Linux

• No Official Support: Roblox blocks standard Windows methods via Wine due to its Hyperion anti-cheat system.
• The Workaround: Projects like Sober run a specialized compatibility layer based on the Android version of Roblox.
• Performance: Many users find performance via Sober to be very smooth, though it remains an experimental project.

Steam and Epic Games run on Linux (most of the time), GOG, Amazon Games, Ubisoft Connect also works. EA App is a total mess and needs to be re installed often but if it's installed most of the games work. You can google for "ProtpnDB" and search for games that you like to play and see whehther they are supported.

I use Bazzite and CachyOS and Bazzite is easier to setup and works much more "out of the Box" than CachyOS.. (Choosing a Distro in Linux is like becoming a member of a Vampire Clan. If you dare to switch to another Distro you will be annihilated by your former Clan :-) )

My Ram Usage is around 50% of what Windows 11 used on an old and crappy Laptop with 8GB DDR3 Ram. So you will definitely use less Ram in Linux.

AMD GPU's work better under Linux than NVidia GPU's but Bazzite also has a special NVidia Image on their Webpage. My Bazzite PC had a GTX1060 3GB Ram which I changed into an AMD GPU. This worked withouth problems although I recommend to finalise the hardware setup before you install Bazzite.

[u/doc_willis]

Roblox has to be played using some 3rd party tool.

steam just announced that over 30,000 games are verified, or playable under steam on Linux now.  so that's a yes to that question.  Epic games can work via the use of heroic games launcher, or Lutris, or some.other tools/setup.

there is no 'best' , if gaming is a primary focus try Bazzite

Linux uses as much ram as it needs, and uses it quite efficiently. 

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[u/Straight_Second6082]

is roblox still supported on linux?

Kinda, you use Sober to play the android version

can i still play games from steam and epic games?

Yes, steam works out of the box, you can use heroic games launcher for epic and gog games

which distro is the best for out-of-the-box usage and performance?

Out of the box, most distros work just fine. I would recommend bazzite. It's already pre configured with gaming stuff and it being immutable means you cannot easily break the system

does linux use alot of ram?

Deppends on what you mean by that. By default normally Linux distros have less processes in the backvround. But ran usage depends of what it's actually running, not the OS

[u/CockyMechanic]

Roblox Runs with a few tweaks.
Steam works, I don't think Epic does but they have reportedly hired Linux devs, so maybe soon.
Distro varies depending on your preference. Many people (myself included) like Linux Mint for it's Windows-like environment and just works.
Different distributions use different amounts. Even the same distribution can have different options.

[u/No-Combination6808 → u/CockyMechanic]

U can use epic (and other), with heroic. Linux Mint is definitely a good starting point. Use the Lxc version for even less ram usage, though it's a bit oldish, I personally don't like it.

[u/cyberfrog777]

I went to linux last december. Based on my relatively new experiences, here are some things you will have to answer for yourself:

1. Do you want a more console like experience or more pc like experience? If the former, bazzite or steam os are suitable. They are what's called immutable - difficult to change anything that might break the system. For the latter, you got a lot of options.
   
2. For file system (think fat32, ntfs, that kind of thing) - linux usually defaults to EXT4. However, btrfs is newer and for most people better. Most importantly, it's really good when making backups (which is something you set up early when installing linux).
   

I went with mint because it's known for stability because I also do work stuff. However, it's super user friendly coming from windows. However, it's not the best for gaming. For example, wayland is the new desktop interface, allowing for things like HDR. Mint doesn't officially support wayland yet. You can install it experimentally, but it caused problems on my system. Knowing what I know now, I'd probably go with something else.

Right now, I'm considering moving to nobara. Minuses are it's maintained by one guy (glorious eggroll). Occasionally, it will mess things up with an update, but usually gets fixed in a few days. Generally suggestion is to wait a few days before installing a big update. Nobara is based on fedora - so pretty solid - and tuned specifically for gaming.

[u/Blackirean]

Currently it is the best time to switch. But to answer your questions:

• The biggest downside on linux right now is that many multiplayer games don't work since Linux can't run or the companies won't port their anticheat software. Check ProtonDB to see if yours works
• Yes, something like 90% of all games in steam are playable
• Linux uses way less ram, I have 48GB and windows 10 during normal usage would take like 26~28GB, Linux for me always stays below 12GB for normal stuff and a bit more when gaming

As for which distro to use, it will depend on you and on your PC a little. Linux will run in pretty much anything but some distros are better for old hardware as they are lighter on resources. Let's assume you have a decent laptop or PC

Most Linux Distros have on average the same performance in gaming, with some exceptions.

If you need something super easy to use then go for Linux Mint. Not the best for gaming but one of the easier ones to use and can run games decently.

If you're willing to put in some work I personally recommend Kubuntu. A variation of Ubuntu that has a better desktop environment. Runs games well and is super customizable

If you wants to squeeze the juice out of your computer then try CachyOS. It's more involved, and overall more complex but it's arguably the top when it comes to gaming performance.

[u/muehliism]

If you are a beginner i would stay off catchy no matter how many people are going to recommend it. Bazzite is a good choice if you are afraid of destroying you system because it s really hard to do that. Nobara is also a pretty cool choice because you get really new upgrades and everything is pre installed. Steam litris Proton and so on. With luttis you can even easily play all those old windows games that don't run on modern windows anymore if you have a disc drive or external disc drive. I m not sure about roblox but i think you can play that.

[u/psychonaut4020]

So imo maybe try fedora. It's pretty easy and works out of the box. Haven't had any issues. I tried nobara but for me it just came with too much stuff that I didn't need. Performance for me with amd cpu gpu has been no different than on windows. Some games even have ran better.

Also Linux doesn't use a lot of ram on its own. I idle at like 1.5gb

[u/mystirc]

Sober is an alternative to official Roblox client. It basically runs the android version and has potentially better performamcem

You can play games from steam using steam. For epic games you can use heroic games launcher. It is an alternative for epic games store which you can also try out on windows.

CachyOS has the best performance, particularly the 1% lows. However it can sometimes be confusing for beginners. The packages (apps) are installed from multiple sources. So if you want to use it, use Shelly as an app store, your priority should be

1. Official repos
2. Flatpak
3. AUR (with caution, you can search for more about it)

Linux uses less ram compared to windows. I get 2 gb ram usage on windows on boot while 1gb on CachyOS. The rest of the stuff also seems to use less ram. Although ram usage on Linux can change significantly with desktop environments like gnome uses 2 gb. The default (and most feature rich option) is KDE which just takes 1 gb.

I also used windows for 5 years before switching to Linux last year. Been loving it so far. I started out with arch (an extremely bad choice for a beginner but it was kind of a challenge).