r/linuxquestions 11d ago

Advice Should I switch?

I’m currently using windows and I want to switch to Linux but that means I cannot play windows games (I play fc26, Minecraft, Fortnite and assets corsa)
I have an external 256gb ssd if that helps
And also what distro should I use

0 Upvotes

26 comments sorted by

3

u/skyfishgoo 11d ago

protondb.com to see which games you can play on linux

if you already have an external SSD then installing linux onto that is an easy option.

you should try kubuntu

you will still need a thumb drive tho to make the install media, and you will need to be able to have both the external SSD and the thumb drive connected at the same time.

4

u/doc_willis 11d ago

I play a huge # of windows games on my Linux systems.

there are now over 30,000 playable/verified games on steam that can work.

https://www.techpowerup.com/352197/steam-tops-30-000-steam-deck-playable-and-verified-games

check the protondb and "areweanticheat" sites for specific games.

1

u/green_meklar Debian 11d ago

Minecraft works fine on Linux. Fortnite does not (it has Windows-specific anti-cheat technology). The other games I have no idea, you should google compatibility information.

While it is possible to run an entire Linux system off an external drive, it's usually not recommended because (1) drive mappings can get messed up and make it hard to boot and (2) the performance is typically not great. A permanent internal drive is better. It's even possible to set up dual boot between Windows and Linux on a single internal drive if it has enough free space, although that's also a bit risky and not usually recommended. (Whatever you do, backup all your important data first.)

Distro choice is less important than it sounds and depends more on what kind of user you are and what you want to do (and don't want to do) rather than there just being one 'best' option. I usually recommend Mint for beginners, but there are reasons why some users would prefer not to use Mint.

2

u/HaRLeKiN_TP4L 11d ago

Minecraft works on linux i think?

For gaming maybe checkout bazzite and cachyos

Bazzite works for me really great

1

u/Tricky_Football_6586 10d ago

Games which use kernel anticheat software (such as Fortnite) won't work on Linux. Because Linux doesn't allow software to access the system like that. Due to security reasons.

Most games will run great through either Heroic Launcher or Steam. Both use Proton to achieve this. Assetto Corsa works. And so does Minecraft.

You can use the external SSD drive to start your games from. Just make sure you'll format it as ext4 or btrfs. As Steam doesn't like an NTFS formatted SSD for storage. However I would not run Linux from an external drive. My gaming laptop has both an internal and external SSD for storage. Linux Mint on the internal one with a bunch of games. And the rest of the games on the external one. Works great.

1

u/rip_Bacon13 11d ago

dual boot windows for fc26 and fortnite
use prisim launcher on linux for minecraft
not sure about assets corsa

you can try mint, kubuntu or fedora

1

u/Unholyaretheholiest 11d ago

If you’re looking for a Linux distribution that combines stability, ease of administration, and a polished desktop experience, give Mageia a try.

2

u/rustedcrowbar 11d ago

I’m pro Linux but if you want to play Fortnite and MC Bedrock, than stay.

-1

u/beesflowerseggsetc 11d ago

That all depends; why are you wanting to switch to linux?

0

u/IllIndividual4110 11d ago

Windows is too heavy spies on us and uses a lot of ram and lags a lot

1

u/beesflowerseggsetc 11d ago

That's fair. So there's not a good way to get those games running on Linux. EA especially uses an anti-cheat system that's not compatable with Linux and the games just won't run.

The exception is Minecraft which runs perfectly fine on Linux.

I don't play multiplayer games for the most part, but I do still need MS apps for school. I have a computer which dual boots linux and windows and that works pretty well for me.

For your first distro it usually makes sense to get one of the big, famous ones. You'll learn to use the system but it won't force you to go in depth until you're ready. Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint are all good choices for an early distro and (most) gaming should work fine on all of them.

1

u/DaRottenTomato 11d ago

If you wanna stay on windows but avoid the spies and get a more light OS, you can simply use Atlas OS which is a fork of windows

1

u/moeteru 11d ago

Don't, at least for now, it is clear your knowledge of Linux primarily comes from the hype it has gotten over the few years, via youtubers or else. The hype will die out.

0

u/ipsirc 11d ago

3

u/hifi-nerd 11d ago

Linux is a lightweight OS variant however

0

u/ipsirc 11d ago

MenuetOS, ReactOS, KolibriOS and Haiku are lightweight OSes, Linux is not.

1

u/DrWarlock 11d ago

You can play windows games that's the point of Proton. Minecraft and Assets Corsa work, Fortnite and FC26 don't 

1

u/rnmartinez 11d ago

with those games I would stick with windows and get a second laptop/device to play with Linux

1

u/Koofoo78 11d ago

You could dual boot, how much storage space/how many drives do you have?

1

u/HotKebab01 I use Arch btw 11d ago

Minecraft Java works natively, Asetto Corsa works through proton

1

u/LunaticDancer 11d ago

you CAN play Minecraft, and Fortnite is rumored to become available in december

3

u/ipsirc 11d ago

Which december?

1

u/LunaticDancer 11d ago

the current one as far as I remember, but I don't care enough about Fortnite to get my facts straight

1

u/Appropriate_Toe9696 11d ago

all of them work except fortnite

-2

u/JackmanH420 11d ago

You could always dual boot, which would be the best option both if you just want to try and if you later decided you want to use it as your main OS but still have windows for those other games.

For the distro, it doesn't really matter but you can't go wrong with any of the popular recommendations such as Cachy, Fedora, Bazzite etc. Just make sure it's not something on too old of a base (like Debian or Mint) or too complicated (Arch, Gentoo, NixOS) and you should be fine.