Best Linux for gaming
Any Linux on this site will run Steam. The difference between them is how much is set up before you arrive: graphics drivers, controller support, and the extras that some games want.
These are ranked on how ready they are for games on the first day. Before choosing one, check that the games you play are not blocked by their anti-cheat software, because no version of Linux can fix that.
Bazzite
Bazzite is the one to pick if the computer is mainly for games. It is built on Fedora's atomic desktops, which means the system arrives as one tested image rather than thousands of separate pieces. Steam, the graphics drivers and controller support are already set up when you first log in.
Nobara
Nobara takes Fedora and does the gaming setup for you. Nobara 44 arrived in September 2026 with graphics drivers, video codecs and game related fixes already applied, so you install it, sign in to Steam and play. Bazzite is the other system in this category, and the choice between them comes down to taste: Bazzite can roll back a bad update, Nobara behaves like a normal Fedora system you can change freely.
Kubuntu
Kubuntu is Ubuntu with the KDE Plasma desktop instead of GNOME, and for a Windows user that swap matters more than anything under the bonnet. There is a menu button in the bottom left corner, a taskbar with your open windows, and a tray with the clock and volume in the bottom right.
Pop!_OS
Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS is the pick if your computer has an NVIDIA graphics card. System76 publishes a separate download with the NVIDIA driver already in it, so the part that trips up most new Linux users on gaming machines is handled before you start.
Manjaro
Manjaro takes Arch Linux, which expects you to assemble the system yourself, and gives you a normal graphical installer and a normal desktop. The official editions are KDE Plasma, Xfce and GNOME, currently at version 26.1.0, with Cinnamon and others maintained by volunteers. The Plasma edition is the familiar one for a Windows user, with a menu button and taskbar where you expect.
Want the reasoning in full? Read Can I play my games on Linux?
Rankings come from the scores on each version's page. Oldest check in this list: 19 September 2026. Nobody pays to appear on it. How we choose.