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Linux gaming in 2026 is absolutely amazing, and CachyOS has been my go-to distro for gaming since day one. But one of the best things about Linux is that you are never stuck with just one option. If CachyOS is not your thing, there is no shortage of great alternatives.
I have tried pretty much every well-known gaming distro out there at this point, and after putting them all through their paces, I have a few favorites.
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SteamOS
It all starts with Valve
You probably already know SteamOS as the operating system that runs on the Steam Deck, and soon, the upcoming Steam Machine. What you might not know is that it is based on Arch Linux.
Out of anyone in the industry, Valve has arguably done the most for Linux gaming, and a huge part of that comes down to how heavily they have funded and supported open-source technologies. Wine, the compatibility layer that lets you run Windows software on Linux, has benefited enormously from Valve's investment. Proton, the layer built into Steam that lets you run your Windows game library on Linux, is built on top of Wine with a mountain of additional optimizations stacked on top.
Every distro on this list, including CachyOS, owes a lot to what Valve has contributed to the Linux gaming ecosystem. None of this works as well as it does without them.
If you are after a console-like experience on Linux, especially on something like a couch PC, SteamOS is absolutely worth trying. Just keep in mind that it can be hit-or-miss on non-AMD hardware right now. On the flip side, SteamOS 3.9 now officially supports practically every handheld running AMD hardware, which is a pretty big deal.
Bazzite Immutability comes to your gaming distro
Raghav Sethi/MakeUseOfCredit: Raghav Sethi/MakeUseOf
If you are completely new to Linux, Bazzite is probably where you should start. Depending on which version you download, it comes with the exact same interface as SteamOS, so you get that familiar console-like experience without having to set anything up yourself.
What sets Bazzite apart is that it is an immutable distro. In plain terms, that means the core of the system is read-only. The practical benefit of that is it becomes pretty hard to accidentally brick your system, which, trust me, is easier to do than you would think on a standard Linux install.
If you do want a more traditional desktop, Bazzite uses KDE, which is close enough to Windows that you will not feel completely lost coming from it. It is a good on-ramp for anyone who is not ready to go full Linux nerd just yet.
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The one trade-off worth mentioning is performance. In my testing, CachyOS does pull ahead of Bazzite in some games. It is not a massive difference, but it is there. If raw gaming performance is your top priority, CachyOS is still the one to beat. But if stability and an easy out-of-the-box experience matter more to you, Bazzite is absolutely the way to go.
Nobara The best of all worlds
Raghav Sethi/MakeUseOfCredit: Raghav Sethi/MakeUseOf
Nobara is another solid option if performance is what you are after, and it is one of those distros that just works the moment you boot into it.
What makes it interesting is that it actually uses the same kernel as CachyOS, with its own tweaks layered on top, while being based on Fedora underneath. That puts it in a pretty sweet spot between CachyOS and Bazzite. You get a good chunk of the performance benefits without sacrificing the stability and polish that makes Bazzite so approachable.
It also comes with a lot of gaming-centric tools pre-installed, things like Steam, Lutris, and more, so there is very little standing between you and actually playing games after a fresh installation.
As a fun bit of trivia, Nobara was originally created by GloriousEggroll, the same person behind Proton-GE, which is one of the most popular Proton forks out there. If you have ever used Proton-GE to get a stubborn game running on Linux, you have already benefited from his work. Nobara is essentially that same energy applied to an entire distro.
Pop!_OS Debian, and a new desktop environment
Raghav Sethi/MakeUseO
This is probably the least obvious pick on the list, and I will be upfront about that. Including a Debian-based distro in a gaming context is not exactly the popular opinion, but Pop!_OS earns its place here.
It is built on Ubuntu at its core, but what makes it stand out is that it ships with dedicated ISOs for Nvidia hardware. While most distros out there have gotten all the Nvidia GPU driver issues under control to an extent, Pop!_OS also deserves a shoutout for that.
It is also a particularly strong choice if you are on a laptop. Whether you are working with just an iGPU, a dedicated GPU, or both, Pop!_OS manages the switching between them really well, which is something a lot of distros still get wrong.
On the desktop side, Pop!_OS now ships with System76's new COSMIC desktop environment. Even in my own testing, it has been surprisingly good. It feels familiar if you have spent any time with GNOME, so if you are coming from a laptop background and want something that stays out of your way and just works, COSMIC delivers that.
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Anything is better than Windows these daysNone of this is to take anything away from CachyOS. It is still my personal go-to, and nothing on this list has knocked it off that spot for me. But the point is that you have options.
Considering what a mess Windows 11 has become, it is encouraging to see more and more people making the switch. And who knows, maybe a growing Linux user base is exactly the kind of thing that forces Microsoft to take a long hard look at its priorities too.