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Linux is becoming more appealing for gamers – here's why
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this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2025
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It works, it just fucking works, no upselling, no AI bullshit. Just a functioning OS
I am trying to use Mint Linux. It does not just work.
I am not against lunix, but you do need to dedicate time and effort to learn how to get it to do what you want it to.
It has not been an out of box experience for me. In my case, I am running into a GPU issue where installing Nvidia drivers makes the OS boot in safe mode and I have to restore to a previous state from the timeline to get it to boot normally.
Edit: Thanks for all the suggestions! I appreciate that I got these responses from this community instead of a negative dogpile!
Edit2: Hearing a lot of pop_OS suggestions, might give that a spin if I keep on running into Mint issues.
Tough to swallow pills for the Linux community: Linux is not for normies.
I agree with you completely. I'll advocate for Linux everyday. My Steam Deck converted me. My gaming PC is great with CachyOS. I've just finished setting up my Debian server. I'm really getting into this.
But the truth is that this shit is not for normies. And now there are going to be a torrent of replies saying "but it worked fine for me, so your experience is invalid".
The missing piece here is that people have issues to troubleshoot with windows all the time. The narrative that windows has no problems and Linux does is dishonest from the start.
Edit: the real "not for normies" aspect is installing an operating system from scratch in the first place rather than getting one that is already in a stable configuration out of the box.
No one is saying Windows has no problems.
Yes, they often do... implicitly.
Every time someone pretends that it's a Linux problem that he had to look up and install a certain driver because it "wouldn't work properly out-of-the-box" he is basically lying because guess what... Windows doesn't work properly without the right (externally downloaded) driver, too. Or it required you to install the newest DirectX version for decades before you could even start any game... Yet somehow I never read complains about Windows being unfinished and needing to improve because you could not start gaming out-of-the-box.
I also had massive issues with Bluetooth on Windows 11 (at least early after 11's release) with some Intel WiFi + Bluetooth card.
WiFi worked fine, but Bluetooth would just disappear after reboot and randomly reappear after like 6 or so reboots. I mean, it would just disappear from settings.
It worked fine every time in Mint.
And also a weird thing with a HP printer not automatically installing the drivers. Windows would say it couldn't obtain the drivers, and to download them from manufacturers website. Fine. HP website didn't provide any downloads, stating that it will be automatically installed.
Guess what also worked on Linux with HPLIP.
(I was able to find and install the driver on Windows from driver posted to archive.org)
And I shortly worked at a small PC shop. There were some laptops that came without OS, and customers wanted us to install Windows 11 onto them. Fine. Except, they had no RJ45 connectors, and Windows didn't have the WiFi drivers.
Also pretty annoying, but generally people just don't install Windows, it's already there.
One funny thing, maybe being free is sometimes a disadvantage. I was once met with "What would we sell if not licenses" when I mentioned Linux.
In my opinion that's the main point.
People love to discuss how Linux isn't fit to replace Windows (yet) or how it needs to be more user friendly or how it needs to work better out-of-the box.
Yet in reality 90% of the users couldn't install and properly set up either OS from scratch. But with Windows they simply don't have to as it's already pre-installed and set up. And so they somehow fool themselves into thinking one just runs automatically while the other needs additional work...
Bluetooth in general is just hell.
Don't be dense. That is obviously the heavily implied subtext to these arguments.
I think Linux is for everybody, depending on their setup (distro+hardware)
And what software they need/want to use. I would prefer people use alternatives to software that only runs in windows (or is difficult to get working in wine), but you can't really fault someone for that one sticky program that want to use. (Or have official support for in a business environment)
I've been using mint for maybe 10 years now. I still run into frustrating shit.
Brother printer, well supported by Linux still likes to fight. Playing with brsane4 configs is a joy. Scanning feels like it is still the same all these years later. Cups is not cute.
So many little issues you just have to work through. Virtual box USB pass through; you need virtual box and also the addon pack and you have to add your local user to the vboxusers group, THEN it works. May I please have proton drive? No? OK then. I want to play some old emulated games, Lutris looks promisi--oh my god WHY?!
I'm used to it at this point, but expecting regular users to sudo apt install blah blah ain't happening. Sure ain't happening if they hold broken packages or get stuck where one dependency of a package is unresolvable