So, I've been a Kubuntu user since 2010. Don't get me wrong, I've done my fair share of distro-hopping over the years. I actually have two computers. One runs Kubuntu (religiously), and the other I try different distros on. But my fallback / daily-driver is Kubuntu.
Something I have noticed over the past few years with all of these new "gaming" centered distributions that come out. Namely CachyOS, Bazzite (Fedora), PikaOS, and other similar "gaming-spin-style" distributions. They are all touted as being superior for gaming... but what I have noticed, is that these Distros all seem to have a neat features.
CachyOS has packages that are optimized for Zen3 and Zen4 architecture, which would give better performance overall... but not necessarily for the Windows game you just downloaded in Steam.
PikaOS is streamlined, and has a minimal DE, but again, minimal doesn't always mean more performance for a Windows game running under Proton.
Bazzite might have a bunch of extra game-compatibility features built in just to make it so games will run by default, but this is not always the case either. Some games just require a little tweaking (Thank you Glorious Eggroll!)
Then there is Manjaro, Endeavor, Garuda (Arch based) with access to the AUR. Again, the AUR has many helpful tools for gamers, but they don't actually assist with better performance.
An finally, I come back to Kubuntu. I always fall back here, because to me, it's stable, runs all the apps I use, and the performance is just as good as all of the other distros listed above... Seriously, within 2-5 fps (averaging around 90) of all the games I play. I know gamers are all about performance, but at what cost? Installing a new OS for every game you install? Manjaro gives me 113fps in Tomb Raider (2016), Kubuntu gives me 115fps, CachyOS gives me 117fps, and Garuda gives me 112fps in X11, but 43 with Wayland... Come on... I mean, buttery-smooth FPS is (generally) 60+ fps, for enthusiasts 90+, and for competative gamers 120+
Regardless, we are distro-hopping to get ranges between 110-120fps... and at this point, it really doesn't matter. I mean 10fps is a big deal if you're normally getting 30fps, but not if you're over 60fps...
So, I ask... is it really imperative we pick a gaming centric distro to get the absolute best performance? Or is it better to stick with a tried, tested, and true OS like Kubuntu?
Something I have noticed over the past few years with all of these new "gaming" centered distributions that come out. Namely CachyOS, Bazzite (Fedora), PikaOS, and other similar "gaming-spin-style" distributions. They are all touted as being superior for gaming... but what I have noticed, is that these Distros all seem to have a neat features.
CachyOS has packages that are optimized for Zen3 and Zen4 architecture, which would give better performance overall... but not necessarily for the Windows game you just downloaded in Steam.
PikaOS is streamlined, and has a minimal DE, but again, minimal doesn't always mean more performance for a Windows game running under Proton.
Bazzite might have a bunch of extra game-compatibility features built in just to make it so games will run by default, but this is not always the case either. Some games just require a little tweaking (Thank you Glorious Eggroll!)
Then there is Manjaro, Endeavor, Garuda (Arch based) with access to the AUR. Again, the AUR has many helpful tools for gamers, but they don't actually assist with better performance.
An finally, I come back to Kubuntu. I always fall back here, because to me, it's stable, runs all the apps I use, and the performance is just as good as all of the other distros listed above... Seriously, within 2-5 fps (averaging around 90) of all the games I play. I know gamers are all about performance, but at what cost? Installing a new OS for every game you install? Manjaro gives me 113fps in Tomb Raider (2016), Kubuntu gives me 115fps, CachyOS gives me 117fps, and Garuda gives me 112fps in X11, but 43 with Wayland... Come on... I mean, buttery-smooth FPS is (generally) 60+ fps, for enthusiasts 90+, and for competative gamers 120+
Regardless, we are distro-hopping to get ranges between 110-120fps... and at this point, it really doesn't matter. I mean 10fps is a big deal if you're normally getting 30fps, but not if you're over 60fps...
So, I ask... is it really imperative we pick a gaming centric distro to get the absolute best performance? Or is it better to stick with a tried, tested, and true OS like Kubuntu?
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