Gaming on Linux? I found a distro that makes it pain-free

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

PikaOS is simply a gaming-centric Linux distribution.
PikaOS is based connected Debian and offers antithetic versions.
You tin instal and usage PikaOS for free.

There are present respective Linux distributions that connection outstanding gaming experiences. These distros not lone see the bundle required to play games from services similar Steam, but besides vastly simplify the setup process, truthful you commencement playing your favourite games aft conscionable a fewer clicks.

With a user-friendly installer, you won't adjacent person to interaction the bid line.

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Sounds excessively bully to beryllium true, right? In the lawsuit of PikaOS, it's not.

I gave this Debian-based organisation a effort to spot however it worked, here's however it went.

Easy installation

The archetypal happening that impressed maine was the installation process. After the simplified OS installer completed, I rebooted the strategy and was instantly greeted by the modular user-creator screen.

After that, the on-boarding instrumentality helped maine instal the indispensable drivers and codecs that would beryllium required to play games and multimedia. Next, the installation process prompted maine to instal the PikaOS Gaming Meta Package. Why, yes, convey you precise much.

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I went up with the installation of the meta package, and erstwhile it was complete, I was prompted for different reboot.

After I logged in, I was greeted by a Welcome app that offered further setup steps (such arsenic adding printer support), mounting up the look and feel, troubleshooting tips, and more.

Finally, I reached the PikaOS desktop and recovered it to beryllium whimsically charming. Upon opening the Application Overlay (this is simply a GNOME desktop, aft all), I recovered the pursuing game-centric apps installed:

PikaOS Kernel Manager
ProtonPlus
Steam
Wine Control Panel
Wine Prefix Configuration
Wine Windows Runtime
Winetricks
Lutris
Heroic Games

So yeah, PikaOS succeeds astatine its assertion of "gaming retired of the box." I clicked Steam, and it ran done its accustomed automatic updates and past prompted maine to log successful to my account. I decided to proceed investigating this assertion with Steam, due to the fact that it's the biggest subordinate connected the artifact (plus, it's truly casual to use). After adding a crippled to my relationship (from wrong the Steam app), I launched the game.

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Keep successful caput that immoderate of the downloads for these games tin beryllium massive, truthful springiness them clip to finish. In fact, I'm not definite if it was the Steam servers oregon my ISP, but the processing of the Vulkan shaders unsocial for a crippled dragged connected until it seemed arsenic if it was going to instrumentality forever. Maybe it's the post-Christmas resistance connected the Steam servers.

Either way, I recovered PikaOS to execute arsenic good arsenic immoderate gaming-centric Linux organisation I've tested. I launched my accustomed trial game, Albion Online, and determination was immoderate lag, but I subordinate that with PikaOS moving arsenic a virtual instrumentality with lone 5GB of RAM, 2 CPU cores, and nary carnal GPU.

Of course, I was lone capable to get truthful acold with that crippled due to the fact that of the anti-cheat issues. Even so, successful the fewer minutes I was capable to tally the test, PikaOS performed well.

PikaOS uses the GNOME desktop environment, with the Dash to Dock extension, to marque for a user-friendly UI. I cannot ideate anyone having problems moving this desktop distribution. If you unfastened the Extension Manager, you'll find different extensions installed but not enabled.

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For instance, respective extensions are installed but not enabled by default: Apps Menu, Arc Menu, Dash To Panel, Launch New Instance, etc. If you privation to alteration immoderate of them, conscionable click the On/Off slider for the 1 you privation to usage until it's successful the On position.

One happening to support successful caput is that due to the fact that PikaOS is simply a gaming-centric distribution, you won't find overmuch successful the mode of productivity apps pre-installed. That's fine, due to the fact that you tin motorboat GNOME Software and instal everything you need. And due to the fact that PikaOS includes Flatpak support, there's a immense array of installable apps (even proprietary tools similar Slack and Spotify).

All-in-all, I recovered PikaOS to beryllium a delight to use. As agelong arsenic you're moving this connected a spare instrumentality (and not a virtual machine), you'll find the gaming facet to beryllium a fantastic point-and-click affair.

Just remember, erstwhile you're searching done Steam games, marque definite not to effort and play those that are designated arsenic Windows-only, due to the fact that the anti-cheat contented volition footwear you retired of the game.

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If you're funny successful this gaming-specific Linux distribution, spell to the download page and drawback the close ISO for your system. If you person an NVIDIA GPU, marque definite to download the record labeled NVIDIA ISO.

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