7 Best Linux Distro For Gaming In 2018

Want to play games on your Linux computer? That’s great, but first you need the best Linux OS for gaming. Today, there are various Linux distros that are tailored specifically for avid gamers. In addition to built-in drivers for powerful gaming graphics, some come bundled with ready-to-play games.

Some time ago Linux was nothing more than a command line based operating system. It was only good for calculations and scientific purposes. But today it’s a very versatile operating system that’s found on just about all types of devices, from desktops to laptops, smartphones and Chromeboxes.

Gamers have not been left behind. Years ago gaming on Linux was a pipe dream, but today its one of the most stable operating systems for gaming. With hardware and support improving each year, you can bet that there are Linux distros that support pretty much every game you can think of.

What Is The Best Linux Distro For Gaming

There are well over 200 hundred Linux distros, each with a different set of mantras. Those made specifically for gaming are not so many, not because Linux users are not fans of gaming, but rather because virtually all modern Linux distros support every gaming graphics card. As such you can easily convert your normal Linux machine to a powerful gaming computer.

That said, some special edition distros continue to stand out in the field of gaming because they are made specifically for that. In addition to offering games right off the bat, they allow you to install some more for your ultimate entertainment. They come equipped with everything you need from drivers, software, emulators etc.

So, with that in mind, which is the best Linux OS for gaming?

We have picked the top 7 from gaming distros that are common and perform excellently.

Steam OS

SteamOS always gets the top spot on virtually all reviews of the best Linux OS for gaming. Reason? It’s designed with avid gamers in mind. No wonder it’s the most popular and undoubtedly the best Linux distro for gaming.

Created by Valve Corporation (the creators of Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead etc.), SteamOS is the go-to Linux for die-hard fans of Steam Games. In fact, if you have this OS you can only download games from Steam Store. Although the distro is based on Debian, it doesn’t allow you to download stuff from Debian Package Manager despite its support for Debian Packaging Tool APT.

That’s a bit of a bummer if you want to download games from other stores. On the upside, you can download literally any game that’s available on Steam Store – and those are so many modern games.

Steam comes with its custom GNOME desktop environment.It is easily accessible and you can control it by using your keyboard or Joystick. It supports different GPU and Gamepad. So, forget about finding and installing drivers.

Got Power?

A common feature of all gaming distros, but you’ll find that SteamOS needs a little more of everything; whether it’s RAM, disk space, graphics card or any other gaming resource. That too tends to be a buzz kill especially for gamers who don’t have the budget for a high-end computer.

Still, SteamOS is the champ of Linux gaming. Built with a custom GNOME desktop environment, this distro comes pre-installed with Steam for easy access to games. As a gaming OS, it is fully compatible with various keyboards/joysticks, graphics cards and GPUs so you don’t have to worry about finding and installing drivers.

Although, by default, SteamOS comes pre-installed with Steam only, you can activate its desktop mode and get a full-feature desktop OS that supports other applications besides games. That’s a handy option for gamers who don’t have a dedicated computer for gaming.

Steam OS At A Glance

Logo	Based On	Architecture	Desktop Environment	Package Manager
	Debian	x86/x64	GNOME	.deb

Steam OS System Requirments (From Official Source)

• 4GB RAM or more
• 2.0GHz or faster processor (64-bit, quad core processor recommended)
• 80GB HDD space or more (200GB recommended)
• 4GB Pendrive or USB drive or DVD-RW for installation
• Intel HD graphics or AMD Radeon 8500 or a later graphics card (for Steam Games)
• UEFI firmware supported motherboard (recommended)
• Wired or wireless internet connection for installing applications

Pros And Cons

Pros

• High-performance OS that supports high-end games
• Comes pre-installed with Steam Store for easy access to games
• Steam Store offers a huge collection of games
• Supports various CPUs and GPUs
• Compatible with different models of gamepads/joysticks
• Beautiful and soothing user interface

Cons

• Requires high-end hardware to install and run
• Supports Steam games only

Play Linux

If you are looking for a simple yet effective Linux distro for gaming then Play Linux should probably be on top of your list. Although it was discontinued, this OS is still available for download. But of course there won’t be any new updates or additions to its existing functionality.

So what puts Play Linux among the best Linux OS for gaming?

For starters it combines the simple, easy-to-use and lightweight design of the Nebula Desktop Environment with the reliability of Debian. Combined, the two ensure that Play Linux runs smoothly even when used on low to mid-range computers.

Despite being a gaming OS, Play Linux is surprisingly resource efficient. With just 1GB of RAM and 10GB of hard disk space you can install and use this distro – provided your computer has a 2GHz or faster processor. It’s designed to detect your CPU’s load and automatically disable unnecessary processes (such as composite windows manager) temporarily when you are gaming.

If that’s not enough to convince you then perhaps the customizable nature of Nebula will. In fact Play Linux comes with a customizer application that offers extensive control over how the OS looks and feels. Besides that, it comes pre-installed with Steam to make it easier for you to access games on the platform.

Even More

Perhaps the one feature that makes Play Linux the best Linux OS for gaming is its AutoGPU installer. It automatically installs and configures drivers of your graphics cards so that you don’t waste your time doing it yourself.

While it’s primarily a gaming OS, Play Linux has a desktop mode as well. When activated, the desktop mode lets you use your machine as an ordinary computer (not a gaming one). To make that easier it comes pre-installed with File Manager, Chromium Browser and Package Manager for installing more applications.

Play Linux At A Glance

Logo	Based On	Architecture	Desktop Environment	Package Manager
	Debian	x86/x64	Nebula	.deb

Play Linux System Requirments (From Official Source)

• 1GB RAM or more (2GB recommended)
• 2.0GHz or faster processor (64-bit, dual core processor recommended)
• 10GB HDD space or more (20GB recommended)
• 4GB Pendrive or USB drive or DVD-RW for installation
• Intel HD graphics or AMD Radeon 8500 or a later graphics card (for Steam Games)
• Intel/Nvidia/AMD Graphics Card (for regular Linux games)
• Wired or wireless internet connection for installing applications

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Beautiful, simple and easy to use interface
• Comes pre-installed with Steam Chromium Browser and other applications
• Also includes PlayOnLinux (for running Windows games)
• AutoGPU feature installs drivers of graphics cards automatically
• Can be used as desktop operating system
• Lightweight distro that requires minimal resources

Cons

• Not for hardcore gamers
• Was discontinued, so no new updates or features

Game Drift Linux

Game Drift Linux is a new and feature rich Linux gaming distro. It is one if the best Linux distro for gaming.

Why?

Game Drift Linux is based on Ubuntu. The beauty of that is that you can easily install any Ubuntu-based games like SuperTuxKart, Torcs, Speed Dreams etc. But perhaps the best part is that it supports CrossOver.

CrossOver is a Windows emulator for Linux (like Wine). With it you can easily install and play more than 1200 popular Windows games on Game Drift; from Need for Speed to Battlefield 3 and even Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Alongside CrossOver, Game Drift has its own Game Store where you can download all the best and popular Linux-compatible games. The only problem is that the store doesn’t have a big collection of games. But it’s still updated regularly, so at any given time you will find something to pick your interest, particularly if you are a beginner or intermediate gamer.

Despite those few drawbacks, Game drift gets a spot as the best Linux OS for gaming because it’s fully optimized to give the best gaming experience. You get out-of-box support for both Linux and Windows games.

Game Drift Linux At A Glance

Logo	Based On	Architecture	Desktop Environment	Package Manager
	Ubuntu (LTS)	x86/x64	MATE	.deb

Game Drift Linux System Requirments (From Official Source)

• 1GB RAM or more (2GB recommended)
• 2.0GHz or faster processor (64-bit, dual core processor recommended)
• 4GB HDD space or more (15GB recommended)
• 4GB Pendrive or USB drive or DVD-RW for installation
• Intel HD graphics or AMD Radeon 8500 or a later graphics card (for Windows Games)
• Intel/Nvidia/AMD Graphics Card (for regular Linux games)
• Wired or wireless internet connection for installing applications

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Small, fast and simple Llinux distro
• Supports an extensive number of Ubuntu and Linux games
• Comes with CrossOver for easy installation and playing of popular Windows games
• 3D video drivers can install on Game Drift easily
• Can be install either on hard disk or USB storage
• Comes with a dedicated Game Store for downloading Linux games

Cons

• CrossOver is only free for 30 days after which you have to pay for premium games
• Doesn’t have the best user interface

Sparky Linux Gameover Edition

SparkyLinux Gameover Edition is a Debian-based distro that’s geared towards gaming. It uses a basic LXDE setup, and as such, supports a variety of handy applications for gamers. In fact the distro comes pre-installed with several Linux games.

More importantly, it has Steam, Wine and PlayOnLinux – all built in the OS. That means it’s ready to download and install games from all those platforms right off the box. Whether you want to play PC games or Linux-compatible games, SparkyLinux (combined with the mentioned platforms) supports them.

It also comes with APTus Gamer; a special feature that lets you install various emulators, consoles and other tools that are necessary for the ultimate gaming experience. They include Atari800, DOSBox, DOSEMU, MAME, ePSXe, PCSX, VisualBoyAdvance, PPSSPP, DeSmuME, ZSNES etc.

In terms of usability, SparkyLinux is a pretty straightforward Linux distro. That’s one of the reasons why some users call it the best Linux OS for gaming. Besides providing a utility for installing drivers, it has a simple-to-use interface. You will find the standard LXDE panel – all with a menu – at the bottom.

The right hand side contains a Conky interface that displays useful metrics. You can use them to know how the computer is performing when you’re gaming. At that time you will probably need to keep track of its memory and CPU usage, both of which are displayed alongside other metrics.

Take Note

While you can run SparkyLinux on a USB, you won’t be able to enjoy its full features. But if you install it you will be able to unlock its full potential in gaming. Also noteworthy is that the OS is fairly economical on resources (especially RAM and processing power) and can run on your older computer.

Sparky Linux Gameover Edition At A Glance

Logo	Based On	Architecture	Desktop Environment	Package Manager
	Debian	x86/x64	LXDE	.deb

Sparky Linux Gameover Edition System Requirments (From Official Source)

• 256MB RAM or more (1GB recommended)
• 2.0GHz or faster processor (64-bit recommended)
• 20GB HDD space or more (30GB recommended)
• 16GB Pendrive or USB drive or DVD-RW for installation
• Intel 4500 Graphics/AMD Radeon 4500 or a later graphics card
• Wired or wireless internet connection for installing applications

Pros And Cons of SprarkLinux

Pros

• Stable And Rock Solid
• Comes pre-installed with games
• Also comes with Steam, Wine, and PlayOnLinux for adding more games
• Features Sparky APTus Gamer for installing emulators, consoles and gaming tools
• It’s a stable and solid distro

Cons

• Slightly slower than other gaming distros

Fedora Games Spin

Fedora Games Spin brings a colossal collection of games to your fingertips, literally. It comes with over 2,100 games already pre-installed for you to play right off the bat. They include Battle for Wesnoth, FreeCiv, Scorched 3D, Super TuxKart and Nethack.

While you won’t get every game in this OS, Fedora try to include the best from each category, ranging from adventure, strategy, arcade, action and many other categories. Overall, if you enjoy using Fedora or the XFCE desktop environment then this OS would be ideal for you.

Most reviews don’t rate Fedora Games Spin as the best Linux OS for gaming. The reason behind that is because it doesn’t come pre-installed with Steam, Wine or Play on Linux. Unless you download and install them using a software repository (using RPM or its default Package Manager), you will have limited access to some Linux games and you won’t be able to play any Windows-compatible games.

The good news is that it has the YumEx application. This application is synonymous with Fedora, and in addition to acting as a graphical user interface (GUI) for the Yum package manager, it also lets you search and install games from repositories. So it might not be Steam or Wine or Play on Linux but it will still give you a more than decent access to Linux games.

Want to know if your computer can run Fedora Games Spin comfortably? Check out the section on hardware requirements below.

Fedora Games Spin At A Glance

Logo	Based On	Architecture	Desktop Environment	Package Manager
	Fedora	x86/x64	XFCE	.rpm

Fedora Games Spin System Requirments (From Official Source)

• 1GB RAM or more (2GB recommended)
• 2.0GHz or faster processor (64-bit recommended)
• 10GB HDD space or more (20GB recommended)
• 8GB Pendrive or USB drive or DVD-RW for installation
• Intel/Nvidia/AMD Graphics Card
• Wired or wireless internet connection for installing applications

Pros And Cons

Pros

• A great and reliable OS for Fedora lovers
• Comes pre-installed with over 2100 Linux games
• Can be run from the disk without installation
• Fast and lightweight than the Fedora desktop version

Cons

• Not for intermediate and avid gamers
• Resource-intense games may not run properly

Lakka OS

Are you a Retrogame or Arcade game lover? Or perhaps you enjoy playing console games on your Linux computer?

If so then Lakka is the best Linux OS for you. Usually, if you want to play console games on Linux you have to download and install an emulator for that console.

For example, if you are an avid fan of PlayStation (PS) and you want to play PS games on Linux you have to download and install a PS emulator. Unfortunately, more often than not such emulators either end up crashing, fail to perform well or both.

But with Lakka you won’t have to worry about any of that.

It comes pre-installed with emulators for various consoles of retro and arcade games, ranging from PlayStation to 3DO, SNES, Arcade, Neo Geo Pocket, Atari and Game Boy just to name a few.

That is the best thing about Lakka. Equally important is that this OS supports a wide range of hardware devices including computers, Raspberry Pi, CuBoxi, HummingBoard, UDOO, Odroid C1, Odroid-XU3/4, WeTek Play, Banana Pi, Cubie board, Cubie board 2 and CubicTruck. So when you are not playing games on your Linux computer you can still install Lakka on any other compatible device and enjoy your retro and arcade games.

Lakka also has others different features.If we compare it with RetroPi, Lakka support Desktop Computers easily. It also has automatic support for joysticks.

Overall, Lakka is a very nice OS that bundles almost all popular console emulators in one package. It also brings additional features like the ability to capture and save screenshots.

Lakka Linux At A Glance 

Logo	Based On	Architecture	Desktop Environment	Package Manager
	OpenELEC	x86/x64/ARM	RetroArch	N/A

Lakka Linux System Requirments (From Official Source)

• 512MB RAM or more (1GB recommended)
• 1.0GHz or faster processor
• 1GB HDD space or more (10GB recommended)
• 4GB Pendrive or USB drive or DVD-RW for installation
• Intel 4500, Nvidia Quadro 3100M or a newer graphics card (for HD games only)
• Wired or wireless internet connection for installing applications

Pros And Cons of Lakka

Pros

• Very lightweight and requires minimal resources
• Has a beautiful and intuitive user interface
• It’s an all in one console emulator
• Based On OpenELEC, which makes it solid and stable
• Simple and straightforward to configure
• Multi-hardware support
• Comes with automatic joystick configuration
• Also includes automatic metadata scraper

Cons

• Only supports console (NES,SEGA,PlayStation,N64 etc.) games

Ubuntu Game Pack

Love Ubuntu and want to play games on it?

Ubuntu Game Pack makes the best Linux OS for gaming for you. It’s not the default Ubuntu. Instead it’s a distro based on Ubuntu. A complete Ubuntu gaming solution. It comes with all of the Windows and Linux-Based games you need.

While combining the default Ubuntu with repositories like Steam, Play on Linux and Wine is an option, you won’t get the best experience, even when playing the most resource-efficient games. That because the default Ubuntu is not really optimized for gaming.

Ubuntu GamePack, on the other hand, is designed specifically with gamers in mind. It comes with many Linux and Windows games already pre-installed. It also includes Steam, so you won’t have any trouble playing Steam games. That’s an advantage for gamers who are crazy about Linux games.

If you are more thrilled by Windows games you will be glad to know that Ubuntu GamePack comes with Lutris, Wine and PlayOnLinux. Lutris is perhaps the most valued by many users because it features the Ubuntu Game Pack which allows you to easily manage your Windows Games, Linux Games, Steam Games, Console Games and many more. That said, all these repositories work to bring a colossal collection of games to your Ubuntu GamePack distro.

Also bundled in the OS are Adobe Flash and Oracle Java, both of which allow you to play a variety of online games without any hassle. Because of its MATE desktop environment, you can use Ubuntu GamePack as an ordinary desktop operating system.

It’s simple and straightforward to configure the desktop mode. In that mode you can install and run all your regular desktop applications.

Ubuntu Game Pack At A Glance

Logo	Based On	Architecture	Desktop Environment	Package Manager
	Ubuntu	x86/x64	Unity	.deb

Ubuntu Game Pack System Requirments (From Official Source)

• 2GB RAM or more (4GB recommended)
• 2.0GHz or faster processor (64-bit, dual core recommended)
• 20GB HDD space or more
• 4GB Pendrive or USB drive or DVD-RW for installation
• Intel, NVIDIA or AMD graphics card (for regular games)
• Wired or wireless internet connection for installing applications

Pros And Cons of Ubuntu GamePack

Pros

• Based on Ubuntu and that makes it very stable
• Has built-in Steam, Wine, Play on Linux and Lutris repositories
• Supports over 5849 games (according to their website)
• Comes pre-installed with Adobe Flash and Oracle Java for playing online games

Cons

• Slightly slower than other Linux distros for gaming

At the End…

Although I tried to include as many diverse distros as possible, its practically impossible to have all the good distros in one article. Still, the 7 that I have picked are the very best in one way or another.

Note: If you want the best Linux distro for your Laptop, please check this guide 7 Best Linux Distro For Your Laptop In 2018

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Are you an avid gamer using Linux? Which distro works best for you? Talk to us and I’ll try to include as many distros as possible in my next articles. Feel free to leave a comment or ask any questions and we will answer as many as possible.

Stay tuned With How To Use Linux.