Switching from Windows to Linux for gaming is now practical because around 90% of Steam games run on Linux through Proton. Start with Bazzite or Linux Mint, then check your library on ProtonDB before committing fully to the switch.
The leap from Windows to Linux for gaming used to mean accepting that half your library would not run. Not anymore. Switching from Windows to Linux for gaming is now a practical move because roughly 90 percent of Steam titles run on Linux through Proton, Valve's compatibility layer. The trick is doing it in the right order: pick a beginner-friendly distro, check your own games on ProtonDB, and keep an exit route before you wipe Windows entirely.
Start with Bazzite or Linux Mint, two beginner-friendly distributions, then check your library against ProtonDB before going all-in. Around 90 percent of Steam games run on Linux via Proton, so for most players the switch is realistic. Dual-boot first to keep Windows as a safety net, and only go Linux-only once you confirm your key games work.
The distribution is the version of Linux you install, and for a first move you want one that minimises setup. Two choices stand out for newcomers.
Bazzite is built with gaming as the priority. It ships with the gaming stack already configured and feels close to the SteamOS experience you would get on a Steam Deck, which means less time installing drivers and tools and more time playing. For someone who wants gaming to "just work" out of the box, it is the easiest landing.
Linux Mint is the more conventional desktop, designed to feel familiar to anyone coming from Windows. It is stable, well-documented, and friendly to beginners, with gaming added on top rather than baked in. If you want a general-purpose computer that also games, Mint is the gentler choice.
Either works. Bazzite leans gaming-first, Mint leans familiar-desktop-first. Pick based on whether the machine is primarily for games or for everything.
Before you commit, find out what actually runs. ProtonDB is a community database where players report how well each Steam game works on Linux through Proton, rated from flawless down to broken. Look up your most-played titles and the games you cannot live without.
If they rate well, the switch is low-risk. The single thing to watch for is competitive multiplayer games with strict anti-cheat, since a few of those still do not run on Linux. If one of those is your main game, that is the reason to keep a Windows option rather than abandoning it. For everything else, Proton's roughly 90 percent coverage means the odds are firmly in your favour.
The safe path is to install Linux alongside Windows rather than replacing it. Dual-booting lets you start the computer into either system, so you can game on Linux day to day while keeping Windows for the handful of titles or apps that need it. This removes almost all the risk from the switch, because nothing is lost if a game does not cooperate.
Once on Linux, install Steam, enable Proton in the settings so non-native games run, and add your library. Most titles download and launch as they would on Windows. Over a few weeks you will learn which of your games run perfectly and which, if any, send you back to the Windows partition. Many people find the list of must-use-Windows games shrinks to nothing.
Linux gaming runs well on standard gaming hardware, and an AMD graphics card makes the experience smoother because AMD's drivers are built into the Linux kernel and tend to work without extra setup. NVIDIA cards are fully usable but involve a touch more configuration. If you are building or buying for a Linux switch, leaning AMD removes a step.
When you have lived with the dual-boot for a while and confirmed your whole library works, you can reclaim the Windows partition and go Linux-only. There is no rush, and no penalty for staying dual-boot indefinitely. For machines that handle this well, the best-selling PCs at Evetech are a strong reference for desktop builds, and if a handheld is more your speed, the handheld gaming console range at Evetech covers the portable SteamOS-style route.
The adjustment is mostly about new habits, not technical hurdles. Steam looks and behaves almost identically on Linux, so your launcher, friends list, and cloud saves carry across. The differences sit around the edges: you install software through your distro's app store or package manager rather than downloading installers from random websites, and a few Windows-only utilities have Linux equivalents you will learn over a few days.
Game saves for Steam titles sync through Steam Cloud as before, so you do not lose progress. Controllers, including Xbox and PlayStation pads, generally work out of the box. The areas that take a moment to learn are installing non-Steam games, which tools like Lutris or Heroic handle, and getting any troublesome title running, where the ProtonDB community notes usually list the exact tweak. None of it is hard, it is just unfamiliar, and the friction fades quickly.
Out of the box, performance on a beginner distro is usually solid. If you want to squeeze more out of a specific game, Proton has different versions you can select per title, and the community often recommends a particular one for a given game. This is optional fine-tuning rather than a requirement, and most players never need to touch it.
For South African gamers, the switch carries a couple of local upsides. You skip the Windows licence cost, and lighter Linux distros can extend the useful life of older hardware, both of which stretch a Rand budget. Choosing an AMD-based machine keeps the driver path simple. The one local caution is the universal one: verify your competitive multiplayer games on ProtonDB before committing, because anti-cheat is the lone area where Windows still holds an edge.
Most will. Proton runs around 90 percent of Steam titles, so the bulk of any library is covered. The exception is some competitive multiplayer games with strict anti-cheat, which is exactly why you check ProtonDB first.
Bazzite is gaming-first and works out of the box with the gaming stack ready, while Mint is a more familiar general-purpose desktop. Choose Bazzite if the machine is mainly for games, Mint if it is for everything with gaming on top.
No, and you should not at first. Dual-booting keeps Windows as a safety net while you settle in. Only remove it once you have confirmed your whole library runs well on Linux, which removes all the risk from the move.
It helps. AMD drivers are built into the Linux kernel and generally work without extra setup, while NVIDIA cards are usable but need a bit more configuration. For the smoothest first experience, an AMD GPU is the easier choice.
Look it up on ProtonDB, the community database that rates how well each Steam game works through Proton. If your key titles rate well there, the switch is low-risk; if a competitive game with anti-cheat does not, keep a Windows option.
Ready to make the switch? Pick a machine built for the job from the best-selling PCs at Evetech, lean toward an AMD GPU, and dual-boot your way into Linux gaming.
Most will. Proton runs around 90 percent of Steam titles, so the bulk of any library is covered. The exception is some competitive multiplayer games with strict anti-cheat, which is exactly why you check ProtonDB first.
Bazzite is gaming-first and works out of the box with the gaming stack ready, while Mint is a more familiar general-purpose desktop. Choose Bazzite if the machine is mainly for games, Mint if it is for everything with gaming on top.
No, and you should not at first. Dual-booting keeps Windows as a safety net while you settle in. Only remove it once you have confirmed your whole library runs well on Linux, which removes all the risk from the move.
It helps. AMD drivers are built into the Linux kernel and generally work without extra setup, while NVIDIA cards are usable but need a bit more configuration. For the smoothest first experience, an AMD GPU is the easier choice.
Look it up on ProtonDB, the community database that rates how well each Steam game works through Proton. If your key titles rate well there, the switch is low-risk; if a competitive game with anti-cheat does not, keep a Windows option.
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