3 reasons Pop!_OS might be the best Linux distro for gamers

There are some excellent Linux distros available, but not all of them are designed with gaming in mind. Pop!_OS may have a strange name, but this distro from System76 promises some of the best gaming performance, thanks to tweaks, a focus on PC games, and support for game launchers out of the box. This also happens to be one of the better choices if you’re a beginner to the Linux ecosystem. I’ll show you some reasons why you should consider it for your next gaming rig OS.

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This Linux distro is built for gaming

Support for the latest drivers from the big players as well as community-developed solutions? Check! Ability to install a game launcher from the get-go? Check! Great support for GPUs and all their features? You bet! The team behind Pop!_OS is even developing a custom desktop environment (DE) to replace GNOME, called COSMIC. With its own DE, Pop!_OS will have full control over great areas of the OS without having to rely on external sources for code and features, better refining the OS for workloads such as gaming and creative software.

Whether you’re running Intel, Nvidia, or AMD graphics, you’ll have a blast with this OS.

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The developers focus on performance

Pop!_OS is built on Ubuntu, based on Debian, which is on top of the Linux kernel. This is the same underlying system that powers most of the world’s server infrastructure. It’s lightweight, powerful, and community-developed. The Pop!_OS team focuses on performance, ensuring the team gets as many in-game frames as possible from vast hardware configurations. Advanced features such as automatic tiling and swap file management are included with the Linux-based OS to ensure your PC is running as fast as it can with the latest and most demanding PC games.

Gaming on Linux used to be a chore with undesired results, but it has come a long way with Proton and other developments. If you’re tired of Windows and its bloat, you’ll want to consider giving a Linux-based distro a try to see if a more streamlined experience will offer better performance. You can always dual-boot both operating systems to run some tests!

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It’s a great distro for Linux beginners

Ubuntu is often regarded as one of the most user-friendly Linux-based operating systems around. It’s quick to install, runs the GNOME desktop environment, and has a plethora of guides available, many of which can be found right here on XDA. Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu and as such comes with many of the same user-friendly benefits, including the installation process. If you encounter a problem, there’s a good chance a Ubuntu-focused tutorial or guide will help you out with Pop!_OS. Depending on how you configure the installation wizard, you could be up and running with some useful pre-installed apps.

Pop!_OS is a solid Linux OS

Almost any well-developed Linux-based OS will work well with the latest games. Ubuntu is a great option, but so too are Linux Mint, Fedora, and Arch Linux. So long as the OS is optimized, has full driver support, and you’ll receive frequent updates with new drivers and kernels, you’ll have no trouble installing Steam and other storefronts to play all your favorite games. Tools such as ProtonDB will become your new best friends.