When it comes to operating systems, there are three on the market that are widespread and relatively well known about. Windows, OSX, and Linux are the three main operating systems that dominate personal and business use. Linux is around the same age as Microsoft and Apple but isn’t as well known or widely used by the general public. But what if you’re a gamer? Would a Linux based system be a good option for you? Here we find out.
Say Goodbye To Hand Holding
If you have grown up on Microsoft or OSX packages, you will need to be prepared for a steep learning curve. Linux is open-source software, so you have more allowances for changing and adjusting it to match your need. Thus, it is far more customizable, so new users to Linux may not know where to begin when they are faced with so many options. If you are building your gaming rig yourself, but you aren’t particularly tech-savvy or want to learn a new operating system, Linux may not be the option.
Drivers
On more than one occasion, we’ve mentioned that Windows holds its users’ hands to make computing accessible for all, and one of these areas is drivers. When you download an application on windows, you will automatically download any drivers and codecs you need. It makes the deployment of the software far easier. Unfortunately, this is an area where Linux isn’t as streamlined. Again, this isn’t a problem if you are technically minded, but if you are used to having windows do it all for you, you may come up against some issues if you don’t want to learn the new system.
Game Availability
Games developers have been working with Microsoft since inception, and because of this, you have a fantastic back catalog of games that you can choose from. To put it into context, there are currently 20,000 games for windows that are available. When you measure this against the 6000 available for Linux, it is easy to see why people default Windows. However, more and more games are coming through on Linux, and as it is an open-source platform, developers are starting to make Windows games playable on the software.
Speed
Gameplay speed varies widely across games and platforms. Some games on windows are high-speed, and some are slow, and it is the same on Linux. It comes down to what game you want to play and the hardware you have in your system. You’ll find that the native Linux games will naturally perform exceptionally well on Linux. You won’t have a problem with speed or lag time, however as Linux barely holds 2% of the global market for desktop users, developers haven’t invested much time in developing games for the platform. For more gaming advice when it comes to gaming speeds on Linux, you can head up to the concerned websites to find excellent resources and answers.
Graphics
One of your primary considerations will be the graphics card if you want to build your gaming PC. When it comes to building a pc when you are using windows, you don’t need to think too carefully about which graphics card you want to have, whereas this is in contrast to Linux. Not all graphics cards are fully compatible with Linux, and you may find that the refresh rate lags, or the performance isn’t what you imagined it would be. As Linux is open-sourced, developers have worked on getting some graphics cards to work exceptionally well on the software. But there are so many different types of graphics cards on the market; it may not be the one that you want to purchase.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to PC gaming, users naturally gravitate towards windows, mainly due to the number of available games. In reality, once you get to know and understand Linux, it is a superior platform that gives you better customization ability, more so than windows. But because it holds such a small percentage of the desktop market globally, game developers have steered clear of the platform. As it is open-source, software developers have made more games available on the platform that hasn’t stopped games coming through. It doesn’t mean that Linux is bad for gaming, it just hasn’t been as well catered for by games developers as windows. There are far more games available on windows, and if you can deal with the handholding and constant updates, then maybe it is best to stay put.
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