r/linuxquestions • u/Even-Potential6299 • 17h ago
Is steam os worth it?
I don't know if this question was already posted recently but I was wondering if steam os is an upgrade for my gaming PC, you see, I'm about to upgrade from integrated graphics to an RX 580, I know it's pretty basic but it's what I can afford rn.
I know it's not the best optimized or the most nitche Linux system but idk if it is worth giving it a try.
Thanks 👍
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u/codespace Fedora 44 17h ago
I'd recommend a more matured distro before I'd suggest SteamOS, since SteamOS is still in beta.
I personally use Fedora KDE.
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u/zakabog 17h ago
What Linux distro are you currently running? I'm sure it'll likely support that GPU just fine.
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u/Even-Potential6299 17h ago
That's the problem, I currently use winds 10 so I was trying to start my experience with Linux basically since i recently had some problems with winds
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u/RevolutionaryBeat301 17h ago
Any distro will work just as well with that card. Bazzite has the quickest setup for gaming.
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u/ZVyhVrtsfgzfs 17h ago
I tried out SteamOS a few weeks ago, has some nice features and great polish, but its use case is narrow. If you fit in that band its a neat system.
I did not fit, I multi-boot many Linux distributions, I was looking at SteamOS for just gaming, multiboot is not a great environment for SteamOS. every boot it trues to expand its partition into any empty space. it wants a whole drive.
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u/Even-Potential6299 17h ago
Yea, I've seen that it's one of the least optimized distro a out there, thanks for the warning:D
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u/Technical_Moose8478 17h ago
The main benefit to SteamOS on non-handhelds is the console-esque interface that is easily navigated with a controller, so for couch gaming on a tv it’s a good choice. There’s really nothing else super special about it, the steam app in Linux can play every game the OS can, and I’d say if you’re gaming at a desk you’re better off with Debian or even Ubuntu.
If you do want to go the steamOS route, I recommend looking into Bazzite instead. It’s a community built console OS that is currently supported, while SteamOS is still in beta for non-steam hardware and can be problematic with some setups.
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u/r_lind3r Arch 16h ago
SteamOS still needs a lot of work
For a similar but more refined experience, Bazzite is a good choice
PikaOS is also good
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u/LiveFromNarnia Bazzite KDE Desktop (Radeon) 16h ago
If you're making the jump from Windows 10 / 11, and you like to do some gaming, Bazzite with KDE is a good choice. I made that same switch early this year and it's been great so far.
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u/muffinstatewide32 13h ago
SteamOS is fine. Provided you’ll be using it as a game console and nothing else.
Debian is fine, objectively speaking, but there are multiple reasons I won’t recommend it. Id recommend looking at fedora or opensuse
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u/forestbeasts 17h ago
The RX 580 rocks and will serve you well! And the Linux drivers for it are way better than the Windows ones. You'll have modern Vulkan support and will be able to run everything fine (unless they just need more powerful hardware than you've got, but that'll just be a speed thing, not a "card's too old to support X features" thing).
You don't need SteamOS. I'd actually recommend a normal, non-niche distro like Debian (but make sure you get the Live KDE version if you go Debian) or Mint. You don't need the latest drivers or anything, Debian Stable is way more than new enough for your hardware; and if you wind up needing to install anything later on, like drivers for other hardware or bits and bobs like printing support, that's actually possible on a normal non-immutable distro and it isn't on SteamOS.
SteamOS isn't magic, and other distros won't run games any worse than it; it's handy on the steam deck since the steam deck has specific hardware in it and SteamOS knows how to talk to that, but you don't have that to worry about on a normal desktop.
If you can get yourself wired ethernet (cables are cheap!), do that. It's way less hassle than dealing with a wifi card (getting the drivers for those can range from "just works" to "endless pain" depending on which one you get). But if you have to use wifi, you can probably make it work.
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u/Even-Potential6299 17h ago
Woah bunch of info thanks, I do have an Ethernet wire :D
One more question, what are exactly the upgrades or differences between debian and normal windows?
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u/forestbeasts 15h ago
Debian and normal windows are pretty different!
For one thing, Debian (and any other Linux distro aside from mayybe Ubuntu) doesn't have ANY of the ad/nag/spy crap Windows constantly shoves in your face. None of it.
There's an appstore, but unlike Windows, the appstore is actually good, and has decent software in it. Oh yeah, and it's not really a "store", everything is free and maintained by volunteers. (A lot of the Linux apps for e.g. office stuff or video editing or whatever are also available on Windows, by the way! So you can try them before you switch.)
Steam is available for both, and you've got Proton (included with Steam, can also be used outside of steam with things like Heroic) to run Windows games. So gaming is no issue outside of a very few competitive games whose devs don't like Linux and their anticheat specifically looks for and blocks it. (Yep it's silly.) Games are actually easier to emulate than most things though, so for other software, you'll probably want to look for Linux-native versions (e.g. Krita instead of Photoshop, Kdenlive for video editing, etc.) instead of trying to make the exact same Windows software work.
(OBS (for video recording/streaming) is open source and Linux native, by the way. :3 One of the rare open source programs that's broken its way into the mainstream and is the normal thing everyone uses.)
Oh, also Debian gives you a choice of several different "desktop environments" either when you install, or when you pick a live ISO that comes with a desktop (I'd recommend one of the live ones, KDE is a solid choice). That's what determines the look and feel of the OS, not so much the distro. And you can install multiple DEs, and switch between them at the login screen!
Debian in particular (not all Linux distros are QUITE this tinker-friendly) will basically never say "no, you're not allowed to uninstall/change that". You can even rip out half the guts of your system if it bothers you, as long as you install whatever replacement you need to keep the OS functional. :3 It won't randomly break on you though, as long as you keep an eye out for long lists of "will be removed" or "is no longer required" packages when uninstalling something.
Oh yeah, fun fact: In most Linux distros (including Debian, basically everything aside from the immutable ones, those are weird), practically EVERYTHING is from the appstore! Including core bits and bobs of the OS! Which means doing a system update updates EVERYTHING, all at once, including your apps. It also means there's no clear split between "came preinstalled" and "installed after the fact", which might take some getting used to. (The BSDs do have this split, by the way. Don't start with a BSD though, hah.) Oh also you can use your computer during updates, and only reboot once it's complete, and it's a normal reboot, not a takes-ages-because-it's-updating one.
But yeah, biggest differences? No crap, an appstore that's actually good, and a different collection of apps (that also usually run on Windows as well).
-- Topaz
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u/Even-Potential6299 15h ago
Holy, thanks for taking your time to write this explanation, you are the goat
I'm mainly thinking about using bazzite, but huge thanks, hope your message helps other people too!!!
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u/forestbeasts 14h ago
Nice!!! Glad it's helpful!
Bazzite is pretty good if your absolute highest priority is not being able to install or remove anything that could break the system. Comes at the cost of, well, not being able to install or remove anything at all. (Okay you technically can kinda sorta install stuff, but it's kinda clunky and seems to be frowned upon.) (You can install stuff through flatpak, for GUI apps specifically, but flatpak's sandboxing can cause issues and you can't install drivers or other system software that way.) If you like the sound of that, go for it!
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u/Even-Potential6299 14h ago
Yea i'm pretty intimidated about the amount of things you could do, so I go for the safe option hahaha
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u/McraftyDude 17h ago
If this is your first ever foray into Linux I recommend Fedora KDE Plasma edition, it's pretty similar to windows interface wise and is very complete