There are so many Debian-based Linux distros to choose from that look and work great, with Ubuntu and Linux Mint being the most popular. The best feature is the easy install method and the vast amount of available software.
One of the things people often don’t discuss is the higher gaming capabilities because of Linux’ lower overhead. If you are into retro gaming, Linux is the obvious choice with options like “retropie”, which can be installed on pretty much any Linux PC or Raspberry Pi computer. Here’s an option to install retropie on your Debian-based PC.
Modern games are trickier to find in terms of compatibility and obviously more difficult to install. That is unless you are using Steam, which makes modern gaming on your Linux platform a dream! Installation and access open up. In the Steam Store, you can see which games are compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux. Windows is the obvious choice for the hardcore gamer obviously because of the higher compatibility rate, but you would be surprised at how many are compatible with Linux.
Installation on your Debian-based system:
Install Steam: $ sudo add-apt-repository multiverse $ sudo apt update $ sudo apt install steam Run steam: steam
Look for the Steam app in your menu under “Games”. You can setup your account and start looking for games! It may take a few moments to launch initially, so be patient.
You can spot the compatibility of games in several places, including the game pages:
You can also shop for Linux-only games by going into the menu and choosing the “Categories” tab and then “SteamOS + Linux”.
Once you buy your game, installing it is easy. Look for purchased games in the “Library” tab. Choose a game and click on the “Install” icon. It takes a little time to install so be patient. Once the game is available, you can find it under your menu’s “Games” tab.
One caveat: On every platform you install these modern games, you will need a modern PC to run the games. I am using an old 2010 (almost 11 years old!) Mac Mini with Xubuntu and some (not all) of these games run slooooow. If you are running this on a more modern, conventional PC, you will likely have much better results.
Enjoy, and let me know how it worked out for you!
distantdark 