Sad to say, but this sucks

[sarge816]

Windows 10 can be placed on any box that will run it....for free. The only things gimped are some personal customization stuff and some "features lol"...but gaming and drivers? Wide open.

So for free..........one can end it and get back to gaming with the full use of one's hardware and full access to one's titles.

This is how to do it, even Win 11 (Home) was free last time I checked if you link it to your Microsoft account (for one computer). After you use a few available tools to turn off the adware, spyware, telemetry, auto-updates and other BS churning in the background, Win 11 is usable. I love Linux Mint and have been a user 15 years or so now, but we run a small real estate business from home. Windows is the only option, Linux just doesn't do some of the things we need to conduct business. At least, not easily. I also learned many years ago after wrestling with WINE and trying to game on Linux that it is just a much easier and less headache process to simply dual boot.

That said, Mint is fantastic for general computer / internet use, I even used it to finish up a degree with no issues using Libre Office. The best part of that was completing a course where MS Office was "mandatory." It wasn't.

[ponkoko]

I must be lucky. The vast majority of my games work on Linux for me. Even newer games like Baldur's Gate 3 work really well.

Apparently, over 80% of all Steam games are supposed to work well on Linux. So maybe it's not just luck.

I have had trouble in the past, though. There's more things that can go wrong than on Windows. For example, the snap packaged version of Steam doesn't work well, according to Valve https://mastodon.social/@TTimo/111772575146054328. I also found that if I was using a certain Nvidia driver, my games wouldn't start. I've also found Lutris a bit harder to get working. It gave me a few errors to begin with, but lately it has been running nicely.

I'd say that for someone who doesn't have the extra time to spend on Linux, they're probably better off with Windows for now. There are undeniably a few caveats one should expect.

Linux does require more tinkering than Windows. But, even in the short time I've been using this OS, the improvements have been very noticeable. And honestly, nobody should expect a transition to an unfamiliar OS to work flawlessly.

I do keep a dual boot system in case I need Windows for something. But lately, I only use Windows very rarely for games. Linux Mint feels like home now. Not gonna lie, that feels pretty good.

[1000]

1. Linux has limited gaming support.
- However, technology exists, OpenGL, Vulcan.
DirectX it is proprietary as far as I know. In addition, there are dependencies of other programs or folder structures.
It should be obvious that the workaround may be too weak.
- Recently, Steam also supports anti-cheat for Linux. ( At least he took a job. )
- But this won't solve your problems for games that are not on Steam and maybe not known for Wine.

Need - wins.
You choose the system what you need.
Everyone has different needs and other problems.

2. You can always use two systems.
Although I agree that this is a troublesome solution.
- Because both systems can make things difficult by dropping or delaying support for some technology.
Or for example disabling some functionality in GRUB for security.
This is irritating even for me when I only use multiple Linux systems, but I have no control over it.
- Currently, it is best to install both systems on separate hard drives. ( W... & Linux )
And for safety, the second disk can always be removed during system installation.
- You can use virtual machines for small things. ( VirtualBox is not for gaming )

3. You don't have to think about W... in terms of money.
At least in your case.
However, it is true that the key was included in the price of the hardware.
Because if you bought hardware with W..., and it has a sticker with a key or a key in the system.
You can use this key multiple times for the same hardware.
So you shouldn't notice the price.

However, you rightly noticed that money plays an important role in our lives.
- This is one of the reasons why patents exist.
- Money is not the only reason in life. There are various reasons.
- You only have as many things as the people you found who could help you.
Each different person can solve different problems. Your path is apparently different than my.
- You can pay for the product, you can ask, you can make it with your own help or the help of someone else.
However, for example, not everyone can afford to work for free. There are limitations.
- So the price changes depending on the situation.

[featherlessbiped]

Maybe OP doesn't know - I didn't - but you're supposed to install various Proton frameworks from Steam -> Library -> Tools. After that you should be able to install your Steam games.

If not, then go to Steam -> Settings -> Compatibility -> "Run other titles with:" -> Proton Experimental.

That's what worked for me.

[Tronmander]

Tl:dr OP got frustrated after not trying anything like lutris or heroic game launchers.

[ariznaf]

My first experience in gaming was similar: it seemed linux was not the correct platform for gaming.

Of course games that are ported to linux or developed for linux are OK, but there are too few (at least not many among the popular ones).

My first experience with steam (I was using it in windows for many years) and Proton was frustrating: most of my games did not work.

But I kept trying and now I am running all my games (I have not many) without any problem.

I am using Proton experimental..
The problem in most of them was the anticheat system and the launchers from third parties (the game developers).

I had to install Proton experimental but Proton EasyAnticheat and BattelEye runtime.

Now all work flawlessly.

I have been able to put to work FIFA21 and some other game that I had bought directly and not from steam.

I hade to make some tweaks for that, download the EA launcher and run the installer adding it to steam as an external game, and after installing it, change the executable path to run the launcher and not the installer.

I can now run FIFA from it that I had installed in the windows partition.

It could be easier, but .. have you tried to run a linux game on windows? Or just another linux app... not easier at all (even now that you have the integrated linux sussystem in windows).

I have tried in steam/proton: portal, overcooked, far cry 2, the witcher 3, A plague Tale: innocence, Doom eternal, Borthers: a tale of two sons, Destiny 2, It takes two...

All of them work Ok, and all can be used with a PS3 dualshock controller.
No real difference during the game in performance compared to running them in windows.

I had succeeded at installing a PS3 emulator to run PS3 games, and using batocera you can have access to a huge collection of old games (you can in windows too).
So not to say that linux is not a good platform for games, you can run with no problem lots of games and lots of windows games.

It is not the easiest thing to put to work, linux has a lot of options and configurations and things tent to be a bit more difficult (distributions like linux mint or batocera are there to help you in the use of linux for a concrete target use).
But saying it is not good for gaming or other use just because things are not the same to windows of because there so many options...

[noob1234]

Just to add regarding gaming on Linux as per my thread 'Confused about gaming on Linux':-

I love playing Doom Eternal, which runs perfectly on Linux through Steam, except that even with Steam set to 'offline', a Proton service decides that if I don't allow it access to the internet, to contact a bunch of what I assume are Steam severs, then it wont allow me to launch the game.

Therefore when I go camping in France, no Doom Eternal.

Unless of course I launch the game at home, plug the laptop into the cigarette lighter so my laptop battery doesn't die, and leave it plugged in with the game running for the full 2 weeks i'll be there, by which time when we pack up to leave, the car battery will be dead....

Or I could just launch it on Windows whenever I like, with Steam set to offline...

[Neophyte]

Just to add regarding gaming on Linux as per my thread 'Confused about gaming on Linux':-

I love playing Doom Eternal, which runs perfectly on Linux through Steam, except that even with Steam set to 'offline', a Proton service decides that if I don't allow it access to the internet, to contact a bunch of what I assume are Steam severs, then it wont allow me to launch the game.

Therefore when I go camping in France, no Doom Eternal.

Unless of course I launch the game at home, plug the laptop into the cigarette lighter so my laptop battery doesn't die, and leave it plugged in with the game running for the full 2 weeks i'll be there, by which time when we pack up to leave, the car battery will be dead....

Or I could just launch it on Windows whenever I like, with Steam set to offline...

Pretty sure that is a game specific problem. Like you can't even start Doom Eternal on consoles unless you make and connect a Bethesda account before hand.

[noob1234]

Game specific? But I already stated I can launch & play it fine on windows with NO internet connection whatsoever.

[Neophyte]

Game specific?

Yes.

[noob1234]

Why?