The Ultimate Guide: How to Set Up Your Linux Distro for Gaming on Steam and Beyond

Linux: A Mature Gaming Platform

Gaming on Linux is no longer exclusive to enthusiasts or a middle-ground compromise. Thanks to Valve’s continuous efforts and the evolution of the Proton compatibility layer, a massive library of Windows games runs smoothly on Linux. But the ideal setup does not stop at installing Steam and launching a game. To achieve the best experience, you need to understand the core components and helper tools.

This guide provides a practical roadmap for setting up your distribution, whether you use a traditional distro like Ubuntu or Fedora, or a gaming-focused one like Bazzite or CachyOS.

The Foundation: Steam and Proton

Installing Steam

The best way to install Steam varies by distribution. The safest and most universal option is Flatpak, as it provides an isolated and continuously updated environment:

# Install Steam via Flatpak (all distributions)
flatpak install flathub com.valvesoftware.Steam

If you prefer your distribution’s package manager, you can use:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install steam

# Fedora (requires enabling the RPM Fusion repository)
sudo dnf install steam

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S steam

Enabling Proton

Proton is the compatibility layer that allows Windows games to run on Linux. To enable it:

Open Steam and go to Steam > Settings.
Navigate to the Compatibility section.
Enable the “Enable Steam Play for all other titles” option.
Select the latest Proton version (such as Proton 10.0-4 or newer) from the dropdown menu.

After enabling, any Windows game in your library will show an “Install” button and will run via Proton automatically.

Checking Compatibility: ProtonDB

Before buying or installing a game, check its rating on ProtonDB. The site displays user ratings (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Borked) and details on any required fixes.

Games Outside Steam: Lutris and Heroic

Your library is not all on Steam. To play games from Epic Games Store, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, or even older titles, you need helper tools.

Lutris: The Comprehensive Manager

Lutris is an open source platform that brings all game sources together in one place. It supports multiple stores and simplifies game installation through community-provided scripts.

# Install Lutris (preferably via Flatpak for isolation)
flatpak install flathub net.lutris.Lutris

Heroic Games Launcher: An Epic and GOG Alternative

Heroic is an open source client for the Epic Games Store, GOG, and Amazon Games. It offers a clean interface, supports Proton and Wine, and allows adding games to your Steam library to launch them from one place.

flatpak install flathub com.heroicgameslauncher.hgl

Other Windows Games (Such as Ubisoft Connect and EA App)

The most common method is to install the store application itself as a “Non-Steam Game” in Steam, then force it to run via Proton:

In Steam, choose Games > Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library.
Select the store’s .exe installer file.
After adding it, right-click it and choose Properties.
In the Compatibility section, enable “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool” and select Proton.

Essential Performance Tuning

GameMode: Automatic Performance Optimization

GameMode is a lightweight background daemon that applies system optimizations when a game is launched (such as setting the CPU governor to performance mode and raising the process priority).

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install gamemode

# Fedora
sudo dnf install gamemode

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S gamemode

To run a game with GameMode:

gamemoderun %command%

(Add this line to the game’s launch options in Steam).

MangoHud: Performance Monitoring

MangoHud is an overlay that displays real-time performance information: frames per second (FPS), CPU and memory usage, and temperatures. An indispensable tool for tuning settings.

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install mangohud

# Fedora
sudo dnf install mangohud

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S mangohud

To use it with Steam:

mangohud %command%

Gamescope: The Gaming Window Manager

Gamescope is a micro-compositor developed by Valve, used in SteamOS. It can be used on any Linux distribution to improve performance, fix resolution issues, and apply technologies like FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution).

Example of using it in Steam launch options:

gamescope -W 2560 -H 1440 -r 144 -f -- %command%

This command runs the game at 1440p and 144Hz, in fullscreen.

Quick Comparison: SteamOS vs Traditional Distributions

Valve released SteamOS 3.8 as an image available for personal computers (primarily with AMD graphics cards). SteamOS offers a “ready-to-play” console-like experience, with a controller-oriented interface (Game Mode) and a KDE desktop environment (Desktop Mode).

Feature	SteamOS	Traditional Distro (e.g., Ubuntu/Fedora)
Experience	Controller-oriented, ready to play	Full desktop, requires setup
Supported Hardware	AMD (officially), Intel (partially)	All hardware (including NVIDIA)
System	Immutable, safe updates	Traditional, flexible, but can break with tweaks
Flexibility	Limited deep customization	Full flexibility
Use Case	Gaming + light use	Gaming + work + full productivity

If you want a dedicated gaming machine for the living room or a handheld device, SteamOS or a distribution built on it (like Bazzite) is the ideal choice. If you want a single machine for gaming and work, a traditional distribution with the tools mentioned above is the better option.

Additional Tips

Vulkan: Make sure to install modern Vulkan drivers. On Ubuntu, the mesa-vulkan-drivers package is essential. On Fedora, vulkan-loader and mesa-vulkan-drivers.
NVIDIA Drivers: Use NVIDIA’s proprietary drivers (or nvidia-open for newer devices) for the best performance. On Ubuntu, you can use ubuntu-drivers install, or add the official PPA.
Flatpak: Use Flatpak to install Steam, Lutris, and Heroic. It provides an isolated environment and avoids library conflicts with your base system.
Backups: Before trying any tool or tweak, make sure you have a backup of your data, especially if you are trying a new distribution or modifying system settings.

Summary

Setting up Linux for gaming has never been easier than it is today. With Steam and Proton as the foundation, Lutris and Heroic to cover other stores, and GameMode and MangoHud as tuning tools, you can build a complete gaming experience on your favorite distribution. The main difference between SteamOS and traditional distributions is philosophy: the former offers a dedicated gaming machine, the latter offers a multi-purpose machine. Which you choose depends on your needs.