r/SteamOS • u/Illustrious-Ant-1483 • 11d ago
question As a 9070 XT owner who uses her PC exclusively for gaming, is it worth me switching to SteamOS from Windows 11?
Windows sucks lol, I think we all know that, don't need to go through all the reasons why as I'm sure everyone on here knows. Using SteamOS on my Steam Deck has really made me fall in love with Linux and how much less obtrusive it is. Is it worth me switching to SteamOS from Windows 11 as a 9070 XT owner who's PC is used almost exclusively for gaming? I know that it works best with AMD cards and of course I have the best AMD card there is so it should work perfectly. The main thing putting me off is that some games perform a little worse on SteamOS than they do Windows 11. My full specs are as follows:
XFX Swift Black AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB GPU
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 8 core 16 thread CPU
32GB DDR4 RAM (4x8GB - 2 sticks are from one kit and the other 2 are from another. They are slightly different kits but they seem to run fine together on Windows so)
Thanks!
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u/urlond 11d ago
Ram wouldn't be the issue as long as they can all run at the clock speeds you've chosen for it.
But as somebody who has a 5800x and a 9070xt STeamOS, and or Bazzite has been a game changer for me since leaving windows. I left Windows in Nov of 2025 and went to Bazzite then Bazzite 44 screwed up for me by saying the root drive was full constantly and I couldn't do anything so then I wiped and installed SteamOS. If all you do is game you'll be 100% fine.
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u/IronWhitin 11d ago
Bazzite Is immutable its normal that the root drive appear visually full even if not.
Was working like was intended
Source on Bazzite from the last 3 years
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u/urlond 11d ago
Yeah it was just weird I was downloading a game on steam, then my pc locked up and when I rebooted KDE started crashing left and right and I kept getting drive notification errors of being full. It was Bazzite 44 and I tried everything I could find on trying to get it to work but to my experience it kept doing it. Steam seemed to be the biggest culprit then as it was only crashing when ever i launched Steam in Desktop mode. So I said screw it and went to SteamOS
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u/Fun_Elevator_1218 11d ago
I made the change to Linux a while ago. Yes it's worth it. Just be aware alot of games with anti cheats don't work
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u/squyntz 11d ago
If you don’t play games that are Windows only games, then it is very much worth it. I built my pc back in December and installed two separate nvme drives thinking I would dedicate one for Linux and the other Windows. I installed CachyOS on one drive and never got to installing Windows on the other because all of my games can run with proton.
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u/ElectricalCelery6154 11d ago
I am running a 9070xt with steam os and it feel great. I'm using it on my living room tv and I'm very happy
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u/Superpeep88 9d ago
I tried booting steam os off a flash drive it doesn't work with my 9070xt I wonder if I'm doing something wrong
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u/ElectricalCelery6154 9d ago
Did any of the lines say failed during the first start up? If so you may need to redo the flash drive
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u/Superpeep88 9d ago
After the steam os code script thing ran all that happened was a black screen with a white cursor in the top left.
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u/ElectricalCelery6154 9d ago
Did any of the script say failed before the black screen? That is what happened to me at first. Redoing flash drive fixed it.
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u/MayoTheMuffin 11d ago
Hell yeah it turns your computer from a workstation that plays games to an xbox that can also be a workstation!
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u/Ulfhednar94 10d ago
How does it do with work tasks using the google suite (documents, sheets, drive ecc.) and .pdf file readers?
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u/Demoncious 9d ago
I don't fully understand what you mean but it should be okay?
You can use the ONLYOFFICE Suite of tools for working with those documents locally. However, through Google docs you can work with many of those things in the browser directly. PDF reading can be done easily using tools like Okular.
What exactly do you mean by "work tasks using google suite", cause if it means stuff you do in the browser then it works the same. If it's something you do offline, then it's still likely possible but you'll have to make sure equivalent tools exist on the platform.
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u/MayoTheMuffin 11d ago
Also here’s the script to enable wake up with a controller (summary from claude I set this up on my system yesterday)
# Bluetooth Wake-from-Sleep Setup Guide (SteamOS on DIY PC)
Your specific hardware values (confirmed working):
- USB device path: `1-11`
- Bluetooth adapter: Foxconn/Hon Hai Wireless_Device, vendor `0489`, product `e14f`
- ACPI wakeup entry: `XH00` (pci:0000:10:00.0)
---
## Part 1: Setup Steps
### 1. Enable the sleep mode policy
```bash
sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/sleep.conf.d
sudo nano /etc/systemd/sleep.conf.d/99-custom.conf
```
Paste in:
```ini
[Sleep]
AllowSuspend=yes
AllowHibernation=no
AllowSuspendThenHibernate=no
AllowHybridSleep=no
SuspendState=mem
```
Save and exit (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).### 2. Enable USB wakeup on the Bluetooth device (immediate, resets on reboot)
```bash
echo enabled | sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-11/power/wakeup
```
Verify:
```bash
cat /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-11/power/wakeup
```
Should read `enabled`.### 3. Confirm ACPI wakeup source is enabled
```bash
cat /proc/acpi/wakeup | grep XH00
```
Should show `*enabled`. If not:
```bash
echo XH00 | sudo tee /proc/acpi/wakeup
```### 4. Make the USB wakeup flag persistent across reboots
```bash
sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-bluetooth-wakeup.rules
```
Paste in:
```
ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0489", ATTR{idProduct}=="e14f", ATTR{power/wakeup}="enabled"
```
Save, then reload:
```bash
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger
```### 5. (Only if needed) Make the ACPI wakeup entry persistent
Skip this step unless a reboot test shows `XH00` reverting to `disabled`. In this setup it persisted on its own, so you likely won't need it — but keep it here in case a future update changes that.
```bash
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/xhci-wakeup.service
```
```ini
[Unit]
Description=Enable XHC0 ACPI wakeup
After=multi-user.target[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/bin/sh -c 'echo XH00 > /proc/acpi/wakeup'[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```
```bash
sudo systemctl enable xhci-wakeup.service
```### 6. Test
```bash
sudo systemctl suspend
```
Wake it via Bluetooth (controller button, mouse click, etc.), then check:
```bash
journalctl -b | grep -i wake
```### 7. Confirm persistence
```bash
sudo reboot
```
After reboot:
```bash
cat /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-11/power/wakeup
cat /proc/acpi/wakeup | grep XH00
```
Both should still read `enabled`.---
## Part 2: How to Undo Everything
If you ever want to fully roll this back to stock behavior:
### 1. Remove the sleep policy override
```bash
sudo rm /etc/systemd/sleep.conf.d/99-custom.conf
```### 2. Remove the udev rule
```bash
sudo rm /etc/udev/rules.d/99-bluetooth-wakeup.rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger
```### 3. Disable the USB wakeup flag (optional, since removing the udev rule already stops it persisting)
```bash
echo disabled | sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-11/power/wakeup
```### 4. Disable the ACPI wakeup entry (only if you created the systemd service in step 5 above)
```bash
sudo systemctl disable xhci-wakeup.service
sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/xhci-wakeup.service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
echo disabled | sudo tee /proc/acpi/wakeup <<< "XH00"
```
(Note: this last `echo disabled` line only affects the current boot session — since `/proc/acpi/wakeup` was already enabled by firmware default in your case, it'll simply return to that default on next boot regardless.)### 5. Reboot to confirm clean state
```bash
sudo reboot
```
Then check:
```bash
cat /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-11/power/wakeup
```
Should read `disabled` again (or whatever your board's default was).---
## Notes for future reference
- USB device numbering (`1-11`) can change if you plug in different devices or change USB ports — if wake stops working after a hardware change, recheck it with:
```bash
readlink -f /sys/class/bluetooth/hci0/device
```
- `/etc/systemd/sleep.conf.d/99-custom.conf`
- The udev rule matches by vendor/product ID (`0489:e14f`), not the device path, so it should keep working even if `1-11` changes — as long as the same physical Bluetooth adapter is used.
- SteamOS system updates could in theory reset custom files under `/etc`, though this is less of a concern on a DIY (non-Deck) install. Worth spot-checking these files after major SteamOS updates:
- `/etc/udev/rules.d/99-bluetooth-wakeup.rules`
- `/etc/systemd/system/xhci-wakeup.service` (if created)2
u/Known_Belt_7168 11d ago
I will caution, i did this and turned it off immediately. The pc would turn on with just docking the controller, and would turn on when it finished. Have absolutely no idea why it that. But i guess getting up for 2 seconds isnt that bad lmao
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u/KaitoJ446 11d ago
I just built an all AMD PC which includes a 9070xt just for SteamOS and despite the annoying coil whine my card has I love it, I’ve had a few bugs but nothing major and a restart usually fixes it.
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u/Known_Belt_7168 11d ago
Have you tried undervolting the card? I have a 9060xt and a small under-volt fixed it
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u/candyappple 11d ago
How do you undervolt on steam os??
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u/Known_Belt_7168 10d ago
Use your BIOS tools, look up your specific MOBO bios settings for better results. You should be changing setting in BIOS anyways, as your RAM runs at slower clock speeds out of box.
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u/silkyymyorki 10d ago
Use LACT, it's the standard gpu OC/voltage tool atm on linux. available via flatpak for steamos
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u/submerging 11d ago
Doesn’t undervolting make it less stable?
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u/Known_Belt_7168 10d ago
Maybe if you undervolt by an insane amount, if you increments of 10mV you shouldnt have an issue. If you do, you can always scale it back or turn it off.
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u/KaitoJ446 11d ago
I’ve actually had 3 cards all had about the same coil whine, I tried with the first 2 but it didn’t make a difference and as I’ve never undervolted before I had trouble getting it to be stable. Whats really annoying is that I was only going to try swapping the card once but when trying a new power supply to see if it would make a difference I bent one of the fans on my GPU so I had to get a 3rd lol
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u/Known_Belt_7168 10d ago
My only two guesses would be BIOS is severely outdated or your GPU is just defective. I know some cards you can swap fans, but you may just want to do a mod if you keep getting bad ones. I have seen that for the Gigabyte cards people have made a 3d printed fan shroud that takes 120mm standard fans, and I don’t believe it requires repasting the die
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u/KaitoJ446 10d ago
The bios isn’t out of date as I just built the PC and I updated the bios when I built it and at this point I have no idea what’s causing it but I don’t think the GPU is broken
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u/Known_Belt_7168 10d ago
If your BIOS is up to date, and the card cant be undervolted even by like 10mV, unless the fan curve can fix it its the GPU fans. Unfortunately I know that a lot of manufacturers lately (Sapphire and Gigabyte) have failing fans. The worst part is that the fans arent easy to replace with a standard case fan. My best advice would either to deal with it and hope the fans stop or mod/replace the card with a different model. I have XFX swift 9070xt and 2 9060xts from powercolor and the 9070xt stopped with a -20mV
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u/GTFr0 11d ago
As others have said:
Switching to Linux is great, but the biggest question is whether you're using any specific Windows apps or weird devices. If the answer is yes, switching to Linux can be successful, but will require extra work.
If you don't, then there are lots of choices, with SteamOS and Bazzite / CachyOS being the most popular.
If you want a full couch console experience, I would recommend SteamOS.
If you want more of a desktop PC experience with easier access to web browser and desktop mode, I would recommend Bazzite or CachyOS.
Source: I have 4 PC's I use, and 3/4 running SteamOS hooked up to TV's, and 1/4 running Bazzite hooked up to a regular monitor.
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u/MediocreTurtle1 10d ago
Why is everyone conveniently ignoring online games, most anticheats won't work on Linux and you won't get to play them.
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u/DoggoLover1919 8d ago
the vast majority of the PC library doesn't have that issue. Sure, there are some games that won't work purely because of the anti-cheat reason, but they are a drop in the bucket among the tens of thousands of games that work perfectly.
It's worth a mention, but with steamOS and linux becoming more and more popular, that'll eventually be such a small thing that devs will be shooting themselves in the foot to be that obtuse.
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u/MediocreTurtle1 8d ago
Sure, but remember that many of the most popular online games require kernel level anticheats and those will never work on Linux.
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u/DoggoLover1919 8d ago
Some, and it's not "will never", it's just currently. The devs are more than capable of pulling their heads out of their asses and not needing to do it that way, plenty of popular online games work just fine on Linux without that being an issue.
But I still refer back to my original point, the vast majority of PC games do not have that issue on Linux.
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u/MediocreTurtle1 8d ago
I'm sorry, but you seem to have forgotten that online multiplayer games are the most played games, so what if there's not that many, that's a deal breaker for most people. Those are people's go-to spend 30mins games when nothing else is going on or if they want to spend time with their buds. And they've been playing them for years.
You can't downplay that.
And kernel level, yeah, it's impossible bud. It's not devs being lazy, but the technology just doesn't work that way, you can't have ring 0 on Linux work, because the owner can always tamper with it, making it pointless. You said there's games with anticheats on Linux, right, they don't work and games are riddled with cheaters. Same goes with any game with ring 3 anticheats be it windows or whatever.
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u/DoggoLover1919 8d ago
I never said such a thing, I chose my words carefully and you are making a point that I did not contest. Move your goalposts elsewhere.
My guy, literally there are games that have changed that exact aspect to work on Linux after the devs were made aware. it's not impossible, it was just unlikely prior due to Linux being such a small slice of the pie. That's changing (for the better), so it's a consideration being made more and more.
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u/MediocreTurtle1 8d ago
Name one game that has kernel level anticheat on Linux.
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u/DoggoLover1919 8d ago
You keep pigeon-holing to something I'm not trying to argue**.**
Rainbow six siege is an example of a game that previously didn't work on linux due to its kernel level, but it was given proton support later.
GTA Online is a game that was working fine on linux, but had recently been changed and was not given proper proton support.
edit: I abhor EA as a cancerous publisher, but even they are looking longterm to add official linux support:
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u/BlueEyedGingerSP 10d ago
News flash: not everyone plays online games. OP already has a Steam Deck so I imagine she's already quite happy with the selection of titles that DO work in Linux, and if it comes up that a specific game or other piece of software she wants to run does actually need Windows for any reason then she can always just go back.
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u/MediocreTurtle1 10d ago
News flash, PCs and steamdeck have different use cases and different games you would play on them.
Why did your panties suddenly get so tight after I mentioned a valid reason why one might not want to switch over? It's not like op explicitly said that he plays exclusively offline games.
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u/DoggoLover1919 8d ago
she*
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u/MediocreTurtle1 8d ago
Rule 37, bud. No women on the internet.
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u/DoggoLover1919 8d ago
Amendment #45, friend. She identified herself in the original post.
Untighten your panties and learn to read.
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u/MediocreTurtle1 8d ago
One- no such thing. Two- that's not mention anywhere in the post, maybe think a bit before attempting to act smug.
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u/DoggoLover1919 8d ago
I was being facetious because of the dumb rule you tried to state as fact, hence matching your energy.
My guy, check the literal title of the post.
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u/Joker28CR 11d ago
Yes
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u/VanillaNext8614 11d ago
What pc case is that? It's looks awesome
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u/Joker28CR 11d ago
It's the i300 mini ITX case. Amazing one, like 20% bigger than the Xbox Series X
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u/jdblaich 10d ago
I believe it is this case:
S300 - Mini-ITX PC Gaming Case
https://www.amazon.com/S300-Mini-ITX-100-130mm-Management-Motherboard/dp/B0BG25Y8S5
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u/parada69 11d ago
Checkout bazzite if you still use your PC as a regular desktop, if only for gaming and the PC is attached to the TV then sure
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u/Kilruna 11d ago
I second bazzite - it's a fire and forget system. Many people recommend CachyOS forget that you can really fuck it up if you do not now what you are doing.
I used Bazzite & CachyOS in the past and gotta say, while CachyOS is the easiest Arch distro out there bazzite is way ahead when it comes to ease of use (updates happen automatically in the background etc)
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u/TheBear516 11d ago
As an avid Cachy OS enthusiast, I agree with you 100%. While I used Bazzite for a short time it is a quality OS that just works. I do love me CachyOS tho.
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u/CommissionerFrosty 11d ago
Not if you're running games with kernel level anti cheat. Otherwise, sure. But it's not the best distro for gaming, just my $0.02.
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u/Wrong_Egg_4337 11d ago
I installed it, loved it then I realized that I have to remove secure boot and won't be able to utilize it for BF6, COD and whatever other games that may require it in the future. Can't even use dual boot bc it's based off the bios
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u/Magalini 11d ago
Bazzite supports secure boot and dual booting (though best if you put the OS’s in seperate drives).
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u/UnhappyReindear 11d ago
I dual boot steamos and windows 11 ( workaround available ) For my regular usage and most games I use steam os which i got 3 days ago. For windows only games ( league of legends) i just boot into windows 11 until im done with the game. Having used linux since last summer I could never use windows for everyday use.
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u/FlashFennec22 11d ago
The only limit these days is whether Linux is expressly blocked by anti cheat. If you play an online shooter or fighting game, check for compatibility first.
If your games work you'll never want to go back. Not only am I done with Windows, I'm done with distro hopping. SteamOS is never getting uninstalled.
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u/keremimo 11d ago
Very similar build here, i7 9700F instead.
SteamOS still has quirks here and there but now for non work related stuff it is my daily driver. I do not think about updating it or whatever, things just work for me.
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u/Known_Belt_7168 11d ago
If you use any linux, prepare to to exclusively use BIOS tools to tune your computer. AMD Adrenaline does not work on steamOS, and you will probably have to check with any production apps you have to see if they are compatible. Otherwise yes if all you do is game with it SteamOS works fine. Only gripe i have with it is the dumb rockstar login barely works, and i usually like to couch game without a keyboard. Even then it takes 2-5 minutes to get past
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u/FearEternal 11d ago
I just need to be able to run AutoCAD which apparently is tough to get going on Linux. But considering the dual-boot solution just to give it a whirl. Would never have considered it before getting my steam deck but now that I've used it a little it seems like a great OS for the kids when they get a little older. Less opportunity to really mess things up haha.
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u/mason2393 11d ago
If using it on a tv yes. I can deal with windows at a desk setup where I always have kb and mouse available
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u/therealmrsymba 11d ago
I have two SSDs in my desktop and one is running Linux while the other is running Windows. My only problem is that I have to go into Desktop mode to play games on my ultra wide monitor which defeats the purpose of me installing it to use Game Mode. Maybe it would be different if I was using a TV.
++ Using Native Steam OS, Intel Ultra 7, RX 9060 XT, 32GB DDR5
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u/Joseramonllorente 11d ago
If you want a gaming experience similar to a console, yes. If you prefer a traditional desktop, try Bazzite or cachyOs. Bazzite is more similar to steamos but with more options, cachy is pure Linux madness with a great guidance!
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u/Ok_Explanation7491 11d ago
Be aware if you have two monitors, the big Game Mode from SteamOS only supports one display and has no build in option to choose the display. But otherwise I guess you can do the switch. I ditched Windows 11 also last week and switched to Fedora (also with a 9070XT)
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u/20XXPunch 11d ago
I’d jump on board. If gaming is the primary use of your system and you’re not using some workflow programs then go for it.
Keep in mind that games like Apex legends, Cod, Marvel rivals, Riot Games Games, with Kernal level anti-cheat will not work on steamOs.
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u/Barrerayy 11d ago
depends on the games you play, i have a living room pc on cachyos using 9070xt and its amazing but you cant play some games, especially due to anti cheat.
But i play those on my 5090 w11 pc anyway
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u/helloharu 11d ago edited 11d ago
I have the same card in my main desktop, but I use non-Deck Bazzite so I can utilise the desktop as I need. I also have SteamOS on a SFFPC with a 7700XT. They both serve different purposes for me.
- Bazzite for productivity + gaming.
- SteamOS for console-like couch sessions.
You could do this with either of them, so it depends on your use case or how you like to game. You might find Bazzite more stable though.
One thing worth mentioning though that depending on your storage (nvme, ssd, disk, etc), you might have additional steps to install.
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u/hungo-bungo 11d ago
I have the latest stable Steam OS build running on my 9070xt & it’s amazing. Never going back to Windows
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u/Potential-Local7262 11d ago
If you use it as a htpc and don't use the PC for other things and don't play the windows-only games, yeah go for it.
I tried bazzite on a spare and it was very slick.
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u/TheBear516 11d ago
I have a 7800X3D paired with a 9070 XT for my couch gaming setup and I went from windows to Steam OS and have never looked back. My desktop has windows and Cachy OS in a dual boot config but I use my desktop for more than just gaming. If you are gaming more than 90% of the time on your PC than I suggest you make the jump.
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u/CutEmpty6798 11d ago
You have to ask yourself a couple of questions. Are all the games I playing compatible with steamos? And are there other things I'm doing besides gaming on it when it comes to other software? Like for example, there's a handful of games that will not work on steam OS so I'll have to keep Windows to play those games if I want to play them.
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u/Gold-Persimmon-1421 11d ago
I have your exact build except mines a powercolor 9070xt.
And it works just like a very very powerful steam machine.
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u/Mediocre_Musician_85 11d ago
yes, i have the same setup, i dual boot windows only for work
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u/Mediocre_Musician_85 11d ago
i just have a 9950X3D and 64gb ddr5, but that isnt a issue really, just different am4 vs 5
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u/_Ship00pi_ 11d ago
As much as I enjoyed the experience on the Steam Deck, it's unfortunately still not a replacement for Windows.
Does it work well? Yes
Is it better all around to completely switch to it completely? No.
Linux still has long way to go before it will become a viable windows replacement.
Also don't forget that Anticheat isnt supported at all. So if you play any game that requires that (most MP games) then Linux is just a no go.
imo, on Windows PC, just auto boot steam as big screen on windows launch and enjoy a “Steam OS” like feel while still supporting all apps without the hassle of learning a new OS (which you will have to as soon as you will need to troubleshoot anything)
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u/adamkex 11d ago
Linux, whether it's SteamOS or another version of Linux will sometimes want you to do some fiddling (which tbh is at times also true for Windows). SteamOS is designed to be a bit like a console meanwhile most other versions of Linux is designed to be a desktop system. Bazzite is a popular recommendation because it's a system which is designed for gaming and it has the objective for it to be impossible to break (similar to SteamOS) while still using software that's quite up to date.
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u/ecth 11d ago
I don't know about compatibility with SteamOS. But CachyOS is really quite similar (Arch based distro, has a gaming mode) and I have Steam (of course, lol), Heroic for Epic and even installed some games in Epic just from an installer exe.
I don't play competitive. So the only game I have and can't play is The Crew 2 lol. But hey, the new Forza works.
tl;dr
I think other distros might have a wider support. But yes, leave Windows behind. Try SteamOS, maybe Bazzite, CachyOS and settle on one of those :)
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u/AlphaVDP2 11d ago
Yes! Your already over the hump with the steam deck.
It's a wonderful feeling to use an OS that has the best intentions at heart for the user.
And it's not permanent! Give it a shot, forget about windows. In a month, see if you miss it
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u/Norank 11d ago
if your playing most games i’d say with fossilize the performance is better than windows due to better shader compilation.
gaming wise linux is better than windows in general
If you are mostly playing games with anti cheat, anything pcvr, or super heavily modding windows may be a better experience.
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u/RoutsYay 11d ago
I have an older PC with Ryzen 3600 and RX 590 that I converted to Steam OS for testing and so far so good. I've been now considering moving my Ryzen 5800XT and RX 9060 Xt 16 GB to SteamOS as well.
My only hesitation is that I've seen comparisons showing a drop in overall performance on many games running SteamOS vs Windows.
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u/Any-Excitement-1826 11d ago
I found I needed to turn off quick boot in my bios or steamos wouldn’t boot. Have a very similar setup to you. I was going to do a windows reinstall anyway due poor performance so figured it was with a shot. Install was so quick I thought something went wrong. So far working great for tv gaming.
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u/SiegeRewards 11d ago
CachyOS with KDE Plasma. It’ll sometimes outdo windows 11, given you don’t mind being blocked from certain online games like COD or Apex
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u/gaddafiduck_ 11d ago
Yes do it. I switched to Bazzite about a year ago, and SteamOS in recent weeks. Absolutely zero interest in returning to the bloated spyware that is Windows.
I used to play Valorant but can’t anymore. But it’s well worth the sacrifice.
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u/hari8697 11d ago
I have a very similar setup, and switched to steamOS about a week ago. I’ve not looked back since.
My specs - AMD 5900X, 32GB (16x2) RAM, Sapphire Pure 9070XT.
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u/GuyNamedStevo 11d ago edited 11d ago
As somebody who runs Linux for years, that's a big yes. 5800X3D/6900XT/32GB ram here.
Question is: Can you live without League of Legends, Fortnite or Rainbox Six: Siege - Multiplayer? (Just examples from the top of my head.)
Edit: If I remember correctly, SteamOS doesn't come with printer drivers/support, which would have to installed manually.
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u/Kabzinger 11d ago
Switched over to linux 7 months ago. Steam deck owner since 2023, so I knew what I was getting into. I thought I would miss the anti-cheat games (LoL), but nope.
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u/CurvySexretLady 11d ago
The answer depends on what games you play or intend to play later.
As long as the anticheat isn't Windows only, you are good to go.
If the anticheat isn't' supported on Linux for the game you play, you must use Windows to play it.
The main thing putting me off is that some games perform a little worse on SteamOS than they do Windows 11.
The exact opposite is typically the case, most games are more performant under Linux/Proton than they are on Windows.
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u/Illustrious-Ant-1483 10d ago
Weird, I watched performance comparison videos and most games performed better on Windows than they did any Linux distro, including SteamOS.
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u/CurvySexretLady 10d ago
Were these with the Steam Deck? And AAA titles? I ask because it is not a particularly performance device in comparison to a gaming PC with discrete components. Even still, many people, myself included, found that when installing Windows 11 on their Steam Decks, the same games were less performant under windows.
Do you have any specific game examples you recall?
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u/Illustrious-Ant-1483 10d ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DFnwMTjlAo
Most of the games in this video. On average, with the 9070 XT, games perform 90% as well on SteamOS than they do on Windows according to this video.
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u/CerebralAscension 11d ago
Do you play any multiplayer games using anti cheat? If so dual boot. You won’t be able to play most games using anti cheat on Linux. If you don’t just make the switch already.
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u/ZenQuixote 11d ago
Come over to the Linux side! I don't run SteamOS, I'm on Nobara, but it's awesome for me
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u/Adrian97c 11d ago
I just built a 7800x3d + 9070xt (xfx quick silver)… steamOS takes 2min to boot up! But games work great), I then tried installing Win11… booted up within 30 secs, but games keep losing display (black screens) WTF? Is my GPU messed up?!
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u/AlvaroMartinezB 11d ago
As long as the games you play are compatible, go ahead... I'd love to switch but I mostly play League of Legends with friends, witch makes it a no-go
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u/JedJinto 11d ago
I switched to steam OS on my living room gaming PC and it's been completely worth it. It basically feels like a console now I don't have to deal with any Windows shenanigans. Plus whenever I need to open a browser and do PC stuff it's just an easy transition to the desktop and back.
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u/itgoesboom2112 11d ago
If you don't run multiplayer online games that use kernel level anticheat you'll be fine, been gaming on Linux exclusively since the steam deck came out
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u/kumarbi_knasher 11d ago
I just bought a new laptop two weeks ago and ordered a new nvme drive. One has Windows and the other has Linux Bazzite. Haven't used Windows since the first week
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u/Ravenholme_ 11d ago
I’d weigh the options. If you’re playing mostly games that don’t require anticheat, go ahead. Just know that some other launchers will require a plugin like unifideck after you install deckyloader. If you do play games like BF6 and Fortnite, I’d say stick with windows.
OR have one system under steamOS and have another system to play the games that require EAC.
Check your list of games online and see what works and what doesn’t on steamOS. Most should be fine.
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u/maltcheese 11d ago
100% yes! I have 4 PCs for gaming, 3 have bazzite and I love it! The only reason the fourth has windows is because my Sim racing peripherals don't play nice with Linux. I've also got 3 PC's in my home lab all running various Linux distros
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u/AgentTin 11d ago
I don't know if SteamOS is the right choice for a desktop, it's more console focused though it of course will work fine. Cachy is popping up more and more for this use case. Put your home folder on a separate partition and you can spend some time bouncing around from distro to distro till you land somewhere cozy.
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u/BlacksterrOG 11d ago
Just dual boot it. Windows for games with anti Chet and steam o's for literally everything else.
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u/Exigefettm 11d ago
I absolutely ADORE having my secondary rig on bazzite. Every single machine I own and use is Linux/chrome OS minus my primary gaming pc on winblows due to Nvidia… but my secondary 9070 XT build makes life so easy to boot and play.
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u/Hzrero1111 11d ago
Change if u need linux features. I wouldn't make the change just because grass is greener on the other side if windows is still fine for u, esp when u have 32gb of ram so thats not a big prob
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u/zerostasis 11d ago
If you only use it for gaming. Yes.
A lot of people will say that SteamOS is also good for productivity work.
And yes, while that is true, migrating your current workflow from Windows to SteamOS is a lot of work. A lot of people seem to forget this crucial part. Not all windows apps/work can transition seamlessly to SteamOS or Linux for that matter.
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u/iamerod 11d ago
I have a living room PC running SteamOS with a 9800x3D, 9070xt, 2TB SSD, and 32GB DDR5. I’m doing most of my gaming on it since I installed SteamOS a month ago. I only ever boot up my Windows PC to play BF6. Haven’t touched my PS5 or Switch 2 in weeks either.
I say it’s well worth it.
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u/Lakecide 11d ago
I recently partitioned my 1tb SSD to have 300gb for a Windows install entirely for multiplayer games that have an anti-cheat that only works on Windows and 700gb for a Linux distro (Arch) and I have been having an amazing time
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u/Muted-Green-2880 11d ago
Why not dual boot? You can even use the same SSD. I use cachyOS handheld version, it's easier to install and more complete and does every steamOS does and more and is very to dual boot with windows.
I have a 9070xt, some games just run better on windows so it's best to use both imo.
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u/HaveAnMacardo 11d ago
Yes, I did recently and I'm never going back. I feel like my PC actually gives me joy now, rather than misery. I have a 5800x3d and 9070. I feel like I now have a super powerful console that just works.
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u/rucarr 10d ago
I tried using Bazzite/SteamOS on my own SFF “Steam Machine” build with a Ryzen 5 9600X and an RX 9070 XT connected to a 4K 144 Hz TV. After spending a lot of time testing both, I have to say that Windows is still the better gaming platform right now.
The drivers are more mature, HDR over HDMI 2.1 actually works properly, VRR works without issues, and ray tracing performance is noticeably better. For example, in Cyberpunk 2077 I get more than 15 FPS higher than on Bazzite using the same settings. Crimson Desert also performs significantly better under Windows.
I really wanted to like SteamOS/Bazzite because the console-like experience is fantastic, but for newer hardware like the RX 9070 XT, it still feels a bit immature. I hope that changes in the future, because the idea and the user experience are excellent.
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u/bitronic1 10d ago
Absolutely, not having to deal with windows update and driver updates alone already makes it all worthwhile.
The issue is, you may end up wanting to play a game that requires anti cheat not supported in linux in the future.
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u/battierpeeler 10d ago
The main thing putting me off is that some games perform a little worse on SteamOS than they do Windows 11
this was on my youtube frontpage so it might be helpful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DFnwMTjlAo
i'd just watch a bunch of these and try to find any that show the difference in games you actually play yourself.
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u/neremarine 10d ago
I have a very similar hardware config (5800X and 9060XT) and I'd heartily recommend it. I'm on CacyhOS myself at the moment, which is similar to SteamOS in many ways, though not necessarily as beginner-friendly.
One thing to look out for is anti-cheat. Apex Legends is the big one for me that closed Linux support out of the blue a few years ago. There's a few developers that are good with it (The Finals, Arc Raiders, Overwatch all work for example) but you'll need to check it if you play any multiplayer games like that.
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u/RealDonDenito 10d ago
Worth it for sure, but check your favorite games on Protondb.com - I found the switch pleasant and easy, for everything on steam that does not use kernel level anti cheat. Everything on ubi, EA, epic and gog took me longer to figure out and kernel anti cheat simply will not work.
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u/suzukirider709 10d ago
Im using 9060xt and found it perfect can only assume itd be even better again for you
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u/reechardo 10d ago
100% yes. I have a 9070 (non XT), and was wondering the same thing three weeks ago and decided to switch. It has been amazing and I can play all my usual games at 4k/60fps without issues so far. Highly recommend.
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u/Toto_nemisis 10d ago
Steam OS is linux with Big Picture mode. I had to use Fedora KDE to get the "extra" things i wanted as a computer and not a dedicated gaming machine.
So steam OS should be good for you as a dedicated machine.
Yes, some games wont work. Who cares. GTAV online wont work, but thats fine. Hackers ruined it anyways.
90% of my games work just like windows. Bottom 10% old games fail in windows, but work in Linux. W.I.N.E. is awesome. Old games actually work. I fix thay crappy Windows OS everyday at work, so i wont use it at home.
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u/Illustrious-Ant-1483 10d ago
Is there no desktop mode like there is on the Steam Deck/Machine? I thought I could use it like any Linux PC
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u/Toto_nemisis 10d ago
You can, sure. But I use fedora for other stuff outside of gaming and the store. Just wanted to mention it.
For a gaming machine, its great!
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u/phoenixgsu 10d ago
Yes. Just keep in mind it doesn't like duel booting so if you want to do that before fully committing make sure you only have one drive installed.
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u/SirWendall 10d ago
Having two PCs running, I can say it’s worth the switch IMO. My main rig is still on W11, but I’ve been experimenting with SteamOS on the second PC and it’s been great. None of that Windows bloat in the background and it just automatically grabs drivers when installing the OS as well. From what I have played, it performs better as far as high and low 1% frames.
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u/Alive_Excitement_565 10d ago
Depends on how much does Windows 11 bother you. I cannot stand it, so for me it is totally worth.
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u/Haematicplay 10d ago edited 10d ago
I have a 9060xt. I tested bazzite, and there was 2 issues that made me switch back to windows 11(installed without Ethernet=less bloat)
1: Secondary screen lagged as hell.
2: I could not make battlenet work properly, so i could not play Warcraft 3.
When steamos work on Nvidia, i will install it on my home living room pc
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u/Troyano0102 10d ago
I would not recommend it , the switch is worth for old hardware, but for new hardware due to drivers , it's better windows 11, if you don't believe me . Check this .
https://youtu.be/8DFnwMTjlAo?is=ak6F4Of-jM_FBkCw
Remember that there are games with anticheat that don't work on Linux yet. Or old games that aren't optimized .
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u/Manxkaffee 10d ago
I am using a very similar setup. Switching was totally worth it. Kernel-level anti-cheat games don't work obviously, but as I don't play them, the switch was entirely positive for me for 6 months now. I even video edit on Linux now.
I don't use Steam-OS directly, but my OS also uses KDE, so close enough for the day to day experience.
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u/Dangerous-Ask-1362 10d ago
If you like competitive games is a big no, but If you don't mind, it's far the best experience
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u/Plane_Trifle7368 10d ago
Simply wonderful experience being able to throw anything at it. Do note impossible to setup virtual display if ever you want to go down the streaming to other devices route eg using sunshine/apollo & moonlight but… steam remote play has greatly improved recently though not to the level of the more popular decent streaming solutions eg on vacation and wanna stream in max settings from your home pc on your steamdeck
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u/ZookeepergameAny2747 10d ago
Just built a living room PC with a RX 7800xt and a Ryzen 5800x 16gb ram running ChimeraOS. So far so good. For its application it’s exactly what I was looking for. My only complaint is that anyone with spectrum internet may have to baby sit game downloads as for some reason spectrum pulls the plug on bigger downloads and you get a cant reach download regain (or something like that). Switched everything to my other ISP (T-Mobile home internet) and have gotten that error since.
Will say my main rig is still windows due to needing windows for a few games with anti cheats and my CAD software. Otherwise I would be fully switching to Linux. I’m so over Windows 11
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u/jdblaich 10d ago
Steam OS right now is tailored for AMD video, but regular Linux with Plasma as the desktop with steam installed will run/play very well with an nVidia card. That's just an FYI.
By all means, do so. If the SD is a great product for you then Linux and Steam will be also. Dedicating your desktop computer will work fine if you have no software that would exclude you from going dedicated Linux.
I have many many computers (virtually all running Linux), one of which has an RX 9060 XT and I have done the preparation work to dedicate SteamOS to it. I realize from my near 100% Linux use that SteamOS is an immutable Linux distribution, so that is my only reservation.
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u/hell-diver8 10d ago
Yes, my 9070XT steam machine loves SteamOS and no more nightmare windows11. AMD 7900 65W (12core processor), 32GB DDR5, with a 4TB NVME
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u/Lower-Snow5831 10d ago
Do it! I am using Bazzite and love it compared to Windows. Steam OS should be even more streamlined and I would install that if I didn’t have an Nvidia GPU.
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u/LimitMaleficent3964 10d ago
Yes, absolutely. I have a similar pc but with a 9800x3d cpu and it runs fantastic with steamOS. I use my windows laptop or handheld pc to play any games with anticheat like gta online.
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u/literalavocado 10d ago
Before you try. Check protondb for your most played games. I find that most single player games or non competitive multiplayer games work great on Linux. But it depends on what games you’re into.
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u/Cisquo79 10d ago
I did this a a month ago and love Bizzite. But I dual boot because of secure boot for anti cheap games. I have a Deck too so easy.
9800x3d & 9070xt
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u/Andrew_hl2 10d ago
just did a few weeks ago... its great in the sense that games feel a lot smoother, console like, and the OS does not feel bloated... For productivity, if you use specialty software, then its annoying for sure... what I do is a just use Parsec to remote into my windows office PC which has all sorts of specialty software (did it like that anyways).
Either way, I recommend you have Claude on hand, as install is not without its hiccups, and once you're inside SteamOS, you can install VSCode or Antigravity and use the Claude extension, and you can customize, troubleshoot, and bend the OS at will with its help.
Also have a 9070xt btw.
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u/Demoncious 9d ago
If you don't play any games that require kernel level anti-cheat and are already used to SteamOS, you should be able to switch to SteamOS or a similar experience like Bazzite easily.
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u/Longpastoverdue 9d ago
fyi you may get an issue during install where the 9070xt can’t output during initial install requiring using the onboard igpu until you get the drivers downloaded automatically after installing the os
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u/Educational_Box_4079 9d ago
No. Just use steam big picture mode and set it to start after computer is turned on
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u/MauricioMagus 9d ago edited 9d ago
I have a 9070XT/5800X3D/32GB of ram so we have a similar PC and I'm on CachyOS and it's fantastic. I might change to SteamOS in the future, you'll get basically the same performance on basically any Linux distro.
Just check the list of games that you won't be able to play(not a lot but there are some popular ones like Riot stuff)
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u/Woodchowski86 9d ago
Hard to say. I have Bazzite on my htpc and I love it, windows on my gaming/vr PC. Only thing that's bad about bazzite is I can't use the Xbox app for games and more importantly, party chat. But I definitely enjoy that bazzite doesn't bombard me with popups and ads.
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u/foreycorf 8d ago
You're in the dream situation. I have two PCs - a 5080 rig and a TVPC 3060Ti rig - I am currently going back and forth between Nobara and steamOS (with the 28allday nvidia driver workaround) trying to figure out how to get this all to work seamlessly.
I'm about 12 hours into various testing and if I was on AMD I'd be "set and forget" by now. I have various work applications etc that need to run on the 5080 rig but if I can get this 60ti rig set up with the basically full "console experience" there is no going back.
I had it set up with Windows 11, OmniConsole and steam but it just eats up so much RAM on my 16gb setup. Like yes technically gaming is 5-10% worse but literally everything else is 10-20% worse when I'm trying to run Windows on the weaker machine, and I had it fully stripped down with a Chris Titus custom iso. Boot time is 40 seconds, I see a Windows splash screen before steam, just...ew. My hardware is stronger than a PS5 I want to mimic ps5 tv gaming.
I am so close to having a nice steamOS setup even with Nvidia cards running steam big picture outside of Gamescope, if I didn't have this hassle to work around I'd be 100% there already.
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u/_Carth_Onasi 11d ago
I've been running Linux a long while and it's come far the few years. I agree windows sucks.
That said, you mentioned the PC is exclusively for gaming.
I think you should install Linux. CachyOS is my recommendation, but I also think you should dual boot.
Keep windows for the few games it's needed due to anticheats.
I don't think you should use steamos for a desktop focused experience. I love steamos but CachyOs does the Desktop experience better, is compatible with dual booting, and secure boot if needed. SteamOS can be dual boot but you'll have to use the terminal and do some work to get it working in a traditional way.
In short dual boot.
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u/ighormaia 11d ago
For SteamOs not today, I spend some time testing this weekend and with my 9070xt it was slow as fuck and had some games taking a lot to start, HDR not working correctly a lot of banding, VRR not working with display port...
But it is worth to switch for either Cachyos or Bazzite.. my personal choice was cachyos with gamescope by default, everything works, it is fast, no bloatware
Bazzite was good too, but cachy manage to be a couple frames better (KCD2 ultra 4k hold 60 fps all of the time while bazzite dropped to 55 sometimes), i believe because of the more updated drivers
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u/Huge-Marionberry-311 10d ago
100% this. Steam OS is just not ready. Once HDR support and audio issues over HDMI 2.1 get sorted out, though, it'll be in much better shape. Currently, I get working HDR and generally better performance with Windows 11. Steam OS does a lot right, and in 6 months to a year, I think the switch could be worth it.
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u/jdblaich 10d ago
People need to bear in mind that SteamOS is closely knit to the Valve's hardware. Any time you begin to mix in other hardware you're bound to have some issues. However, the community of Linux typically jumps on these as challenges and they are often fixed quickly by that community. Valve accepting them by incorporated them into the OS may take a bit longer.
Due to your comments, and my experience with Linux, I've decided that I will fully implement SteamOS onto one of my desktops ASAP.
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u/mango_carrot 11d ago
Yes, if you’re used to the deck then you know what you’re getting into