The Gnu way: Proprietary AAA Gaming.

About 15 years ago if you were to ask about the status of Linux AAA gaming, they would bust out laughing. Today people don't laugh as much. It is true hundreds of games do not work and will never work on a Linux system. However there are many games that will work on a Linux system. It's a matter of fact Valve, The corporation behind steam released what is known as the Steam Deck. For those who don't know, the steam deck is an all-in-one handheld Gnu/Linux gaming PC. 

Note: Hundreds of games "will never" work on the Steam Deck due to anti-circumvention and anti-cheat controls or digital rights management (DRM).

For anyone who wants to start their gaming journey on Linux, here are some things you need to know. First you don't need a steam deck. A standard desktop or laptop will be sufficient. Next You have to make sure your Linux distro of choice

comes with the requisite graphics drivers. If you're a Nvidia user for example You need to grab 

the company’s official proprietary drivers. AMD users have the advantage here, AMD video cards use open-source Mesa graphics drivers. Meaning AMD GPUs and APUs will just work out of the box. 

Side note: Open-source Mesa graphics drivers also works with Intel integrated graphics and discreet graphics cards. When it comes to gaming, your mileage may vary from game title to game title. 

Reasons to game with Gnu.

So you found an old HP or Dell workstation sitting around. It is i7 from the 5th generation. Installing a Linux distro  realistically will be your only option due to the fact that Windows 11 and the upcoming Windows 12 will not support the system with a CPU from that generation. Well, Linux will install on systems that old, plus a retail copy of Windows 11 will cost you at least $140, and that is money you could have otherwise spent on more RAM and a graphics card. 

To be clear, Windows operating system wins every contest when it comes to the sheer game availability. Windows natively support thousands of titles, so you can rest assured that all your favorite AAA PC games will be supported on Windows platform. 

That being said, Linux does support many of the popular titles mainly because of compatibility layers. I would say right now close to 70 percent games written for Windows will work on a Linux base PC. Many popular games from sources like Battlenet, Origin, Uplay, Epic Games, GOG will work by using by using Lutris (a compatibility layer). Linux has a bright future ahead when it comes to gaming, but Windows is still the better operating system for gaming. However, if you are using a 10-year-old PC, Microsoft operating system is simply not an option. With the combination of a 4th generation i7, RX 5700, and 12 GB of RAM, one could game quite easily.

Conclusion

I have to admit that I am a Linux/Unix person and therefore, I am biased in my opinion and points of view. Therefore, my statements seem very pro Linux, which they actually are. But the fact is: Microsoft will not support anyone attempting to install Windows 11 or the upcoming Windows 12 on what they deem obsolete hardware. 

Thanks to the Proton and Lutris compatibility layers, Gaming on Linux went from nearly impossible to reality in just a few years. From popular games like Apex Legends to Elden Ring, OverWatch 2, and Metro Exodus, all of them are now available on Linux systems either natively or through Proton and Lutris. My HP ProDesk 400 G1 MT was the latest and greatest 10 years ago. Yet even today I am able play several modern titles.