Gaming

To add onto the comment from @imperator@sh.itjust.works:

• Valve uses Arch Linux as a base, otherwise they pick open source packages and own stuff to make it as it is. Their own stuff involves Proton (which is a fork/derivative from Wine, which is used to run Windows applications onto Linux and macOS) and the "Game Mode" environment you're used to see (the console-like UI from the Steam Deck).
• Both Valve and CrossOver are responsible for Proton - a compatibility layer that essentially converts the calls Windows apps make to Windows-related functions ("API calls", for graphics rendering like DirectX) into something Linux can understand. CrossOver made Wine, while Valve works together with them to create the more gaming-focused Proton.
  • Kernel-level anti-cheat solutions of Windows games (Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye etc.) do not work on those compatibility layers, but sometimes get exempted to let Linux players run the games just fine. That's on a game-by-game basis.
  • There is a community fork named Proton-GE that accepts community fixes and workarounds for an increase in compatibility.

Overall: Proton's almost like magic with how many games run decent to amazing on it. There are community resources like ProtonDB to help out knowing what does work exactly and whether manual workarounds are needed.

It's not much different than running any other Linux os and using proton. Most stuff just works, outside of the games that haven't enabled anti cheat. There are some games that require tweaking but those are be coming getting are farther between. Many of those that require tweaking will work with proton ge.

I run all my games on pop os atm.