SteamOS is Valve’s Linux-based operating system. It features a seamless user experience optimized for gaming, while retaining access to the power and flexibility of a PC, and plays tens of thousands of games on Steam. SteamOS officially ships on Steam Deck, and will soon ship with certain Legion Go ...
You can without using it if you really want to. I probably wouldn't though. I use Garuda, which is Arch based, but I don't say I use Arch ever. However, basically everything on the Arch wiki will apply (which is probably the greatest resource for Linux even if not on Arch), and also the AUR will work.
Just so you're aware though like others have said, this should probably not replace Windows for your desktop. It's designed for a handheld, not a desktop. Use a distro designed for desktop if you want to. Garuda has a great version for gaming that gets you up and running in minutes. There are a lot of other great choices too.
if this is what it takes for people to start taking their first look at using linux, then i'm 100% here for it. it isn't a desktop OS yet, but it's definitely got eyes on the penguin now.
it cannot be understated just how much work valve has put into making linux gaming viable. and it's going to matter a lot more than some might think
It wasn't what introduced me to linux entirely, but it is absolutely what made me realize that Linux COULD be user friendly, so I definitely give credit to Valve for that. I am now gearing up to make the switch in the near future on my desktop.
From my experience, the back buttons on my device didn't appear to work until a recent update, I expect device support to continue as future updates continue.
I expect much more success from steamOS in the future compared to Windows.
Unless you specifically want Steam OS's gaming mode, any Linux distro (Arch definitely) with KDE Plasma 6 will give you more or less the same experience. Not that I don't think Valve should do so.
Bazzite, Kubuntu, and Fedora are all great options for you. Bazzite can boot into a SteamOS-like dedicated gaming mode. If you want more flexibility over your system, Kubuntu or Fedora are both great choices. Since Proton works on all Linux flavors, there’s no need to wait. You can get the Windows-free gaming experience now.
If you are completely new to Linux, try Kubuntu first. If you want your system to feel more game-centric, choose Bazzite. If you want a little more control and freedom over your system, choose Fedora.
It’s hard to go wrong with Linux. The most impactful choice is your desktop environment (DTE), and all of the ones I mentioned use KDE Plasma 6+, which is fantastic. It’s like what Windows could be if Microsoft wasn’t so aggressively anti-UX.
Tbh I don't agree at all that kubuntu is easier for beginners, that may have been the case 5 or so years ago, but bazzite and aurora are the best now, also there's literally no reason to use fedora over bazzite or aurora since they're literally the same thing except with some added packages and important fixes (especially the ffmpeg fix that makes twitch work)
I honestly think ubuntu based distros are an outdated suggestion for beginners, I think immutability is extremely important for someone who is just starting out, as well as starting on KDE since it’s by far the most developed DE that isn’t gnome and their… design decisions are unfortunate for people coming from windows.
I think only immutable kde distros should be recommended to beginners as a result, the mere fact that bazzite and other immutables generate a new system for you on update and let you switch between and rollback automatically is enough for me to say it’s better, but it also has more up to date software, and tons of guides (fedora is one of the most popular distros, and bazzite is essentially identical except with some QoL upgrades).
How common is the story of “I was new to linux and completely broke it”? that’s not a good user experience for someone who’s just starting, it’s intimidating, scary, and I just don’t think it’s the best in the modern era. There’s something to be said about learning from these mistakes, but bazzite essentially makes these mistakes impossible.
Furthermore because of the way bazzite works, package management is completely graphical and requires essentially no intervention on the users part, flathub and immutability pair excellently for this reason.
I have 15 years of linux experience and am willing to infinitely troubleshoot if you add me on matrix.