While SteamOS is nearly ready for a public beta, so that we can all enjoy Valve's gaming-focused Linux distribution without needing a Steam Deck, it's not the only way to play on a gaming-focused Linux distro. The Proton project works on any Linux distro, so conceivably you can run any of your favorites, but there are other gaming-tweaked OSes that are well worth checking out.

But first, I want to make a special mention of two projects that have been pushing Linux gaming forward, but are no longer being maintained because SteamOS is nearly here. That's SteamFork and HoloISO. Both of these projects tried to bring the SteamOS experience to more devices, which is a commendable effort.

That only leaves a few gaming-focused distros going that are installable on a wide range of hardware. Some of these work better than the others, and I'd caution that you should read the installation notes of each before going and installing them onto a device, because you might find they need specific workarounds or that some hardware doesn't work. Out of the three, I've discovered Nobara is the best supported, and has versions with pre-installed Nvidia drivers if you're not rocking AMD hardware.

3 ChimeraOS

The easiest way to get a HTPC running Steam on your TV or PC handheld

While it's true enough that any Linux distro can use Big Picture Mode, ChimeraOS uses the gamescope compositor, which is the same one used in SteamOS, so you get the quick menu UI for changing frame rates and TDP, while being compatible with Steam Deck plugins like Decky Loader. That, on its own, is worthwhile checking out this distro, but it's also built for a console-like experience, and is a drop-in replacement for Windows on many handhelds.

That said, it doesn't currently support Intel GPUs, but neither does SteamOS, so I guess that's a moot point for now. Nvidia drivers have been reintegrated into ChimeraOS though, and while they're not fully officially supported, they do work. That said, it's decent for the hardware it supports, with full support for the ROG Ally X, several Ayaneo devices, and a few other handhelds, and it works with desktop-level GPUs like the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT.

2 Nobara

What's not to like about a distribution that has multiple versions depending on the device you're using

While the other two distros here are best limited to AMD systems or handhelds, Nobara is different. It has five customized versions, for a start, one with its own themed version of KDE, one with Gnome, one with stock KDE, one build for HTPC use that feels like SteamOS, and one tweaked for gaming handhelds so it feels like SteamOS. The best part is that the first four options also have a second option with integrated Nvidia drivers, so you don't have to do anything to get ray tracing and DLSS working if your system has an Nvidia GPU.

As that's what's in my gaming PC currently, Nobara is the distro I've spent the most time with apart from SteamOS, and it feels fantastic to use. It's quick to install with a well-made installation routine, takes no time to get gaming, and is super responsive. It also has nice reminders to install things like rOCM if you're using AMD hardware and want acceleration when using Blender or DaVinci Resolve. It supports the Xbox Wireless dongle and Asus drivers for things like fan control and control center.

You don't need to install Lutris, Gamescope, MangoHud, Proton Plus, and the other packages you'd want to play on Linux. It's all already there, and anything else you need can be easily installed via Flatpak or Snaps. Even better, the project has a comprehensive Wiki, with installation instructions, special callouts for things you need to watch out for or know in advance, and which packages need system installation instead of the normal methods. It's my favorite new Linux distro, and everyone should check it out even if it's just in a virtual machine (which it supports well).

1 Bazzite

An immutable install isn't the norm but this is one awesome distro

Bazzite is probably the SteamOS competitor we've used the most here at XDA, from installing it as a dual-boot on a gaming laptop, or a Windows-based PC handheld, and it's everything you'd want from a competing distro. It comes with Steam preinstalled, Proton ready to go, and the desktop is close to how Big Picture Mode in Steam functions. Bazzite wasn't designed to closely emulate SteamOS though, and it was designed for a better experience overall.

You get tweaks you won't see on SteamOS, like the improved scheduler that System76 wrote for Pop! Os, tuned power modes, and more. There are plugins like HHD already installed and configured, which lets you dive into power profiles for individual games. HHD also helps if you're putting Bazzite on a non-Steam Deck handheld, giving you deep customizability that isn't available currently if you try SteamOS. You can install these on SteamOS, but it's nice to have these things already there, just in case you didn't know where to look.

It supports both Nvidia and AMD GPUs, with HDR, VRR, DLSS, and ray tracing all working out of the box, and you don't have to go through any hoops to get your games using them. You don't need to go into the desktop environment if you don't want to, and most people will stay in the Steam gaming mode. And Bazzite follows Fedora's update cycle, so you get the latest software updates as soon as they're ready, without having to wait for Valve.

SteamOS is getting closer, but that doesn't mean it's the only way to play on Linux

Valve's beta of SteamOS could drop any day now, and is already mostly playable on PC gaming handhelds like the ROG Ally X. But it's not quite there for desktop users, and it also has issues with Nvidia and Intel hardware. Those driver issues aren't there on other gaming-focused Linux distributions, although other minor driver issues could still be present depending on the device you're trying to install to. The current state of gaming on Linux is much healthier than it's been for years, and I'm excited to see how close to parity it is with Windows-based machines.