Hi, I am considering switching to NixOS and I was wondering what level of hassle I should expect for gaming.

I have been using linux for about 10 months so I don’t know a lot yet. I am wondering if it is worth it to try gaming on Nix or if it is going to be way too much of a headache considering my limited knowledge.

I’ve had wildly different experiences trying gaming on different distros, and very differently from what I expected. It went from fine for a weird niche distro (antiX), to really awful for a distro supposedly “easy” and “good for gaming” (Manjaro 😑), to absolutely amazing gaming distro (Nobara), and finally to surprisingly good for a “don’t try unless you are a Level 99 Tech Wizard dual-classed Zen Master you idiot” distro (Arch). So I really have no clue what to expect from Nix.

I really like Arch but my main issue is that I keep forgetting what I have already configured and how and with which settings, or I leave stuff partially configured because adhd then I forget it wasn’t finished and where I was at, so using config files instead sound insanely more convenient and I’ve been wanting to try Nix for a while.

I’d be really glad for anyone willing to share their experience of gaming on Nix 🙂

  • verstraEnglish
    12·
    5 months ago

    In my case, it just worked, on two machines. Just added steam and lutris into the config along with two other options recommended for gaming and it worked.

    • hallettj@leminal.spaceEnglish
      8·
      5 months ago

      Specifically programs.steam.enable = true sets up the direct rendering and 32-bit libraries that you generally need.

      I was confused at first about how to install wine runners in Lutris or in Bottles. It turns out you do it the same way as in any other distro, through the app.