Which Desktop Is Best For Gaming On Linux? SPOILER: It Doesn't Matter..

[@mmstick]

Good to see where COSMIC stands right now. We actually have a lot of room for optimizations since many things are not optimized yet.

[@linuxnext]

Yeah it's awesome how decent it is at performance already :)

[@mirkodiciano4647]

One of the most asked questions on Reddit, nicely done mate

[@simondj8572]

I bet he meant gamescome compositor!

[@WyvernDotRed]

As long as the performance is close and the frame-times are consistent, I will argue that KDE Plasma is the best for gaming on Linux. Not for performance reasons, but because the Window Rules options are great for forcing misbehaving games to display correctly. Things like Unity or Unreal engine games launching on the wrong monitor can be resolved, without needing a super-drag to work around this on every startup. And I have been able to stretch BeamNG across both my screens, while this was very fiddly to set up, the wider FOV is a literal game-changer.

[@ascrassin]

I think because of the spike, gnome would have the worst feel. Because human perception make it, so an irregular fps will feel more choppy than if you have a stable low fps.

[@JessicaFEREM]

yep and you'd need to cap the FPS to not see those. at the very least none of them had down spikes, they're all up spikes so you can easily just shave a few FPS off the top and have a more consistent experience. but if you insist on using unlimited FPS then don't use gnome, but you should be using locked FPS anyways IMO.

[@robertcartman3502]

Thx for the honest title!

[@tahjii-_-di_don5451]

Your channel as come so far with great details and in depth info for Linux community, I hope is to see Linux skyrocket this years so we can finally kiss windows good bye , it's been shit fest with windows.

[@Nullarino]

The best estimates suggest that around 205,000 tons of gold have been mined throughout history. This means that if you were to take all of the gold ever mined and press it into a cube, the resulting cube would only be about 22 meters wide on each side.

[@steeltormentors]

would be super interesting if you could boot up your 2015 laptop and test using these different desktop environments. Great content mate, cheers!

[@linuxnext]

That laptop can run Minecraft at 20fps on cosmic lol, and the Vulkan drivers are incomplete so I can't launch every game under proton :P

[@steeltormentors]

@@linuxnext ahh yess forgive me I forgot 2015 is a long long time ago in the age of gaming...what's next on your list? have you tried benchmarking the use of zram / zswap? though it's only useful for those with limited RAM (like me, my laptop's RAM is soldered...cannot upgrade).

[@UnhaltedGB]

I was literally just searching about this. Easy W

[@damianateiro]

The only thing that matters is that desktop effects can be turned off in full screen and that it is easy to turn off mouse acceleration and smoothing.

[@esra_erimez]

This channel has great content and a wonderful community.

[@daniellapain1576]

For best performance, no desktop, just a widget layer over the built in main terminal (the one without the shell) would work best. Because the terminal is annoying for minimizing applications but great for everything else. Desktop is just training wheels.

[@linuxnext]

@@daniellapain1576 which for most people isn't a option and is more effort then needed so in the end the majority of people will use a desktop or a tiling manager but sure if it works for you great

[@daniellapain1576]

@ Setup is more effort. Then once it’s done it’s stupid simple and a lot faster so long as you know how to push an arrow key or type in the name of the program or file. You can also make shortcuts in any way that you want which is great for elderly and disabled individuals. I like it simpler than what everyone else has end of the day for an OS. End of the day it’s about running the applications well and getting the OS out of the way.

[@shadyKING057]

It would be amazing if you will be able to add hyprland or sway to tests. By the way I tried Hyprland (or any wm/compositor) for the first time in December 2024, setup was really easy with youtube guides till i got to part where i want to change some installed preconfigured waybar themes.

[@linuxnext]

Yeah I can't be stuffed setting up a tiling manager when I already know I'm not gonna use it right now I bet hyprland or sway would have done a fine job against desktop environments like KDE plasma or gnome Maybe I'll check it out

[@shadyKING057]

@linuxnext I meant to the future tests in 2025 😁 brainlagged little bit when wrote this comment

[@n.m4497]

No one normal people use them

[@dorkydicken]

Xfce and Lxqt because they both are meant to be lightweight, therefore less system resources used and more open for gaming!

[@valcyrilestrada]

Im running linuxmint with cinnamon AND plasma desktop and i havent noticed any differences at all when i shift desktops. Same with x11 and wayland.

[@lev3271]

nice video,thank you

[@andregoering1852]

XFCE?

[@und3rpr]

Very good work. Plasma and Cinnamon are very consistent.

[@Komentujebomoge32]

It all runs on the same Torvalds job, that is why it does not matter what desktop env. you have. Mine Cinnamon just takes avg. 2% of CPU, 55MB of VRAM, and 303MB of RAM. It is almost nothing for modern hardware (from 2018 and lower of that year).

[@McPunchface]

tysm for this testing

[@timothyt.82]

XFCE on xorg works nicely. Thinking about switching to Arch and Hyprland on Wayland once I upgrade my storage.

[@linuxnext]

whats your gpu?

[@timothyt.82]

@linuxnext Nvidia GTX 1060. Still kicking after nearly a decade.

[@alpacamale2909]

between 60 to 70 fps is average fps and totally playable. in fact I prefer constant 60fps than 120fps with continuous frame dropping.

[@TheXipherZero]

The answer of course... is none. Gamescope Session, which is not a desktop environment at all, is the only way Ive seen any performance improvements over traditional DE's. It's worthwhile to keep gamescope-session around as a option in your session manager to actually improve game performance.

[@linuxnext]

@@TheXipherZero yeah but users need a desktop environment or atleast a tiling manager for other tasks, it's a bit tedious having to logout and switch to the gamescope session if only when you installed the gamescope session it could add a shortcut to switch to that session without needing to logout like the steamdeck has or Distros that have that steamdeck mode for their distro It's why I just don't include that as the majority won't be using it as some users don't like having that steam big picture mode

[@TheXipherZero]

@@linuxnext Well having gamescope-session work in that way would defeat the purpose of a limited runtime environment to gain performance in games because the DE and all its related apps and components would still be running (As well as any user apps like web or email) in the background. Essentially we already have that with a DE and Steam BPM from the normal steam client or simply running the game from steam. I have an install of Bazzite on my primary system and its configured to boot directly to Desktop mode as that is its main purpose 90% of the time, but when I want to get a little more performance outta a game, logging out of that main session into a limited environment for games can make the difference between a game running locked 60fps vs the same game floating in the mid to upper 50s. The frame pacing consistency and stability improvement is well worth the minor inconvenience of dropping out of my normal DE to run the game without performance hiccups. I would be interested in a video that compares performance across the DE's as well as in limited runtime environments like gamescope-session. My guess is that there is a measurable difference which can translate into games that are marginally 60fps moving to locked 60fps all the time.

[@RedSntDK]

One really starts to notice the amount a word is said when it sounds off to ones ear. In this case "pacifically" instead of "specifically".

[@linuxnext]

Knew someone was gonna say this in the comments

[@Darkstien]

thanks for this awesome video and quick question are you using an amd gpu or nvidia?

[@linuxnext]

I say at the start of the benchmarks that I'm using a Rx 6700 so amd

[@sevenfacedsin]

On my system (i9-9900k / RTX3060), Linux Mint Cinnamon performs the best. Doesn't make sense since the drivers are slightly outdated. Gnome acts strange, even using the desktop window dragging and animations feel off. I did also see weird spikes and frametime issues (Ubuntu and Manjaro). Before the Wayland shills show up, I am thinking it has to do with Wayland / Nvidia on my machine. X11 still reigns supreme for performance.

[@linuxnext]

For Wayland you need to use 555 or above, if you still experience issues welp :P For me I don't have problems with my nvidia rtx 2060 on KDE plasma Wayland with 565.77 driver but I'm waiting for the NVK driver to get better for gaming so I could just use that without needing the proprietary driver anymore, and 2025 will be the year where the NVK developers will be focusing on improving gaming on that driver so I'm excited for that

[@sevenfacedsin]

@ I was using 565.77

[@erixIsOffline]

We can all agree that in gaming even on windows if you use the same gpu with the same cpu on the same mobo with system running exactly like others one with the same spec it would still produce small but noticible differences while comparing it on graph 'cause there always will be small things in code as well in silicon. Simply speaking I can imagine that one will say for them plasma has the best frametime while others will say hyprland destroy every de in games while gnome user would say that he never had spike jumps in frames like here yet remember that almost every linux ytuber said that Cosmic was very snappy and responsive compare to other one and here we are with cinamon potentially having best latency ironicly. Yeah... It's just what you prefer in the end of the day, great video btw.

[@Silver-eb7zm]

It does matter. VRR, HDR pretty much just Plasma has these Features.

[@linuxnext]

I'm talking about performance here not those features, if you need those features then use the right desktop for you, at the end I even say use the desktop you want to use as it doesn't matter with the pure performance side of things

[@mmstick]

COSMIC also supports VRR. Not just Plasma.

[@Silver-eb7zm]

@@mmstick yeah what i meant to say Plasma usually is the most modern feature rich Desktop, which adopts new Wayland or Linux Features almost always the first and fastest. Its the Fedora of Desktops. For Example on Steams Site for VR on Linux they say use Plasma if you use GNOME. But COSMIC seems to want to take this role too. COSMIC is great because it can take that role without Legacy Burdens.

[@Radistal]

I use cosmic + sway because currently cosmic compositor can't composit Marvel Rivals launcher.

[@Klaymore-QT]

Did you try gamescope? That's my go to when a game doesn't play friendly with the compositor.

[@Skibbehify]

I have settled on Gnome with opensuse tumbleweed and im very content.

[@svendyy]

well, there's no difference in fps but I think there's difference in overall performance. I was playing on gnome and there was a bug where my mouse cursor would randomly freeze and not move for like second or two. and It would happen like every 2-3 maybe 5 minutes which was annoying. Switched to Plasma and no problems at all. To be honest Gnome always was buggy for me. Installed gnome 2 times to try it on fedora and then 2 times was just switching back to KDE again lol

[@NIICKTCHUNS7]

With my own experience, with KDE Plasma and Gnome, I mainly used Gnome because I didn't like KDE Plasma, sometimes I experienced crashed while alt tabbing, I don't know if this still happens to this date, at that time my PC was a i5-9400F with a GTX 1650, with KDE Plasma this never happened and my DE is Plasma now.

[@RolandHiscutt-r9k]

I am using Gnome on Zorin and it runs like a beaut.😁

[@aaa-f5g2i]

I use gnome and I haven't noticed any spikes like that, but i usually play with VSync on so who knows. Very weird behavior tho, might consider going back to plasma because of this

[@linuxnext]

i dont think this was gnomes fault, running multiple desktops can cause issues as other desktop processes run when running gnome so might have been a issue with me, wouldnt worry about it if your not having any issues

[@Chris-Courage]

But how well does the Rust based desktop play "Rust"(the game).

[@linuxnext]

Oh absolutely horrible 😔 /s

[@alpacamale2909]

bro since you started combing you no longer look like ohdaesu from oldboy #sademoji

[@esra_erimez]

🤣

No XFCE?

[@linuxnext]

That's right no xfce, I don't think it would have made a difference just like with cinnamon on x11 with the hardware I have

[@danthebee27]

For me, anything but cosmic. Every time I've tried it steam just wont launch

[@linuxnext]

@danthebee27 well it is a alpha so makes sense

[@danthebee27]

@@linuxnext Oh yeah I wasn't expecting a perfect experience. but i was pretty upset as the DE felt smooth and the auto dynamic tiling was a game changer.

[@mmstick]

Make sure you have the Mesa Vulkan drivers installed. For AMD, that's using RADV instead of AMDVLK. We regularly do testing with Steam in COSMIC, and recently landed support for variable refresh rates in display settings.

[@Buchnerd_Souly]

Do you know the superposition benchmark from Unigine? It has also a native linux version.

[@linuxnext]

Yes, I didn't think of doing native benchmark tools as I was thinking of more just about the gaming side of things

[@swagmuffin9000]

i haven't seen the video yet, but i'm going to say probably not cosmic, still in alpha.

[@linuxnext]

you would be correct

[@MrYossarianuk]

Kde is just the better desktop generally

[@marsmelon24_official]

xfce broke for me

[@RenderingUser]

Kde plasma ftw

[@kairu_b]

Noice

[@esra_erimez]

I'm a die hard KDE user but am interested in COSMIC.

[@77wolfblade]

me too. Since it's been built in rust.

[@Klaymore-QT]

I am interested in Cosmic, but KDE is my go to currently. KDE just has so much freedom compared to other options.

[@necuz]

Plasma definitely loses because it puts the screen to sleep when playing with a controller... Also, needs more Hyprland!

[@lassebq1]

Same goes for every other desktop with screen blanking/locking. Applications have to send inhibit signal. Which is usually done by gamemode

[@Klaymore-QT]

At least there is an option in the system tray to block sleeping and locking manually(similar to window managers). In Gnome you would have to go into settings or have an extension.

[@Seven_Actual]

Gonna be a few KDE and Gnome fanboys salty about this one!

[@majestic9146]

Why tho. Its cinnamon that perfoms the worst :(

[@und3rpr]

Kde fan here. Actually happy with its consistency.

[@Umbralogy]

​@@majestic9146Which is a massive shame. I'm a cinnamon fanboy and I hate how even budgie outperforms it. They really need to move away from muffin and write a new window compositor.

[@majestic9146]

@@Umbralogy im not a cinnamon Guy. But i want the best for ALL distros being mentioned for beginners in Linux.

[@Seven_Actual]

I can think of two big creators one in the Gnome camp and one in KDE that have library's full of videos asserting their choice WM is the best and others are trash. This is one of the few neutral channels on the topic. If for example my whole library was asserting Gnome is superior for gaming I'd be kinda salty about the truth.

[@gljames24]

More frames isn't better in fps; stability and max utilization of the monitor is. Honestly think Cosmic wins because it isn't wasting time rendering frames you don't need and basically just locks in at your monitor's framerate.

[@Klaymore-QT]

How is that any different than what Plasma does with VRR and capping framerate to monitor refresh rate?

[@zeep-yt]

Hyprland is obviously best lmao

[@ozu7779]

is it?

[@zeep-yt]

@@ozu7779 yes

[@ozu7779]

@@zeep-yt i mean im also using it but i cant see any benefits of hyprland. Can you explain to me pls?

[@zeep-yt]

@@ozu7779 idk its just better IMO, don't have a reason. Use whatever you want

[@ozu7779]

@@zeep-yt i need a WM like hyprland but x11 not wayland. do you have any recommendation?

[@ml_serenity]

CachyOS wins from my testing. Not a huge margin, but still.

[@MaartenT]

That's not a desktop but a distro. Desktops are the graphical part of the distro where you interact with, the thing that you move your windows in, things like KDE, Gnome, XFCE,... or (if you count them) window managers like Hyprland, AwesomeWM, QTile, Openbox,... . You can install a lot of different desktops on CachyOS if you so desire. It looks like the default desktop for CachyOS is KDE plasma.

[@simondj8572]

You might check which DE and optimisation they got for this to be true before jumping like a rat.

[@Summanis]

Wow, 10 minute video just to say it doesn't matter. Clickbait much? /s

[@linuxnext]

Do you even read the title?

[@Summanis]

@linuxnext It was sarcasm

[@linuxnext]

@@Summanis oh lol

[@Broly_1]

Kosmic :)

[@esra_erimez]

🤣

[@dexter-j9d]

the best os for gaming windows logicaly

[@fortifyve]

No thanks I don't want Bill Gates inseminating my precious hardware with a proprietary operating system built to spy on you that takes 2 minutes to boot When I can use Linux without compromise...

[@77wolfblade]

And there it is. That one post about Windows.

[@dexter-j9d]

@77wolfblade don't shoot the messenger

[@ThingyThongy]

Why would it be windows? The only downside about Linux is compatibility, it uses way less ram, storage, doesn't have telemetry and is incredibly more customizable, so you can just optimize it to your hardware. You've never tried Linux and it's noticeable, people like you insulting what they haven't tried show their lack of intelligence

[@dexter-j9d]

@@ThingyThongy bruh... I distro hopped like a maniac I love the idea of Linux but it's just not doable for most people yet especially if you have NVIDIA GPU I wish Linux was as good as win buts it ain't there yet maybe with Steamos it will. I'm just realistic And you and I both know perfectly well that windows logicaly is the best gaming os if you're honest with yourself and it's bold of you to assume I never tried it why would I be watching videos about it ? Now who shows lack of intelligence. Matter of fact I have bazzite on my rog ally and think it's great