Today I did something I never thought I’d seriously consider: I wiped Windows from my main gaming rig and installed Linux.
Microsoft’s heavy-handed tactics finally pushed me over the edge. The end of Windows 10 support feels like a ransom note, forcing users toward Windows 11 through increasingly aggressive upgrade prompts. But Windows 11 itself is the real insult—I’m paying $299 for an OS that serves me advertisements in the start menu and constantly nags me to re-enable location services so ad networks can harvest my data.
The Steam Deck changed everything for me. Seeing AAA games run smoothly on Linux proved the platform has finally caught up in gaming performance. I no longer have to choose between my principles and playing the latest titles.
I went with Pop!_OS since it ships with NVIDIA’s proprietary drivers pre-installed, eliminating the biggest setup headache. So far, the transition has been smoother than I expected—and infinitely more respectful of my choices as a user.