Let me start by saying I think Linux Mint is one of the top 5 greatest distros of all time. It is an absolutely essential starting point for many people and their work is responsible for much of the user-friendliness you see in the world of Linux today. It is stable, has a nice aesthetic, “just works”, and doesn’t make you update constantly.
These things are great but they are the very things that make Linux Mint unsuited for online gaming. Is this a bad thing? No!! It’s just not a distro made for gaming purposes. It’s like showing up to a monster truck drag race in a Ferrari. I cannot count on my two hands how many times I have provided support to a user, to find their issue was outdated libraries due to using Linux Mint. It happens all the time. Go look at any game on ProtonDB that is currently working, and you’ll find 1-2 “not working” reports and they are always on either Debian on Mint.
I understand why we see it so often, because Linux Mint is awesome and users want to play their games on it. But if I suggested Hell Let Loose to a friend using Linux Mint right now, the first distro suggested for gaming in our FAQ, he wouldn’t be able to play because of his choice of distro. Making rolling distros look like a fortress in 2023 and suggesting Mint for gaming will only set new Linux users up for disappointment.
I have yet to have issues with Ubuntu based OSes, Fedora and Arch have been a pain in the ass for Gaming, flatpak saves some of this.
LMDE has some issue’s if you don’t know what you’re doing, Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, one of the most well supported Desktop Linux OSes in the world.
Also now you can get Linux Mint Edge with Kernel 6.2 or just upgrade the Kernel in the package manager with a few clicks, also Mint has a Driver Manager for Nvidia based GPU’s.
Ubuntu Base is the Top OS for Gaming other then SteamOS 3 that does not have a Desktop OS yet, also SteamOS was Using Kernel 5.15 if you want to talk about outdated.
Ubuntu’s core is to well supported by Intel, AMD and Nvidia, etc for me to recommend anything but a Ubuntu based OS.
Once Valve releases SteamOS Desktop i will most likely recommend it for Gaming over Mint/Ubuntu.
I have Intel Arc, RX 580’s to AMD RDNA, and Nvidia Pascal to Ada Lovelace GPU’s, Nvidia’s support is just ugly outside of Cuda, AMD’s Drivers are Good depending on what Mesa and Kernel, etc you’re pairing up, Intel ARC is a work in progress maybe Q2 2024.
The Linux Desktop Drivers for Sound, GPU, Etc. are not well supported like Windows is, this has been a weak point of the Linux Desktop, and Gaming on Linux for 15 or so years the People working on Flatpak, etc and the People working for/at Valve has been the best to happen for Linux Gaming, also the hobbyist who make stuff like package mangers for Wine, write patches, test stuff etc.