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 I cannot count on my two hands how many times I have provided support to a user, to find their issue was outdated libraries due to using Linux Mint.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.
Again, I don’t need an explanation to understand what elitist rhetoric is like and about. You are pushing your PoV about learning something properly instead of putting yourself in the shoes of the newbie and understanding their needs, goals, time availability, preferences, how they learn, and other situational details. Some of their preferences will be acquired over time through use and experimentation. Give them something that is familiar. Yes, let them get their feet wet. They will move on to other distros when they are ready. However, there is no point to bashing a more simplistic distro. compared to more complex distros. They both serve their purposes.
The OP says the following:
Windows is not made strictly for gaming purposes. It was a general purpose OS until they turned it into a spyware platform masquerading as an OS. It is the defacto choice for PC gaming because Microsoft has been developing it and keeping it alive much longer than Linux has been in existence. PC gaming started on Windows but that was because it was a general purpose OS versus the OS one would find on a Playstation, Nintendo 64, or other console device.
I have Linux Mint on a 5800x, with 32GB RAM, RX 6800XT, and M.2 drives. Here is a partial list of the games I’ve run on Linux Mint and Pop_OS:
WINE/Lutris:
Steam (Linux Native mode):
Steam (Proton):
I don’t suffer performance penalties. Some games perform better on Linux (practically any Linux distro) than on Windows. A gaming centric distro is unnecessary for gaming. Switching from a more simplistic distro to a more complex distro to gain an extra 5 to 12 FPS in games and bragging rights is hardly an achievement.