Garuda Linux (KDE Dragonized) Gaming - MalwareTester74/Linux-gaming-guide GitHub Wiki
🎮 Gaming on Garuda Linux (Dragonized): Setup Guide
Garuda Linux (Dragonized Edition) is an Arch-based gaming-focused distro that comes with pre-installed tools, performance tweaks, and a stunning KDE Plasma environment. It’s one of the best choices for gamers who want a powerful, ready-to-use system.
✅ Pre-installed Steam, Lutris, Wine/Proton
✅ Optimized for gaming performance
✅ Rolling release with the latest software
1️⃣ Setting Up Steam on Garuda
Steam is already installed on Garuda Dragonized. If you need to reinstall or update it, use:
sudo pacman -S steam
Enabling Steam Play (Proton) for Windows Games
- Open Steam → Go to Settings.
- Navigate to Steam Play.
- Check "Enable Steam Play for supported titles".
- (Optional) Enable "Enable Steam Play for all other titles" to run all Windows games.
- Select the latest Proton version (Proton-GE is recommended).
2️⃣ Installing Lutris for Non-Steam Games
Lutris is pre-installed on Garuda, but if missing, install it with:
sudo pacman -S lutris
Launch Lutris from the applications menu or with:
lutris
Lutris supports Epic Games, GOG, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, and more.
3️⃣ Wine & Proton for Running Windows Games
Step 1: Install Wine (If Needed)
sudo pacman -S wine winetricks
Step 2: Verify Wine Installation
wine --version
Step 3: Install Winetricks (For Additional Libraries)
winetricks
For better compatibility, install Proton-GE using ProtonUp-Qt:
sudo pacman -S protonup-qt
Run ProtonUp-Qt and install the latest Proton-GE version.
4️⃣ GPU Driver Setup for Garuda
NVIDIA Users
Garuda pre-installs NVIDIA drivers, but if you need to install them manually:
sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils nvidia-settings
Verify installation:
nvidia-smi
AMD Users
AMD drivers are built into the Linux kernel, but install Mesa and Vulkan drivers for better performance:
sudo pacman -S mesa vulkan-radeon lib32-vulkan-radeon
Verify Vulkan support with:
vulkaninfo | less
5️⃣ Optimizing Gaming Performance on Garuda
1. Enable GameMode (Pre-installed Performance Booster)
GameMode is included in Garuda, but verify installation:
gamemoded --version
For Steam games, go to Properties → Launch Options and add:
gamemoderun %command%
2. Enable Fsync for Lower Input Lag
Fsync improves performance in Wine/Proton games. Enable it by adding this to Steam’s Launch Options:
PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1 PROTON_NO_FSYNC=0 %command%
3. Use ZRAM for Better Memory Management
ZRAM compresses RAM to improve performance. Enable it with:
sudo systemctl enable --now zram
4. Set CPU Governor to Performance Mode
Check current governor:
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor
Set to performance mode:
sudo pacman -S cpupower
sudo cpupower frequency-set -g performance
6️⃣ Additional Tools for Linux Gaming
MangoHud (FPS Overlay & Performance Monitor)
Install:
sudo pacman -S mangohud
Run a game with MangoHud:
mangohud %command%
vkBasalt (Reshade-like Post-Processing for Vulkan Games)
Install:
sudo pacman -S vkbasalt
Enable it for Vulkan games:
VK_ICD_FILENAMES=/usr/share/vulkan/icd.d/intel_icd.x86_64.json vkbasalt %command%
Final Thoughts: Is Garuda Dragonized Good for Gaming?
✅ Pros:
✔️ Pre-configured for gaming out of the box.
✔️ Steam, Lutris, Wine, and drivers are already installed.
✔️ Arch-based rolling release (always up-to-date).
✔️ BTRFS filesystem with automatic snapshots for easy rollbacks.
❌ Cons:
❌ Slightly heavier than pure Arch Linux.
❌ Requires more RAM than minimalist distros.
❌ Rolling release can occasionally break things.
🔥 Garuda Dragonized is one of the best Arch-based gaming Linux distros! Enjoy your games! 🎮