Jack Wallen/ZDNET

ZDNET's key takeaways

• PikaOS is a gaming-centric Linux distribution.
• PikaOS is based on Debian and offers different versions.
• You can install and use PikaOS for free.

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There are now several Linux distributions that offer outstanding gaming experiences. These distros not only include the software required to play games from services like Steam, but also vastly simplify the setup process, so you start playing your favorite games after just a few clicks.

With a user-friendly installer, you won't even have to touch the command line. 

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Sounds too good to be true, right? In the case of PikaOS, it's not. 

I gave this Debian-based distribution a try to see how it worked, here's how it went. 

Easy installation

The first thing that impressed me was the installation process. After the simplified OS installer completed, I rebooted the system and was immediately greeted by the standard user-creator screen.

After that, the on-boarding tool helped me install the necessary drivers and codecs that would be required to play games and multimedia. Next, the installation process prompted me to install the PikaOS Gaming Meta Package. Why, yes, thank you very much.

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I went ahead with the installation of the meta package, and when it was complete, I was prompted for another reboot.

After I logged in, I was greeted by a Welcome app that offered further setup steps (such as adding printer support), setting up the look and feel, troubleshooting tips, and more.

Finally, I reached the PikaOS desktop and found it to be whimsically charming. Upon opening the Application Overlay (this is a GNOME desktop, after all), I found the following game-centric apps installed:

• PikaOS Kernel Manager
• ProtonPlus
• Steam
• Wine Control Panel
• Wine Prefix Configuration
• Wine Windows Runtime
• Winetricks
• Lutris
• Heroic Games

So yeah, PikaOS succeeds at its claim of "gaming out of the box."  I clicked Steam, and it ran through its usual automatic updates and then prompted me to log in to my account. I decided to continue testing this claim with Steam, because it's the biggest player on the block (plus, it's really easy to use). After adding a game to my account (from within the Steam app), I launched the game. 

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Keep in mind that some of the downloads for these games can be massive, so give them time to finish. In fact, I'm not sure if it was the Steam servers or my ISP, but the processing of the Vulkan shaders alone for a game dragged on until it seemed as if it was going to take forever. Maybe it's the post-Christmas drag on the Steam servers.

Either way, I found PikaOS to perform as well as any gaming-centric Linux distribution I've tested. I launched my usual test game, Albion Online, and there was some lag, but I associate that with PikaOS running as a virtual machine with only 5GB of RAM, 2 CPU cores, and no physical GPU.

We can't have nice things because of cheaters.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Of course, I was only able to get so far with that game because of the anti-cheat issues. Even so, in the few minutes I was able to run the test, PikaOS performed well.

PikaOS uses the GNOME desktop environment, with the Dash to Dock extension, to make for a user-friendly UI. I cannot imagine anyone having problems running this desktop distribution. If you open the Extension Manager, you'll find other extensions installed but not enabled. 

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For instance, several extensions are installed but not enabled by default: Apps Menu, Arc Menu, Dash To Panel, Launch New Instance, etc. If you want to enable any of them, just click the On/Off slider for the one you want to use until it's in the On position. 

There are plenty of preinstalled extension for you to choose from.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

One thing to keep in mind is that because PikaOS is a gaming-centric distribution, you won't find much in the way of productivity apps pre-installed. That's fine, because you can launch GNOME Software and install everything you need. And because PikaOS includes Flatpak support, there's a vast array of installable apps (even proprietary tools like Slack and Spotify).

I need to change the theme from dark to light.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

All-in-all, I found PikaOS to be a delight to use. As long as you're running this on a spare machine (and not a virtual machine), you'll find the gaming aspect to be a fantastic point-and-click affair.

Just remember, when you're searching through Steam games, make sure not to try and play those that are designated as Windows-only, because the anti-cheat issue will kick you out of the game.

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If you're interested in this gaming-specific Linux distribution, go to the download page and grab the correct ISO for your system. If you have an NVIDIA GPU, make sure to download the file labeled NVIDIA ISO.