Looking ahead: For years, Linux gaming has lived in the shadow of Windows. But recent benchmarks suggest that balance may be shifting. In a comparison spanning more than 10 blockbuster titles, the Arch-based Linux distribution CachyOS frequently outperformed Windows, even in games without native Linux support.
The tests, conducted by NJ Tech, used identical hardware: an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X paired with a Radeon RX 6700 XT, alongside 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 2TB NVMe SSD, a Corsair RM1000x power supply, and a Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite motherboard. On the software side, Windows 11 ran AMD's Adrenalin 26.3.1 drivers, while CachyOS relied on Mesa 26.0.3.
The first results point to a consistent edge for Linux. In Crimson Desert, Windows 11 averaged 59 FPS, compared with 63 FPS on CachyOS. The gap widened in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, where Windows reached 68 FPS and CachyOS climbed to 81 FPS. In both titles, Linux also delivered stronger "1% low" results – those brief performance dips that can affect perceived smoothness.
That trend carried into other demanding titles. Red Dead Redemption 2 at 1080p Max settings and Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p Ultra (without upscaling) both ran faster on CachyOS. NJ Tech's data shows Red Dead Redemption 2 averaging 85 FPS on Linux versus 81 FPS on Windows, while Cyberpunk 2077 reached 98 FPS compared with 91 FPS on Microsoft's OS.
Not every title favored the open-source side. The First Descendant, tested at 1080p Ultra with FSR 3 Native upscaling, performed better on Windows at 63 FPS, versus 54 FPS on CachyOS.
The Division 2 produced identical 128 FPS averages on both platforms, though Windows maintained slightly steadier lows – 97 FPS compared with 93 FPS on Linux.
What makes the Linux gains notable is that none of these games were built for it. All were run through Proton, Valve's translation layer that allows Windows titles to run on Linux.
Across most tests, CachyOS still came out ahead, often delivering roughly 3-10% higher frame rates than Windows 11. Side-by-side comparisons in the video further illustrate how Proton has evolved from an experimental workaround into a viable high-performance solution.
A decade ago, Linux gaming largely meant niche open-source titles such as SuperTuxKart or The Battle for Wesnoth. Today, ongoing optimization work in Proton and community-driven distributions like CachyOS have narrowed – if not erased – much of the performance gap.
Windows still benefits from broader developer support, but when a compatibility layer can rival or surpass native results, the long-standing assumption about the "best" OS for gaming suddenly feels open to debate.
Linux gaming levels up as CachyOS beats Windows 11 in head-to-head tests
