Is 2026 finally the year Linux works as a daily driver?

I wrote about my frustrations with Windows and Microsoft in my last post. Here I go on to talk about where I, and many others, might go next!

I’ve tried lots of distros over the years but none has ever stuck.

There was always one thing. Gaming. Video editing. Some random peripheral. A driver. A workflow. A “this would be easier on Windows” moment that eventually won.

But now the trade-off is changing.

Because the downsides of Windows are starting to outweigh the upsides. And on the Linux side, the biggest historical blocker, gaming, has moved faster than I expected.

Sick of Microslop. I have installed Linux on all my family's computers and but 1 of my PCs and bought a Mac again for the first time in 15 years. pic.twitter.com/yzfjYIOqjj

— Geir-Arne Holum (@geirarneholum) January 26, 2026

I am seeing this sentiment time and time again all over the internet! Public perception of Windows is awful.

SteamOS and Proton have dragged Linux gaming into the “actually viable” category for a huge portion of players, and it’s not just theory, Valve keeps shipping improvements. (PC Gamer)

I’m not saying “Linux gaming is perfect now”. Linux gaming is good enough that Windows has to justify itself again. And Windows is doing a terrible job of justifying itself right now.

What could still ruin the switch?

Let’s me be honest before we get carried away. There are still reasons Linux might not stick for me.

Here’s the shortlist of the usual deal-breakers:

• Multiplayer anti-cheat: some games still do not behave, depending on anti-cheat support
• Adobe-shaped holes: if your life revolves around Adobe apps, you already know this one
• Game Pass PC / Xbox app: if “install anything from the Xbox app” is core to your routine, that’s friction
• Hardware quirks: HDR, VRR, niche peripherals, firmware tools, or vendor “control panel” apps
• Specific creator workflows: some video pipelines are smoother on Windows

But even here, the framing has shifted. It’s no longer “Linux is missing too much.” It’s “Windows is adding too much.” Too much AI everywhere, too many “opportunities to spend money or give away my privacy for what feels like very little gain.

If Linux delivers that better than Windows in 2026, then the decision is easy.

My plan: a practical Linux daily driver challenge

So here’s what I’m actually going to do, instead of just talking about it.

Step 1: Start with the distros I actually want to use

I’m going to try a few options, starting with CachyOS (because I’m curious about the performance angle), and probably Bazzite as a more “console-like” route to see if I can get gaming working in a way that feels as seamless as Windows.

If either of those clicks, great. If not, I’ll widen the net.

Step 2: Treat gaming as the make-or-break test

Gaming is the main reason I’ve always ended up back on Windows, so I’m not going to pretend it’s a secondary requirement. I want to know whether I can install, launch, update, and play the stuff I actually care about with minimal faff.

If Linux can meet me there in 2026, then the rest of the switch gets a lot easier.

Step 3: Be honest about the “one app” problem

Last time, the thing that broke the spell was DaVinci Resolve. I couldn’t get it to install or run on Linux Mint, even when following the vendor’s own instructions.

That’s not “Linux being bad”. It’s not even really a distro problem. It’s the reality of the ecosystem.

Windows is a mature, well-established platform with consistent assumptions for third-party developers. Linux, depending on the app, can still feel like a moving target. Support can be missing, confusing, fragmented, or occasionally just plain wrong.

It’s getting better every year, but it’s still not the same level of “download installer, click next, done”.

Step 4: Run it like a migration, not a weekend experiment

I’ll dual boot at first and keep Windows around for those “I just need this to work” moments. I’ll track what breaks, what annoys me, and what I genuinely miss.

The goal isn’t to win an argument online. The goal is to find out if Linux can be my daily driver without turning my PC into a second job.

Step 5: Decide based on reality, not ideology

I’m not switching to Linux to be anti-Microsoft. I’m switching because I want an OS that respects the basics:

• performance
• privacy
• stability
• minimal friction
• user choice

If I can get 90 to 95% of my day-to-day, including gaming, without compromises that drive me mad, then maybe 2026 really is the year I finally make the jump.

The weird part is this: Microsoft is the reason I’m trying Linux again

For years, the best argument for Windows was simple:

“It just works.”

Now it’s more like:

“It just works, but it also nags you, markets at you, inserts itself into everything, and increasingly treats your attention like inventory.”

And that’s not a deal I’m excited to keep renewing.

So yeah. Maybe 2026 is finally the year.

If you’ve already made the jump, tell me what distro finally made it stick. And if you’re thinking about it too, I’ll share the wins, the failures, and the “I booted back into Windows at 11pm” moments as they happen.

Because if there’s one thing I’m sure about, it’s this:

I still want to love Windows.

Microsoft is just making it harder every month.