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More people are warming to the idea of Linux for gaming, especially with performance keeping pace with Windows (based on recent SteamOS benchmarks at 4K). And now, a new set of tests shows a popular alternative distro, CachyOS, actually outperforming Windows in a variety of games, running on a Radeon RX 6700 XT and Ryzen 5 5600X GPU & CPU combo.
Where Winds Meet and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 are two titles that enjoy notable performance increases on CachyOS, with up to 27% higher average FPS for the former. On top of that, the majority of games test enjoy 3-10% higher FPS on CachyOS when compared to Windows 11, using the RX 6700 XT, with positive gains in all titles aside from The First Descendant.
Latest gaming benchmarks for CachyOS versus Windows 11
All credit goes to YouTuber NJ Tech, who benchmarked more than 15 games, capturing average frame rates running at 1920 x 1080. Adrenalin 26.3.1 and MESA 26.0.3 were the driver versions used in this test for Windows 11 and CachyOS, respectively.
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It should also be noted that NJ Tech ran the same test with the RX 6650 XT, too, albeit with a slightly different selection of games. We’ve included the biggest winners (10%+ gains) in our table below to summarize. We recommend checking out the video(s) for a complete list of results and settings used.
GameGPUWindows 11CachyOSAverage FPS gainsWhere Winds MeetRX 6700 XT
RX 6650 XT72 FPS
62 FPS92 FPS
72 FPS+27%
+16%Space Marine 2RX 6700 XT
RX 6650 XT68 FPS
64 FPS81 FPS
72 FPS+19%
+13%The Last of Us Part IIRX 6700 XT60 FPS71 FPS+18%DOOM: The Dark AgesRX 6700 XT
RX 6650 XT52 FPS
62 FPS60 FPS
70 FPS+15%
+13%Resident Evil RequiemRX 6700 XT
RX 6650 XT87 FPS
78 FPS96 FPS
88 FPS+10%
+13%Counter-Strike 2RX 6700 XT
RX 6650 XT380 FPS
344 FPS419 FPS
362 FPS+10%
+5%Average FPS at 1920 x 1080 (graphics settings vary; lower settings sometimes used for RX 6650 XT test)
1% lows on Linux also benefit from the performance gains, so there’s no issue in that regard, either. AMD builds are still the best for Linux gaming, though a modern Nvidia GPU should offer solid performance, too, but maybe not to this exact level.
Could it finally be the year of Linux gaming? Well, we’ve seen that term thrown around a lot, particularly last year, but 2026 is already shaping up to be the best yet, especially with Linux development happening at GOG, news of Nvidia hiring Linux driver engineers, and even reports that EA is working to bring Linux and Proton support to its Javelin Anti-Cheat.
It’s evident that Linux is getting more popular for gaming, especially following the end of Windows 10 support at the tail-end of last year, which was soon followed by the announcement of Valve’s new Steam hardware. Its upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame both run on SteamOS, the company’s custom Linux-based operating system. We’re still waiting to hear when those will be available, given all the RAM and SSD-based delays, but Valve says they’re still on track for 2026.