I hate that I need Windows just to play Valorant
I genuinely hate that I need to keep a Windows install around just to play Valorant.
Pop!_OS is my daily driver, and for everything else it feels better. It is cleaner, faster, less bloated, more predictable, and I actually feel like I own my machine instead of fighting it. Development, browsing, general use, performance, updates - everything feels better for me on Linux.
Then I want to play one game and suddenly I am forced back into Windows.
I understand that Valorant is a competitive game. I understand that cheating is a serious problem. I am not asking Riot to just disable anti-cheat or make the game easy to exploit. But it is frustrating that the answer for Linux users is still basically: “Install Windows or don’t play.”
That feels terrible.
Linux gaming has come a long way. Proton, Steam Deck, driver support, performance, compatibility - it is not 2012 anymore. A lot of games run extremely well now. But some companies still act like supporting Linux is impossible, or they design their anti-cheat in a way that completely locks out anyone who does not want to use Windows.
That is what annoys me the most. It is not just about Valorant. It is about being pushed into one operating system because a company decided that is the only acceptable way to play.
I do not want to dual boot. I do not want a separate Windows install taking space on my drive. I do not want to reboot into an OS I dislike just because one game refuses to support the system I actually use.
I want to use Pop!_OS, launch the game, and play like everyone else.
Instead, Valorant is one of the only things keeping Windows alive on my PC, and honestly, that sucks.