Thank you for that point about Bazzite. I was worried about having locked-down system files, because I'm really not at a place where I'm breaking my distro all the time.
I've been eyeing CachyOS since another user suggested it. Love the idea of rolling releases, so Solus seems cool too! What sets ya'll apart from the other distros that have been discussed?
Hmm, that's a serious downside for me ngl. I tried to set up Mod Organizer 2 when I had Steam installed through Flatpak on Pop!, and I had to switch to the Ubuntu repository to get it to recognize my Steam install.
I don't know if you played it, but there was a totally different Game Boy Sunsoft Batman game. Also very good, and it has one of the kickinest soundtracks of any GB game I owned!
All the more reason to build statues of her when we sort out some more serious problems.
I love Dolly. Her kindness and grace is an example to the world. She spent her own money to help rebuild the Gatlinburg area after fires destroyed it. She has a free program called Imagination Library that sends monthly books to children. It started regionally, and now she offers it to multiples countries.
She is so much better than the government of Tennessee. There's a reason everyone wanted her to run for Governor.
Great console. Never going to recommend it to an emulation beginner. Honestly, it was a stretch to even recommend N64 games. Emulation for those are all wack as well.
But I can't help but think about this being the consequences of dying everything we eat unholy colors. Maybe radioactive material wouldn't be so tasty looking if we didn't give kids candy that looks like radioactive material.
See, I haven't had any issues with Pop!_OS, but I also don't use apps outside of Steam and LibreOffice much. To add to your point, I will say that for how much they hype up the Pop! Shop, it kinda works terribly.
I haven't tried Bazzite, but Fedora-based distros are starting to pique my interest.
The two distros I recommend for beginners, these helped me start using Linux:
Kubuntu
Kubuntu uses the KDE Plasma desktop environment, which is the closest experience to Windows 10 imo. Very good for easing you in. Plus, it's based on Ubuntu - the most commonly used distro. So if you have issues, just google "(problem) Ubuntu" and you'll find a fix.
Pop!_OS
Pop!_OS is preconfigured for gaming. If you have anything Nvidia in your PC, just start with this one. Nvidia doesn't play nice with Linux, and the company that develops Pop!_OS has a specific version with Nvidia drivers. Driver configuration can be annoying, you don't have to worry about it with Pop!_OS.
Both of these distros will work for gaming out of the box pretty much (provided you use AMD products). Steam's Proton tool is insanely useful, and it's not too hard to figure out how to tweak games that are still having issues after it works its magic.
Basically, your choice boils down to:
Kubuntu - an easier time with the PC side of things
Pop!_OS - an easier time with the gaming side of things
As for being a tech wizard, don't worry about it. If you know how to look up your problems, there's always some guy on a forum with some commands you can copy/paste into the terminal and fix everything.
A lot of PS2 games have busted PC ports or ports with invasive EULAs. PS2 is still probably the best way to play GTA: San Andreas.
But really, just pick a console with a graphical aesthetic you like and find the games people buzz about. I'll give you some recommendations, based mainly on my taste, but a quick "(console) best games" search can help you expand upon this.
NES:
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, Super Mario Bros 3, Kirby's Adventure, Castlevania, Mega Man 2, Contra
Genesis/Mega Drive:
Streets of Rage 2, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Road Rash, Sonic 2, Contra Hard Corps
SNES:
NBA Jam: Championship Edition, Mega Man X, Star Fox 2
PS1:
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Crash Team Racing, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Metal Gear Solid
N64:
Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Dreamcast:
Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, SoulCalibur
PS2:
GTA San Andreas, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Tony Hawk's Underground 2, Resident Evil 4, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3, Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Sly Cooper (entire series)
GameCube:
Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Kart Double Dash, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros Melee, SoulCalibur II
Xbox:
Halo, Halo 2, Fable: The Lost Chapters
That's a decent start, but not comprehensive by any means. Just pick a console with games you like the look of and search the top-rated games, the cream really rises to the top when you're looking for retro games.
M'ladium