I think that if you’re looking for a Linux distribution that is as polished as the Steam Deck, then SteamOS on desktop might not be the right play. SteamOS will probably (rightfully) be developed solely for handheld, low-power devices, and won’t work unless you’re using the specific APUs that they’ll include drivers for.

If that sort of streamlined experience interests you, Bazzite has very similar goals to SteamOS (good OOTB gaming experience, safe updates etc.), except that they also target wide hardware compatibility. Other gaming distros exist, but I’m probably just not aware of them.

Probably not a small browser, no. I just really wanted to plug it tho

Does Servo count? It was originally a Mozilla project to write a web engine in Rust, then got transferred to The Linux Foundation when Mozilla laid off a bunch of its staff

Have you actually read the article? The first sentence:

A quotation circulates on the Internet, attributed to me, but it wasn’t written by me.

Have you given the CachyOS kernel a try? It’s got some of the Clear Linux patches and some other custom patches, and it might have slightly better performance than the others you’ve listed here

Although expect to only really see any noticeable improvements in games or benchmarks and the like

I’m not a GNU/Linux expert, I’ve only used it on a server for a short time, but I have some things to share.

Remember: search engines are your best friend! Obviously it would be better for someone to recommend a program for your specific use case, but you can find things like notepadqq (Notepad++) or xone (Drivers for your Xbox One controllers) with just one search.

About GNU/Linux distributions: each of them provide a different set of software, including package manager, desktop environment, file system, etc. You can basically ignore the differences between distros if you use distrobox, which will let you install software regardless of your distro. Other differences will mainly be in the actual software they distribute (so you may need to use sudo apt rather than pacman or whatever.

The “flavours” of distros can mean different things, often though they just have a different desktop environment so it runs kinda different, or it is designed for a different use case.

For your use case, Pop!_OS has an ISO that includes Nvidia drivers, and Linux Mint also lets you install the proprietary drivers. Both are fairly common in the GNU/Linux space (especially with beginners) so you can get tons of support with those.

TL;DR Microsoft has a strict policy of only hiring contractors to work on Halo, and only keeping those contractors for 18 months before they’re forced to go. Something something Microsoft execs want to be able to fire people.

One thing to note that seems to be missing from the article: Halo Infinite uses a custom game engine (Slipspace). So when these contractors are hired, they spend so much time training that they don’t end up working as a skilled employee for very long before they leave, then new contractors are hired.

It’s so stupid since this is so obviously a lose-lose situation: the contractors gain a skill that is useful literally nowhere else, and Microsoft’s games just keep getting shittier.