Valve's latest Steam Hardware & Software Survey is out now for December 2023, and it shows that Linux and Steam Deck overall finished 2023 on a very positive note.
It has a full Linux desktop mode with KDE Plasma. It’s really not limited like people think. The default is the Steam Game Mode UI, but it’s a few taps to go to a full desktop, and I know people who use it as their only PC.
What doesn’t sound like a valid option exactly?
It sounds like something very limited in capabilities that was designed only to run steam games on their handheld gaming computer. Another person suggested Chimera OS, and that seems similarly limited. I did a quick search for “how to choose a linux OS to replace windows” and found this article https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-make-the-switch-from-windows-to-linux that suggests Mint. I guess that plus Wine https://itsfoss.com/use-windows-applications-linux/ should work.
It has a full Linux desktop mode with KDE Plasma. It’s really not limited like people think. The default is the Steam Game Mode UI, but it’s a few taps to go to a full desktop, and I know people who use it as their only PC.