When it comes to selecting an operating system for your PC, you have plenty of choices. But, which operating system is the best for gaming? Keep reading and we’ll take you through the different operating systems that are available, and how good they are at running games.
What is an operating system?
Before we delve into the pros and cons of various operating systems, let’s define exactly what we mean by the term ‘operating system’.
Put simply the term operating system refers to a type of system software that manages your computer’s hardware and software resources and also provides services for your computer’s programs.
In other words, an operating system is kind of like the ‘boss’ of your PC. It helps to manage what all of your computer’s components and programs should be doing at any one time.
Many operating systems come pre-installed on PCs. So, if you decide that you want to change your operating system, you’ll need to remove the existing one and install a new one.
What are the most popular operating systems?
So, now we have an idea of what an operating system is, what are the most popular operating systems out there?
Below, we’ve detailed the most common operating systems that you’ll find in use by gamers and general computer users alike across the world.
Windows
Unless you’ve spent your life living under a rock, you’ll no doubt have heard of Windows.
Developed by Microsoft beginning in 1981, Windows has had multiple iterations, ranging from the very first Windows 1.0 through the hugely popular Windows 95 and Windows XP to today’s Windows 11.
It features a very user-friendly interface, is compatible with a truly vast array of software, offers plug-and-play functionality for a variety of peripherals and accessories, and has plenty of ongoing support and updates from Microsoft.
It’s for those reasons and more that Windows is one of the most widely used operating systems on the planet.
macOS
One of the other most popular operating systems in the world is macOS.
Coming pre-installed on every Apple product, macOS began life in 1999 as Mac OS Server 1.0 and marked a shift away from Apple’s classic Mac OS that was a direct descendent of the operating system that Apple has used in its very first computers.
Like Windows, macOS has been through multiple iterations from the likes of macOS Jaguar, through to macOS Mountain Lion to today’s macOS Monterey.
As an operating system, macOS has a number of benefits, such as an intuitive user interface, plenty of useful pre-installed apps, a shared graphical user interface across multiple Apple products, and a well-regarded resistance to virus attacks.
Linux
If there’s one operating system on this list that you’re probably not familiar with, it’ll be Linux.
Whilst Linux does have a large user base, it still remains a relative niche operating system.
This is largely down to how difficult Linux is to learn. It has a fairly steep learning curve and doesn’t have the same sort of user-friendly interface that you get with the likes of Windows and macOS.
What sets Linux apart from the likes of Windows and macOS though, is that it is open source. This means that the original source code of Linux is freely available to anyone. This means that anyone who is capable of coding can modify the code and customize the operating system.
What is the best operating system for gaming PC / Laptop?
With those three operating systems in mind, which one is the best for PC gaming?
The answer, perhaps predictably, is Windows.
Why?
Largely it’s because Windows has been the dominant, most popular operating system for so long, that game developers have naturally developed their games to suit Windows above and beyond any other operating systems.
There are a few other reasons why Windows is the best operating system for gaming though. The latest iteration, Windows 10, offers benefits such as:
● DirectX 12: This is an addition within Windows 10 that provides gamers with tons of new options such as allowing a graphics card to use more than one core of the computer’s CPU at the same time.
● Better performance and frame rates: Compared to other operating systems (and older versions of Windows), Windows 10 is consistently coming out on top in most performance and frame-rate tests.
● Windows is now the standard for graphics driver development: All major graphics card developers are now developing their graphics drivers to be tailored to Windows 10.
● Integration with Xbox: If you also like to play console games on the Xbox, then Windows 10 allows you to stream Xbox games to your Windows PC.
So, if you’re looking for the very best operating system for your gaming PC, then the answer is clear. Take a look at Windows.
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