CachyOS just dethroned Arch Linux on ProtonDB, and Linux gamers are finally noticing

https://www.xda-developers.com/cachyos-is-the-new-king-of-protondb/

Publish Date: 2026-03-26 12:30:00

In case you missed it, CachyOS recently toppled Arch Linux as the OS with the most reports sent to ProtonDB. On its own, it doesn’t mean a whole lot; all it means is that people who are passionate about Proton performance on Linux are more likely to use CachyOS over Arch Linux now.

However, Arch’s reign did last five years, with CachyOS slowly gaining momentum over the last two. As such, I have a feeling that, while it seems cursory at first glance, this pattern gives us a glimpse into where gamers will end up settling in the future. So, here’s why I’m not surprised that CachyOS managed to take the crown from Arch Linux.

CachyOS makes it easier for people to move

The barrier to entry is far lower

If you’ve ever set up Arch Linux before, you’ll know that the process can be a little gruelling. These days, there is a built-in setup assistant you can run, but it’s still not quite the same experience that other distros deliver.

Well, CachyOS takes that Arch core and makes it a lot easier to get set up. This is, obviously, really handy for newcomers who want to give gaming on Linux a try without going through the gruelling quest of getting Arch set up. However, I can imagine that having an OS already set up with everything you need to get into gaming is also a positive for veterans. This includes the CachyOS Hardware Detection (chwd) tool that gets all your hardware set up and…

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