Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
Ultimate Edition Linux is based on Arch and geared toward gamers.
You need an Nvidia GPU to get the most out of this distro.
The KDE Plasma desktop is elegant and highly configurable.
Is Ultimate Edition Linux really the Ultimate Edition Linux? That depends on the user and your intended use of the operating system.
Upon installing the Arch-based Ultimate Edition Linux, the first thing I did (it's the same thing I do with every Linux distro) was poke around the desktop menu. At first glance, I thought, "This looks like a gaming distribution." Why? Out of the box, Ultimate Edition Linux includes Steam, GameHub, DOSBox, Heroic Games Launcher, Lutris, and quite a few Linux games. It was a logical conclusion to draw.
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But that would be shortchanging it. Let me explain.
Nearly 20 years old now, Ultimate Edition Linux began with an Ubuntu/Debian base. In 2024, the developers switched to Arch Linux, which -- given Ultimate Edition's primary focus -- was probably a good move. As a rolling release distribution, Arch will remain more up-to-date -- which is often necessary for supporting modern gaming hardware.
But here's one of the coolest things about Ultimate Edition Linux: You'll find various versions for different needs, including gaming, development, older hardware -- and even a bare minimal installation.
If you're looking for a version geared toward productivity or creativity, the gaming version would most likely do just fine. Yes, you'll need to install your productivity/creativity software of choice (Ultimate Edition Linux doesn't ship with software like LibreOffice, GIMP, or Audacity), but you'll have KDE Plasma's Discover to help you on that front.
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As for features, you'll find that Ultimate Edition Linux enjoys the following.
A large userbase
Exclusive packages via a custom repo
Alternative desktop environments (such as GNOME)
Plenty of preinstalled applications
Steam is preinstalled and ready to go
After a quick trip down Steam lane, I ran a quick test. As with just about any Steam game, it took a while to download the demo, but once it was installed, I did have to go back into the virtual machine's settings and bump up the RAM considerably (from 3GB to 7GB) to get any game to play properly. In fact, until I bumped up the RAM, Ultimate Edition Linux did something that impressed me: it automatically closed Steam because it was using too many system resources.
Nice.
This could easily prevent an application from taking over all resources, bringing the OS to a screeching halt.
It's all about the GPU
One other issue with some Steam games is the lack of DX12 support, so any game that depends on it will not run. That's a shame, as I assumed Ultimate Edition Linux would have included a solution for this. Unfortunately, DirectX12 support on Linux is not where it needs to be, so any game that depends on it will either not play or not play well.
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I do realize part of my issue was that I have an AMD GPU and not one made by Nvidia. If my GPU were better supported, I'm certain the games I attempted to run would have worked flawlessly. Keep that in mind when deciding if you want Ultimate Edition Linux to serve up your Steam games.
What about the desktop?
Ultimate Edition Linux defaults to the KDE Plasma desktop. The default theme is dark (which I do not care for), but since this is KDE Plasma, changing the theme (and nearly every aspect of the desktop) is as simple as opening the System Settings app, going to Appearance & Style, and customizing it to your heart's content.
I can't understand why so many Linux distributions default to a dark theme. Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
After a bit of customization, I opened Discover and installed the necessary apps to do what I do. As always, installing apps on Linux is a breeze, and thankfully, Discover has Flatpak support rolled in, so I could install Slack and Spotify (which are a must for me).
Flatpak support in KDE Discover... huzzah! Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
My recommendation
Is Ultimate Edition truly the ultimate Linux distribution? No, not even close. For daily use, I wouldn't adopt this distribution. However, Ultimate Edition Linux is a solid distro that allows you to enjoy Steam games (so long as you have an Nvidia GPU). Equipped with the appropriate GPU, Ultimate Edition Linux will be a treat, as you probably won't have to do much to play those games.
If you're a developer, you'll be happy to find Electron 31. This software framework allows developers to create cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. This app is preinstalled and ready to use out of the box.
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Ultimate Edition Linux is a decent option in the Linux world that's been around for some time. Although the Arch base has only been in use for about a year, it's still pretty solid.
If you want to try Ultimate Edition Linux, I suggest you first try it as a virtual machine. After testing it for a bit, if you decide you like it, install it on a spare machine (with an Nvidia GPU) and enjoy.