Bazzite Setup Guide

What is Bazzite?

Bazzite is an OCI image built on Fedora Silverblue specifically designed for gaming. It features immutable atomic updates, built-in gaming tools, hardware acceleration out-of-the-box, and Steam Deck experience on desktop.

• Immutable & atomic updates for stability
• Gaming-first design with all tools pre-installed
• Steam, Lutris, and Heroic pre-configured
• HDR and VRR support enabled
• Nvidia drivers included

Step 1: Download Bazzite

1. Visit bazzite.gg
2. Select your hardware type (Desktop, Laptop, or Handheld)
3. Choose your GPU vendor (AMD, Intel, or Nvidia)
4. Select your preferred desktop environment (KDE Plasma or GNOME)
5. Download the ISO file

Step 2: Create Installation Media

Flash the downloaded ISO to a USB drive using one of these tools:

• Ventoy - Boot multiple ISOs from one USB
• Balena Etcher - Simple cross-platform tool
• Rufus - Windows USB creator

Step 3: Install Bazzite

1. Boot from the USB drive (press F12, F2, or DEL during startup)
2. Select "Install Bazzite" from the boot menu
3. Follow the Anaconda installer prompts
4. Configure your timezone and keyboard layout
5. Set up disk partitioning (automatic recommended for beginners)
6. Create your user account and password
7. Wait for installation to complete (typically 10-20 minutes)
8. Reboot and remove the USB drive

Step 4: First Boot & Initial Setup

After rebooting into Bazzite:

1. Log in with your user credentials
2. Complete the first-run setup wizard (Yafti)
3. Install additional applications if desired
4. System will automatically check for updates

Step 5: Configure Gaming Tools

Steam Setup

1. Launch Steam (pre-installed)
2. Log in with your Steam account
3. Enable Steam Play for all titles in Settings → Steam Play
4. Download and play your games

Additional Launchers

• Lutris - Pre-installed for GOG, Epic Games, and more
• Heroic Games Launcher - Pre-installed for Epic and GOG
• Bottles - Available in the app store for Windows applications

Step 6: Performance Optimization

GameMode (Pre-configured)

GameMode automatically optimizes your system for gaming. It's enabled by default for Steam games.

MangoHud (Pre-installed)

Display FPS, GPU/CPU stats in-game. Enable with:

mangohud %command%

Add this to Steam game launch options.

Custom Kernel Parameters

For advanced users, add kernel parameters via:

sudo rpm-ostree kargs --append="your_parameter"

Useful Commands

Update System

rpm-ostree upgrade

Rollback to Previous Version

rpm-ostree rollback

Install Layered Packages

rpm-ostree install package-name

Pin Current Deployment

sudo ostree admin pin 0

Troubleshooting

Game Won't Launch

• Verify game files in Steam
• Try different Proton versions (right-click game → Properties → Compatibility)
• Check ProtonDB for known issues and fixes

Poor Performance

• Ensure GameMode is enabled
• Check graphics drivers are properly installed
• Lower in-game graphics settings
• Enable FSR or DLSS if supported

Audio Issues

• Check PipeWire is running: systemctl --user status pipewire
• Restart audio: systemctl --user restart pipewire
• Use pavucontrol for advanced audio configuration

Resources

Keep these links handy for updates, fixes, and game compatibility checks.