PikaOS has quietly become one of the most exciting names in the Linux gaming world. Not because it tries to reinvent the desktop, but because it focuses on something every gamer instantly appreciates — a system that works out of the box. Whether you choose GNOME, KDE, or a more experimental window manager like Hyperland paired with the Nocttalia shell, the distribution immediately feels crafted with care.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the entire journey of installing PikaOS from scratch, configuring it properly, and fine-tuning it so you’re ready to play Windows games on day one. The process is smoother than you might expect, even if you’re coming from Windows 11 with little experience in dual-boot setups.
Let’s take this slowly and clearly, step by step, just as if you and I were sitting side-by-side in front of your laptop.
1. Preparing Your System for PikaOS Installation
Before changing anything on your computer, it’s important to understand the setup you’re aiming for. In this case, we’re installing PikaOS on a dedicated empty drive so that your existing Windows installation stays untouched. This is the safest form of dual-boot.
Begin by visiting the official PikaOS website and downloading the ISO. The choice of desktop interface is up to you, but many users gravitate toward the Hyperland edition because of how fluid and modern it feels when paired with the Nocttalia shell.
If you have an NVIDIA GPU — especially models like the GTX 1650 or newer — choose the NVIDIA ISO. For older hardware or AMD/Intel systems, the standard ISO is more appropriate.
Once the ISO file completes downloading, connect an empty USB stick with at least 8 GB capacity. Tools like Etcher make flashing the ISO simple: choose the file, choose the USB drive, and click Flash. After the process finishes, the USB stick becomes your installer.
2. Booting Into the Installer Using Your BIOS
With your bootable USB ready, restart your computer and enter BIOS. Different systems use different keys, but it’s commonly F2, F9, F10, or the Esc key. Once inside BIOS, enable USB boot and turn off Secure Boot. This is important because Secure Boot often prevents unsigned Linux install media from loading.
Adjust the boot order so your USB device is the first item. Save the changes and exit BIOS. Your computer should now start directly into the PikaOS live environment.
If it doesn’t, don’t worry — simply press the boot-menu key during startup (usually F8 or F12) and select the USB stick manually.
3. Beginning the PikaOS Installation
Once the live session loads, connect to the internet. Doing this now ensures the installer can fetch the freshest package lists, driver information, and any needed components.
Click Install distribution to the system, choose your language, agree to the terms, and continue. You’ll be prompted to select your keyboard layout, region, and time zone. These details help ensure your system behaves naturally once installed.
Choose Automatic partitioning and select the drive you prepared earlier. Then, open Advanced Options. Here you can choose a different file system if you prefer BTRFS or EXT4. There’s also a specific option for MSI laptops, which improves boot compatibility.
Once everything looks correct, choose Confirm and Install. This step may take a bit of time, depending on your drive speed.
When installation finishes, shut down your computer, remove the USB stick, and boot again. You’ll be greeted by Refind Boot Manager, which makes switching between Windows and PikaOS a simple, elegant experience. Select PikaOS and press Enter.
4. Completing First-Time Boot and System Initialization
When PikaOS boots for the first time, connect to Wi-Fi, create your user account, and enter your desktop environment. The system may prompt you to check or modify your graphics drivers. If you’re running special GPU hardware — such as NVIDIA — this is the right time to confirm everything looks correct.
Next, install the Gaming Meta Package. This single step automatically brings in Steam, compatibility tools like Proton, and other essential gaming components. Once installed, reboot your computer.
At the login screen, choose the Herbal Composer session (for Hyperland setups) and enter your account. You’re now inside your new Linux gaming environment.
5. Fixing the Display Scaling Issue
One of the first things you may notice — especially on laptops or high-resolution monitors — is that the desktop interface appears scaled to 200%. This is simply the system being overly cautious with DPI detection.
To fix this, open a terminal using Super + Enter, then edit the monitor configuration file. The last argument within this file controls display scaling. Setting it to auto allows PikaOS to adjust scaling dynamically, while setting it to 1 produces a crisp, native look.
Save the file using Ctrl + O, exit with Ctrl + X, and reload your session.
6. Exploring the Nocttalia Shell and Control Center
At the top-right corner of your screen, a simple mouse click reveals the Control Center — a beautifully organized panel housing everything from volume sliders to brightness controls, Wi-Fi toggles, notifications, media playback, and weather updates.
The Nocttalia shell is designed to reduce clutter. Rather than scattering settings across multiple menus, everything you frequently adjust is neatly grouped in this panel. It feels more like a modern mobile OS than a traditional desktop.
To open the main Settings application, enter the Control Center again and click the gear icon. From here, you can tweak the top bar, adjust the clock, customize the weather, or fine-tune the built-in screen recorder.
Wallpaper selection is straightforward, with a curated set of beautiful backgrounds already available.
7. Launching Apps and Gaming Tools
Pressing Super + D brings up the App Launcher — a full-screen grid of all your installed applications. It’s very fast, very clean, and instantly searchable. Inside this launcher you’ll find all your gaming tools: Steam, Heroic Launcher, Lutris, and more.
Open Steam, sign in, install your favorite Windows games, and begin playing. Proton support is built into PikaOS, so most titles will work immediately.
8. Installing Software Using Pikman
Since PikaOS is Debian-based, you can use apt, but the recommended package manager is Pikman — a faster, simpler, and more comfortable tool for beginners and advanced users alike. Best of all, Pikman does not require sudo.
For example:
pikman install fastfetch htop
The installation begins instantly, without extra steps or permissions.
9. Customizing Hyperland Key Bindings
Hyperland’s beauty lies in its flexibility. Key bindings let you open apps with lightning speed. To set your own, open the terminal again, navigate to the keybinding configuration file, and add your entries.
For example, to launch Chrome using Super + B, add the appropriate keybinding row, save your changes, and exit the editor. The shortcut works instantly the next time you press the combination.
This small customization alone makes the system feel uniquely yours.
Final Thoughts
PikaOS offers a clean, lightweight, console-like Linux gaming experience with minimal setup friction. Its thoughtful defaults, preinstalled gaming tools, and beautiful Nocttalia shell make it an excellent distribution for anyone stepping into Linux gaming for the first time — or even long-time users looking for a polished alternative.
Whether you’re gaming, configuring a clean aesthetic setup, or experimenting with custom window managers, PikaOS provides a powerful, friendly foundation that feels welcoming from the start.
Disclaimer
Dual-booting always carries some risk. Make sure your important data is backed up, and avoid modifying partitions that contain essential files. Users of NVIDIA hardware should verify compatibility before installation.
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