Gaming OS · built on Arch · free · invite only

Kova OS

Power on.
You're in the game.

A free, premium-grade Linux operating system for people who want to game without Windows. Kova boots straight into Steam like a console, switches to a Hyprland desktop when you want one, and comes with managed support, security and updates from the Kova OS Dev Team.

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RootImmutable A/B
Kernellinux-kova · BORE
Default sessionGamescope + Steam
UpdatesAtomic, auto-rollback

The Windows replacement for Linux gaming.

Think Red Hat, but for gaming: a curated, supported Linux where someone is responsible for it working. You install it once and never babysit it.

managed support

Someone on the other end

Every Kova PC can open a private tunnel to Kova Cloud. When something breaks, the Dev Team reads the logs, pushes the fix, and you keep playing.

security

Signed, immutable, verified

Secure Boot with Kova's own keys, a read-only verity-checked system, atomic updates that roll back on failure, a disposable sandbox for anything you don't trust.

updates

Tested before they reach you

Images go through the build server, a boot test and a canary machine before the stable channel. Your games, saves and settings are never touched by an update.

performance

Tuned for frames

Gaming scheduler, custom kernel, power modes, gamescope and the same Proton tooling the Steam Deck uses, set up before you sign in.

Three sessions. One switch.

Pick at power-on or swap any time from the quick menu. Each one gets the whole GPU.

Default · Gaming mode

Steam Big Picture in gamescope

Controller from the first second. Adaptive sync, HDR passthrough, FSR on any game, Epic and Roblox in the same library.

  • Proton-GE preinstalled
  • Heroic, Lutris, Sober shortcuts synced
  • Instant replay, last 60 seconds

Desktop

Riced Hyprland

Fully riced from the first login, nothing to configure. Waybar, rofi, hyprlock and a colour palette generated from whatever wallpaper you're on. Live video wallpapers that pause when a game goes fullscreen.

  • NTE and Genshin theme packs
  • Tearing and direct scanout for games
  • Return to Gaming Mode in one key

Sandbox

Disposable Windows, real GPU

A Windows 11 VM with the graphics card passed through. No access to your files, the LAN or the other PC. Resets to clean every exit unless you say otherwise.

  • Near bare-metal performance
  • Isolated network, clipboard off
  • Quarantined file pull

Everything is one command.

The kova CLI does what the menus do, for the terminal-shaped moments.

Power modes

Max, Balanced, Quiet. Governor, GPU power limit, scheduler and fan curve change live, no reboot.

Atomic updates

The next image lands in the spare slot. Boots once, checks itself, keeps or rolls back. You never see a half-updated system.

Backup and migrate

Incremental, encrypted, on btrfs send. A migration bundle carries your whole setup to a fresh install or a new PC.

Kova Cloud

Logs and crashes ship to Kova Cloud. One command makes a private link you can hand to whoever is helping.

Emulation, mods, VR

ROM manager with box art in Big Picture. Nexus and Mod Organizer via Proton. Monado and WiVRn for Quest over Wi-Fi.

Full-wipe installer

Lists every drive, secure-erases what you tick, installs clean. The only fresh start that is actually fresh.

$ kova power max ✓ governor performance · EPP performance · GPU limit 132 W · scx_lavd perf $ kova update stable 2026.09.12 → 2026.09.19 (delta 214 MB) ✓ written to slot B · boot-once armed · reboot when ready $ kova bench quick GPU scene 1440p ..... 1184 CPU sim ............. 1042 ✓ score 1121 · +3.1% vs last run · sign in to submit $ kova logs share --game "Elden Ring" ✓ https://l.kovaos.org/8f3kq2 (expires in 7 d) $ kova sandbox reset ✓ overlay discarded · Windows back to golden image

Free. Invite only.

Kova OS costs nothing. Access is by invitation while we grow carefully: ask for an invite, get a link by email, create your account, download, install.

how to get in

Request an invite

Tell us what you run and what you play. Invites go out by hand, usually within a day.

Request an invite

already invited

Sign in and download

The image, the install guide, your machines, the leaderboard, support tickets and live chat are all behind your account.

Downloads

why invite only

Support that scales with us

Every Kova PC can reach the Dev Team over its support tunnel. We let people in at the pace we can actually help them.

Downloads–
Members–
Machines online–
Latest image–

Kova Bench

Our own benchmark, shipped in every Kova image. A Vulkan city scene, game-shaped CPU work, an asset-streaming test, and your real games. It runs by itself after every update, so a slow driver shows up as a number. Sign in to put your rig on the board.

#ScorePlayerHardwareModeImage
12 418voidlineRyzen 7 9800X3D · RTX 5080Max0.1.0
22 231sakuRyzen 7 7800X3D · RX 9070 XTMax0.1.0
31 987nekofluxCore i7-14700K · RTX 4070 Ti SuperBalanced0.1.0
41 642ryzenboiRyzen 5 7600 · RTX 3060Max0.1.0
51 184kova_devRyzen 7 3700X · RX 6600Max0.1.0
61 121kova_devRyzen 7 3700X · RX 6600Balanced0.1.0
7864handheld_hRyzen Z1 Extreme · ROG AllyQuiet0.1.0
Sample board. Baseline 1 000 = Ryzen 7 3700X + RX 6600 in Balanced mode. Filter by GPU, CPU, mode and image on the full board. Full leaderboard