Still to this day I switch DEs/WMs every so often to try and find that right “fit”. I think that’s the biggest minor issue with Linux right now. IMHO there’s not a single perfect DE. I like KDE, everything just works, BUT how workspaces/virtual desktops work with multiple monitors is an absolute pain. Yes I’m aware with the update coming this month it’ll improve slightly but all I want from it is to have each monitor have it’s own set of dedicated workspaces like every other WM has. KDE just won’t do that regardless of the fact it’s been asked for for like 20 years now.

So I constantly end up switching. Niri, Hyprland, Plasma, whatever. None of them feel perfect and they all have their deal breaker quirks that I tolerate for awhile until I just can’t and end up switching. Like for example on Niri with some games when scrolling through windows and going back to the game it doesn’t pick up the mouse immediately so you have to do a quick switch to either another window and back or another workspace and back. similar issue with Hyprland except it’s with the keyboard instead of the mouse. Sway has similar issues. Hyprland I don’t like how workspaces work with multiple monitors either.

This is just the nature of Linux overall. sometimes you just have to tolerate the minor issues for the overall better performance/features. and it doesn’t just apply to DEs/WMs. there’s rarely anything on Linux that is the total package and 100% everything you want. Take terminals for example. Alacritty is great, fast, responsive…doesn’t do images. Kitty is awesome with images, gpu stuff, fast, smooth…doesn’t work great with tmux/multiplexers cause the dev hates them. or how about editors? DOOM Emacs has all the features I could ever want…slow as shit on startup. Lazyvim is fantastic with all the plugins available…absolute pain in the ass to get working 100% on my distro NixOS. I could go on and on. none of these are absolute dealbreakers just minor annoyances that make me constantly switch things.

So I completely 100% hear you. you like GNOME, it’s your preferred DE, BUT the potential issues with Steam Frame and VR are a deal breaker. And those things work on KDE BUT you’re just not happy with how KDE works overall. I get it man. I’m not a fan of GNOME but I get it. I mean give hyprland a shot but try it out with the defaults first before you invest too much time into configuring it and then finding there’s like one or two things that just won’t work. I’ve done that before. spent hours configuring like Sway or something to my liking and then finding out one particular application just doesn’t play well with it. It’s frustrating. Good luck.