Linux

After installing bazzite, the experience was near identical to running windows if all I ever did was play games from my steam library. If anything it was a little better, fallout 4 in particular performance better.

The problems creep in if it's not a dedicated gaming system, or if you want to do atypical things like install mod managers. Easy enough with a walkthrough but I can see where that would scare off the non technically inclined. However judging from your description of your friend it doesn't sound like he was doing any of that anyway.

Ideally yeah to be on a secure OS after this October, which is when the Win10 ESU concludes.

There are ways to minimise the annoyances of win11 if they're still apprehensive but you shouldn't let them use anything that isn't receiving regular security updates, even if it's just for a gaming system.

You can't convince people to change, that's not how things work. They must already be willing to. Even if it's only to change the OS they're used to.

I'm not a gamer, so bear with me, but can't you show him his favorites games work on your computer?

I've tried to convince people that were both stubborn and lazy. From experience I can say, chances of convincing are slim. At best, poke him a few times and leave it quiet until he has some issue with Windows, and even then, when suggesting Linux again, don't insist too much or be too forceful.

He probably will have to switch at some point (especially if he hasn't at least put a VPN or other protections in place when browsing online). As legacy machines are targets that malicous actors want to use for their botnets. As no security updates is a heavenly thing for that lot.

However, it's very unlikely that he'll ever change the situation unless it goes pear shape for him. Not having the motivation, initiative, or desire to learn about changing his OS...Means it's not going to happen easily and it has to be on his own timeline. General computer users don't care for these things, and that's fine. I was like him at some point before I got really interested in Linux, then I got reasonably proficient in doing basic stuff and sometimes complex things on my numerous distros that I tried.

If they're not techy and changing to linux is out of the question then changing to iot is also probably out of the question.

It's easier and less stress for you to say 'I told you so.' Sometimes people need to hear that a lot before they start to listen.

At least a migration to Windows 10 LTSC would be really useful. Not getting security updates could turn into a disaster when a new CVE targeting Windows 10 pops up. LTSC is supported until 2032

It will become harder and harder to stay on Win 10. At some point, he’ll hasn’t to upgrade: either to Linux or to Win 11. All the same, it will come easiest if it’s more or less his idea.

Honestly, if it is a desktop with space for drives, try getting a not so massive drive and let them dual boot with Linux as default, and if they refuse to use it, go back to windows

Tell your friend to switch......to Windows 3.1!