So after months of rocking stock Arch, I found out about CachyOS Handheld Edition.
It's a distro that's super optimized for the platforms it supports and, as a result, has different builds targeting various CPU capabilities. The handheld edition is no exception! Not only is the kernel optimized, but each package from their repo as well! As a plus you get the Steamdeck-like experience by default and it works exactly as it says on the tin.
It took me another month to actually make the switch and I much prefer the experience! Any graphical glitches I had previously are completely resolved and this thing is as smooth as butter.
On my re-install I decided to finally wipe my windows partition - after all, ever since the BIOS/Firmware started being released over fwupdmgr there's no need for windows to manage the bios anymore.
The install was a breeze, and I opted for an XFS based install with all the stock options for the most part. I choose the systemd-boot bootloader since I wanted speed with no further need to select my OS at boot.
The only special things I needed to do was:
Remount my microsd card in the same spot as before. (all games detected and working!)
Install decky-loader, emudeck (from their website, not the package)
Install heroic-launcher, protonup-qt, and any other game management tools.
Install CSS Loader and the Legion Go themes if I want to use the dualsense emulation.
Reconfigure HHD to my liking (already installed and running!)
Then I could just install games in whatever tool I prefer to use them, link them as external games to steam, and away I go!
No need to add repositories, build packages, or muck with scripts and hooks. Just a straight forward, relatively painless install.
It even fixed a few issues I was having with the SteamUI rendering in gamescope on stock Arch causing it to stutter and render black instead of transparent areas. Along with a bunch of other performance fixes - this thing just flies.
And the best thing about it all is that I can still build all my favorite packages (if CachyOS doesn't already) with the AUR and the YAY helper. I can use Arch packages without too much fuss, and even use testing repos if I'm daring enough. So for all intents and purposes, this is Arch and it operates like Arch, but it's optimized to an insane degree.
I highly recommend CachyOS Handheld Edition for the Legion Go (and other Handhelds) - even for relative newbies. It "just works" and inherits the excellent documentation from Arch, Endeavour, and others. It's also a rich ecosystem for pros with the full breadth and customization Arch is known for.
CachyOS Handheld Edition - 10/10