I'm looking to move to Linux, but I've seen there is a gaming bug related to the kernel. The issue is reportedly fixed in 6.9, but I can't find the version used in the current release on GitHub.
I'm currently looking at Bazzite, but knowing how to locate the kernel version (prior to download) would be helpful for any distro.
However plugging in a new kernel can be a tricky process. Take a backup of your computer and be prepared to potentially troubleshoot it in rescue mode.
Some distributions handle this better than others. As they will be potentially a package you can install instead of downloading source.
I've been fond of opensuse tumbleweed for a more "stable" bleeding edge experience over other popular distros. If you want to avoid the hassle of compiling and installing the kernel yourself I'd suggest this approach.
Do you know how to see what kernel is included in the release of a given distro? In other words, when I click download on the Bazzite website (or via GitHub), is it possible to know what kernel version I'm getting?
For rpm-based immutable images, you can always check the project's Containerfile for what package is being pulled for the kernel. On most normal distros, you can also boot into the live image, pull the package cache and check the latest package version for the kernel.
EDIT:
An example for fedora in this instance of 'traditional distro' would be to dnf makecache && dnf info kernel.