[Help] Turning my laptop into a "console-like" snappy Linux daily driver

Hardware:

• Intel i5-8350U
• Intel UHD Graphics 620
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB NVMe SSD

This is my portable machine, so it's specifically for carrying around.

What I'm trying to achieve:

I want this laptop to feel like using a Nintendo 3DS or Switch, PS Vita, or PSP, not in terms of games, but in terms of how the system itself behaves: instant, lightweight, no lag, no bloat.

• Snappy/responsive UI: near-zero input latency, smooth animations, nothing feels sluggish

• Great battery life: I love how long the 3DS battery lasts when I put it to sleep.

• Fast sleep/resume: again like a 3DS, Nintendo Switch, or MacOS: lid close = instant sleep, lid open = instant wake, no weird wakeups or battery drain in sleep

• Low resource usage: light on RAM/CPU at idle, so it stays cool and quiet

• Stable, "set and forget" — I want to configure it and rice it ONCE at the start, then just use it and do occasional safe updates. I don't want to be tinkering with configs every week like I read about arch setups.

• All hardware working: WiFi, Bluetooth, brightness, audio, webcam, etc. (fingerprint reader is fine if it doesn't work, not a priority)

• Good looking / riced: I love the aesthetic of Quickshell-based Hyprland shells, specifically the Ryoku-arch (github.com/neur0map/ryoku-arch) look, Also a fan of the general polish level of macOS and SteamOS but mostly 3DS, PSP and the 2000s look with a modern touch.

Use cases:

• Programming ( terminals, browsers, some VMs/containers probably)
• General web browsing
• Very lightweight Steam gaming (nothing AAA, just want it to feel SteamOS-ish for casual stuff)

I am pretty new to linux and habe Fedora with GNOME installed but it just doesn’t feel right. I love seeing other peoples linux rice and always wanted a cool looking and snappy system like other. I mentioned the handheld consoles because I really like how perfectly optimised they are for their hardware.

What would be the best option to achieve what I want? Or is it even possible?

I would really appreciate some help and recommendations!

Thanks for reading!