My experience with Qubes OS had been so so last time I've tried it.

Have they managed to get rid of Xorg and the terrible screen tearing issue that should be a thing of the past in 2023? I remember there was a project named SpectrumOS that tried to do something similar to QubesOS but with nixos, crosVM and wayland. AFAIK the project stalled.

I am using a sort of middle ground between traditionnal desktop and QubesOS. I run a number of VMs on my machine for different purpose and use waypipe to start apps as individual windows on the main desktop. I don't really have the copy/paste separation that QubesOS has, nor a separation between host and network VM but at least I can separate duties, filesystems and seamless windows showing on only one desktop. To distinguishes the browser and terminal windows I use different themes.

Are you using an Nvidia GPU?

https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/5104

https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/7591

If not, try this: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/6880#issuecom...

There is no tearing on my Librem laptops.

Nope, but regarldess of drivers, xorg has never been pixel perfect and tearing do happens. You are just probably used to it but it is obvious once you have started using wayland how smoother your desktop becomes.

It is the first time I hear about that Tearfree option and I am wondering. If it exists and it isn't the default behavior, it means there must be some annoying drawbacks right?

Perhaps I might be used to it, won't deny it. No idea about drawbacks from the workaround. Wayland transition is planned though: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/3366