An open source operating system for quantum computing appeared in 2021, to little fanfare. 5 years later, there isn't much mention, but you can download a very capable version for free from China. You don't need a quantum computer to get started.

The system is called Origin Pilot, and is quietly announced as "new" on a few US websites, even though it was offered as open source 5 years ago. News from China arrived faster before the colonization of Hong Kong by the British, but it has arrived. You do need robust hardware to run this, but I am certain there are many gaming computers that are adequate. Here are the exact hardware requirements from the official website, so you won't be discouraged before you visit. You'll need 64 gigabytes of RAM, but 64 GB of ram today is pretty much like 64 MB was 30 years ago, when I finally packed my NeXT cube with 256 megabytes of RAM.

From https://qcloud.originqc.com.cn/document/origin-pilotos-en/rst/02.1_Hardware_Requirements.html

Hardware Requirements

Hardware mainly involves the following components:

• CPU

  -It is recommended to use AMD Zen 5 series, Intel Arrow Lake / Diamond Rapids series or newer models;

  -To fully utilize the performance potential of PilotOS, it is recommended to use at least a 4-core processor. If installing a virtual machine, allocate accordingly.

• Memory (DRAM)

  -Recommended capacity of no less than 64 GB;

  -DDR5 is recommended with frequency ≥ 5600 MHz;

  -Powerful CPU performance needs to be matched with sufficient memory bandwidth and capacity.

• Storage

  -Hundreds of GB of disk space are required during installation and operation;

  -It is recommended to reserve at least 1 TB of storage capacity for PilotOS.

• Network Interface Card (NIC)

  -The required bandwidth depends on the workload scale;

  -Due to the exponential growth of quantum state space, it is recommended that the NIC bandwidth be at least 10 Gbps;

  -To avoid the network becoming a bottleneck for overall computing efficiency.

I am surprised we don't see discussion groups about DIY quantum computers, but that will come soon. You won't need a fortune to get started with quantum computing, the revolution has begun. Here's a downloadable pdf from a working group at the University of Waterloo that got started in 2024.

Best of luck to you, with your new Quantum Computer.