SteamOS Is Coming to Non-Steam Portable Devices
Gaming PCs are everywhere these days, but none have managed to unseat the Steam Deck . Some, like the Ayaneo Air , are smaller, while others, like the Lenovo Legion Go , are more customizable. Then there’s the Asus ROG Ally, which is probably the Steam Deck’s closest competitor thanks to its smaller form factor and significant power boost. Name recognition and aggressive pricing have undoubtedly contributed to the Steam Deck’s success despite its generally weaker specs, but it also has a serious advantage in convenience – but that’s changing.
Besides power and build, the main difference between Steam Deck and its competitors at the moment is their operating systems. While most competitors use Windows, Valve’s system uses SteamOS, a version of Linux specifically designed for portable gaming. It has some shortcomings when it comes to game compatibility, but it still gives the Steam Deck a serious advantage.
That’s why it’s surprising to hear that Valve confirmed to The Verge yesterday that it’s working on SteamOS support on competing devices. Referring to the latest SteamOS patch note, Valve designer Lawrence Young said: “The note about ROG Ally keys is related to third-party device support for SteamOS. The team continues to work on adding support for additional portable devices to SteamOS.”
This is huge news for PC gaming. This isn’t the first time Valve has mentioned bringing SteamOS to other portable devices , but it’s the first confirmation we’ve seen from the company in a while.
Why SteamOS Compatibility Matters
Why all the fuss about the operating system? Well, while I’ve been tempted to ditch the Steam Deck in recent years, egged on by promises of higher resolutions or better frame rates, I didn’t want to leave SteamOS behind. It’s just so good.
Unlike Windows, SteamOS loads directly into your Steam game library, meaning launching a game is just one or two taps away. It also features a handy Quick Settings panel built right into the operating system, allowing you to adjust everything from power consumption to fan speed without diving into the system settings menu. And using the controller is as easy as shelling pears.
It does have its drawbacks compared to Windows – games that require anti-cheat cannot be played on SteamOS, and some other games may have compatibility issues on a per-game basis (though in my experience I can run pretty much anything I want). , even if Steam Deck reports that it is not supported). It’s also less likely to be used as a regular computer, even when switched to desktop mode, although fan-made utilities have done a lot to bridge that gap.
In my opinion, SteamOS works much better on portable devices than Windows, which is difficult to navigate with a controller and usually requires too many menus to navigate and additional debugging to do. Quick Settings panels are also a mixed bag in Windows, since you’re usually dependent on whatever proprietary solution your handheld’s manufacturer has developed rather than something built into the operating system.
It’s unclear when exactly the Steam Deck will become a competing handheld device, as Yang simply told the Verge that the company is “making steady progress” but that it’s “not ready to go out of the box yet.”
Logically, this is not a priority for Valve, since SteamOS is one of the biggest selling points for its own devices. But at the same time, the company is primarily a storefront business, so it’s no surprise that it wants more people to use the Steam-centric OS, no matter where they play. While you can use SteamOS for non-Steam games, it’s certainly less convenient. If non-Steam deck owners use SteamOS, it could improve Steam sales overall.
However, it’s not all so transparently aimed at boosting sales: Ian also told The Verge that Valve is working on implementing dual boot on its OLED Steam Deck models, allowing you to switch between Windows and SteamOS at will in times when SteamOS can’t launch a certain game. “There is no information yet on the timing of dual boot support,” Young said. “This is still a priority, but we have not been able to achieve this yet.” This is also true for the general release of Steam OS 3, which will work not only on portable machines, but also on desktop computers.
Please note that outside of Steam Decks, it is unlikely that any devices will ship with SteamOS as standard. But for people willing to spend an evening installing, switching to SteamOS can make the rest of their gaming time much smoother.