Even more SteamOS benchmarks are here to show why it’s better than Windows for handheld gaming
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The debate between Windows and SteamOS has been firing up lately, especially with the launch of the SteamOS Legion Go S last month. A Windows 11 version of the Lenovo handheld was released at the start of the year, but it was the SteamOS model in May making all of the headlines as reviewers praised its performance, calling it “So much better than the Windows version“.
This is largely thanks to a more optimized, Linux-based, operating system which helps push higher framerates and maintain longer battery life than the more resource-hungry Windows. And now, even more SteamOS benchmarks courtesy of Arc Technica help back up the results from day-one reviews.
Games are faster on Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS
The team at Arc Technica benchmarked five different games on the device, including heavy hitters like Cyberpunk 2077 and the recently released Doom: The Dark Ages. We can see that framerates are higher on average for most games on SteamOS, with the exception of Borderlands 3, where ASUS’ Windows 11 drivers pull ahead slightly – interestingly, more so than the Lenovo Drivers that come installed with as standard.
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SteamOS vs Windows Legion Go S benchmarks, low settings, source: Ars Technica
SteamOS vs Windows Legion Go S benchmarks, high settings, source: Ars Technica
If you’re looking to squeeze out every bit of performance from your handheld, or even plan to use SteamOS on a desktop in future (once Valve starts supporting a wider range of hardware), it is becoming a compelling option for gamers. Windows will be the better all-round operating system for most people, but focused on gaming – like you would on a handheld – Valve’s Linux-based OS is a real alternative.
There are still some reasons why you should stick to Windows
Don’t ditch Windows just yet. SteamOS comes with is a huge downside: compatibility with anti-cheats. Support for some anti-cheat solutions on Linux has long been a problem, and it’s one of the reasons why GTA V is now ‘Unsupported’ on Steam Deck. Rockstar cut support for GTA Online on the device after introducing BattlEye, though the singleplayer campaign works just fine. Popular multiplayer games such as Apex Legends, Call of Duty, or Fortnite also don’t play nicely with Linux.
This is one of the reasons why some Steam Deck owners opt to dual-boot operating systems. On top of anti-cheat woes, Microsoft has seemingly acknowledged that SteamOS is a threat to the handheld landscape, now that Valve is broadening support. Most recently, a unified game library on the Xbox PC app is being tested to make the handheld experience on Windows much more seamless, and we expect much more focus on optimization to follow.
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