Handheld PC gaming is about to take a big leap forward with the release of SteamOS for non-Steam Deck devices. Some users have pulled ahead of the curve and provided a peek at what can be expected when SteamOS officially launches with additional device support.

Though handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go are fine gaming devices with powerful specifications and beautiful display screens, they all share one particular flaw. Some will argue that Windows is the single common factor that is holding back other handhelds from being on the same tier as the Steam Deck.

Put simply, SteamOS was carefully designed to be accessible and user-friendly when used in a handheld format. Microsoft’s Windows 11, by comparison, feels very clunky and bloated. A solution is close at hand, however. Valve has been working on a version of SteamOS with official support for devices other than the Steam Deck. Though this build is not officially available yet, some clever modders have managed to get it working. This comes ahead of the Legion Go S with SteamOS release in May.

Official SteamOS build on Legion Go S

YouTuber ETA Prime uploaded a video showing the process of installing SteamOS on a Lenovo Legion Go S. Curiously, they used the Steam Deck Recovery Image as a starting point for the install. Though it has been possible to install SteamOS on other devices before using things like Bazzite, this is the official version of SteamOS 3.8.

The installation process did have some obstacles, since ETA Prime needed to use a mouse and keyboard at one point in order to get the built-in controls to be recognized. The end result appears to have been worth it, as ETA Prime reported that the Legion Go S was performing better than it had under Windows, likely because SteamOS has less processing overhead than Windows.

Inspired by this development, other users on Reddit have taken the opportunity to tinker with adding SteamOS to their Windows handhelds, such as user u/Chanzellor, who displayed SteamOS successfully running on their original Legion Go.

About the Author

Rebecca Hills-Duty

Writing and journalism experience at VRFocus, UploadVR, The Escapist, HTC, PC Gamer, Tech Radar+ and Dexerto. Can sometimes be found playing with retro tech.