The Steam Deck is one of the most popular gaming PC handhelds, and part of what makes it such a fan favorite is its SteamOS operating system, often seen as an excellent alternative to gaming on Windows. Valve initially kept SteamOS exclusive to the Steam Deck, but that changed with the announcement of the Lenovo Legion Go S, the first non-Valve handheld confirmed to run SteamOS when it launches in May 2025.

However, apart from the Legion Go S, we know that Valve is extending support to more handhelds, and possibly beyond. The latest SteamOS 3.7.0 preview update is here and along with the fixes and improvements, it mentions the “beginnings of support for non-Steam Deck handhelds,” confirming that more devices will soon join the SteamOS ecosystem.

SteamOS support for non-Steam Deck handhelds

Valve hasn’t disclosed which devices will be next to receive SteamOS support, but this update suggests a broader SteamOS release for handhelds is definitely happening. That means devices like the ASUS ROG Ally could soon run SteamOS instead of Windows. This also aligns with recent leaks indicating that Valve has been making significant progress, with one source claiming the company has “pushed a ton of commits” to prepare for a general release.

That said, one thing we know is that SteamOS is fully ready for AMD hardware, which both the Steam Deck and the upcoming SteamOS Legion Go S use. However, when it comes to Nvidia, Valve's team has acknowledged that “there's still a lot of work to be done”, meaning that a widespread SteamOS release for Nvidia hardware will likely take more time.

General

• Updated to a newer Arch Linux base
• Updated the Linux kernel to 6.11
• Updated the Mesa graphics driver base
• Desktop mode now ships with Plasma 6.2.5
• Beginnings of support for non-Steam Deck handhelds

Source: Steam Release Notes

Windows users want SteamOS

With the end of support for Windows 10 approaching, Microsoft has been struggling to convince users to switch to its AI feature-packed Windows 11, with over 50% of users still sticking to Windows 10. In fact, the general sentiment can be summed up by this Gamers Nexus line: “We cannot take Windows anymore.” Windows handheld users have already experimented with lighterweight SteamOS-based operating systems such as Bazzite and SteamFork. Alternatively, ‘Winhanced‘ is a project that has already caught our attention.

However, even if Valve flips the switch on a widespread SteamOS release, Windows will remain relevant. Many multiplayer games require kernel-level anti-cheat systems, which notably lack support on Linux. Nonetheless, it’s still exciting to see Valve pushing SteamOS to feature across more devices, so we might see these caveats addressed in the future, but until then, for many desktop gamers, Windows remains a necessary option.

About the Author

Hassam Nasir

Hassam boasts over seven years of professional experience as a dedicated PC hardware reviewer and writer.