After finding out last year that SteamOS would no longer be exclusive to the Steam Deck and that a public beta of the handheld operating system was coming to more handhelds, the recent SteamOS 3.7 Preview marked the beginning of this transition, mentioning the “beginnings of support for non-Steam Deck handhelds.” Now, the latest SteamOS 3.7.3 Preview brings even more improvements for third-party handhelds.

According to the patch notes, SteamOS 3.7.3 Preview introduces improved input support and better power button functionality, specifically for handheld devices from ASUS and Lenovo. While the patch notes don't explicitly mention the exact models, it's most likely referring to the ROG Ally and the Legion Go devices. It’s worth mentioning that the Legion Go S already has some SteamOS variants ready to pre-order.

SteamOS 3.7.0 could hit stable soon

Apart from that, the update also adds support for frame limiting on VRR displays, both internal and external. This will allow gamers on handhelds like the Legion Go or ROG Ally, which have VRR displays, to cap frame rates for better power efficiency and smoother performance. On top of that, a crash that occurred when displays were connected has also been fixed.

General

• Added support for frame limiting with VRR displays (internal and external)
• Fixed a crash when no displays are connected
• Added support for the power button on Asus and Lenovo handhelds
• Improved input support for Asus and Lenovo handhelds

Source: Steam

With Valve ramping up SteamOS support for non-Steam Deck handhelds, this could be a sign that a stable version of SteamOS 3.7.0 is just around the corner. However, that’s only speculation on our part, as it is unclear how much work is still left behind the scenes. That said, Steam Deck users can download the 3.7.3 update through System Settings—just make sure your update channel is set to Preview.

About the Author

Hassam Nasir

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