It would seem that Valve has been hard at work trying to bring SteamOS to third-party devices. SteamOS is the operating system that runs on the company’s Steam Deck handheld and is seen as an excellent alternative to gaming on Windows. There are many reasons why Windows handhelds should use SteamOS instead, but there are still some hurdles to overcome before it can really be a viable mainstream option.
Valve has proven that handhelds are a great testing ground for gaming on Linux, especially with plenty of work already put into Proton, a compatibility layer that allows Windows games to run on Linux-based operating systems. The Steam Deck is easily the most popular handheld to date, and recently Valve has published new guidelines for future devices shipping with SteamOS as standard (this comes following news a few months ago that ROG Ally support is in the works for SteamOS).
Powered by SteamOS brand guidelines revealed by Valve
Recently updated brand guidelines for Steam show the new ‘Powered by SteamOS’ logo, with examples of third-party packaging for devices with Steam pre-installed; “This logo communicates that the Steam client is already installed on the product they are purchasing.”
According to the guidelines, the ‘Powered by SteamOS’ logo indicates “that a hardware device will run the SteamOS and boot into SteamOS upon powering the device.” In other words, a device that assumedly uses SteamOS as its default operating system. There is no confirmation that SteamOS will be the primary operating system for any upcoming handhelds, though a leaked render of the expected Lenovo Legion Go S reveals a dedicated Steam button, though this could simply be a shortcut.
SteamOS on desktop could be a game-changer
This new SteamOS branding for third-party devices seems to be a step in the right direction and can only bring more support for Linux-based gaming devices, including desktops. The foundation of Proton allows widespread support for games, giving many gamers a reason to opt for the more lightweight alternative to Windows, which can be seen as bloated (especially for a device with the primary purpose of playing games).
As we said before, there are some caveats with SteamOS; the biggest one being anti-cheat. More and more multiplayer games are using kernel-level anti-cheats which notably lack support with Linux, a recent example being GTA Online. As long as Windows is the only way to play these games, it will thrive as the ‘gaming’ operating system. However, more support for gaming on Linux via Valve’s efforts is an important stepping stone for the future.
Even Gamers Nexus says “we cannot take Windows anymore” and SteamOS potentially coming to desktops would be a catalyst for them to start Linux gaming tests for hardware reviews in the future.
