Operating systems make all the difference to a user experience whatever the device, but particularly when it comes to handhelds. There’s no denying that Windows simply pales in comparison to SteamOS, despite the latter’s spottier compatibility. Thankfully, Steam Deck soon won’t be the only system basking in the splendour of Valve’s software. In the near future, the likes of ROG Ally will enjoy official support.
Despite their more powerful specs, Windows handhelds have struggled to dethrone Steam Deck OLED and LCD from the top of the handheld ladder. While affordability does play a role in the popularity of Valve’s device, the value of SteamOS’ console-like experience does too. While it is possible to install the operating system on other devices, it’s still not as seamless as the Deck.
Valve is clearly hoping to change that, based on recent changes to SteamOS. Listed in the patch notes for the 3.6.9 Beta branch, one change includes “added support for extra ROG Ally keys.” This refers to the additional buttons on the Asus handheld, not present on Steam Deck. We can say this with certainty as the company has confirmed this is the case following a request for comment.
Speaking to The Verge, Valve designer Lawrence Yang said: “The note about ROG Ally keys is related to third-party device support for SteamOS. The team is continuing to work on adding support for additional handhelds on SteamOS.”
Before we welcome this new era of would-be Steam Machines, there are a few caveats to this statement. Firstly, Yang admits that SteamOS “isn’t ready to run out of the box” on other devices. It’s unclear how quickly we can expect to see the first ROG Ally or ROG Ally X running with official support, but the timing of the patch notes suggests it’ll be soon.
The bigger question is how Valve plans to roll out official support for SteamOS. Will it be on a per-device basis? How does the company plan to support a variety of hardware configurations? On a related note, will we see a desktop version emerge? In order for the operating system to truly compete with Windows, it needs to reach as many systems as possible.
For those still holding out for a dual-boot setup with their Steam Deck, Yang had the following to say: “As for Windows, we’re preparing to make the remaining Windows drivers for Steam Deck OLED available (you might have seen that we are prepping firmware for the Bluetooth driver). There’s no update on the timing for dual boot support—it’s still a priority, but we haven’t been able to get to it just yet.”
Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait for Steam Deck 2 to get dual-boot, or see SteamOS on other devices.
