Steam Deck changed the game back in 2022, not as the first handheld gaming PC but as the easiest to use thanks to its purpose-built SteamOS. Since then, I’ve eagerly awaited the Linux-based operating system to come to other Windows 11-based portables, which could finally be on the horizon as Valve paves the way with its latest update.
Buried within the patch notes of its SteamOS 3.7.0 Preview: Pi Day update, Valve lists “the “beginnings of support for non-Steam Deck handhelds.” This is likely referring to Lenovo Legion Go S, which will be the first third-party portable to include SteamOS out the box when it arrives in May, but there’s no telling which brands will follow suit after the fact.
As it stands, Valve won’t let vendors sell their handheld devices with SteamOS off the shelf without verifying it first. This is a lengthy process that could see quite a delay before other official devices follow.
That said, there have already been hints that the operating system Lenovo Legion Go S ships with will work on anything from Asus ROG Ally to Ayaneo and OneXPlayer if you install it yourself. Naturally, your mileage may vary. After all, there are a good few hardware and controller configurations to account for and it’s still early days.
The Pi Day preview comes with other goodies, such as Plasma 6.2.5 up from 5.27.10. KDE fans will notice this is a few steps behind the current 6.3.3 patch, but Valve likes to take it slow to ensure stability. While you’ll need to wait for some features, such as fully-fledged colour management, this one ships with an upgraded desktop interface that includes fixes to speed up switching back to handheld mode.
It’s tiny, but my favourite addition is a battery display for supported Bluetooth devices, so you can see how long you have left on your headphones and third-party controllers. You can see the full list of changes here.
Valve might want to hurry up if it intends to make 2025 the year of SteamOS handhelds, as Windows 11 models are rapidly catching up. While they’ll always be slower having to boot into Microsoft’s operating system first rather than directly into a handheld menu, Windows 11 game launchers are getting better. Pair that with less hassle installing storefronts like Ubisoft Connect and no anti-cheat constraints, and it’s possible SteamOS has missed the boat, Still, I’d rather see more competition on the software front than less.
