Valve will support Steam Deck competitors on a large scale

Valve has confirmed that it will eventually Steam deckThe Linux-based SteamOS operating system is available for competing handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion GO. SteamOS’ well-optimized and console-like experience has long been a big selling point for the Steam Deck, and now Valve is working to extend the software to its Windows-based competitors as well.

The Steam Deck has been a hugely successful device for Valve since its launch in February 2022. Not only is it roughly as powerful as a PlayStation 4, but the handheld also came at a much more affordable price than enthusiast-focused options at the time. Since then, companies like Asus, Lenovo, and MSI have introduced their competitors in the portable gaming PC space, but the Steam Deck’s sleek, user-friendly operating system remains a significant advantage over its Windows-based rivals, as Windows 11 isn’t quite optimized for use in a handheld form factor yet.

Related

Microsoft is experimenting with a handheld gaming mode for Windows 11

Microsoft is considering the possibility of developing a handheld mode that would allow gamers to enjoy Windows 11 on handheld devices.

SteamOS is extremely versatile, as it allows Steam Deck users to run it either as a desktop PC or as a handheld gaming console with a dedicated interface. Windows 11 doesn’t offer those options yet, but it seems Valve itself is ready to support its Windows-based competitors. After a recent SteamOS update mentioned support for “additional ROG Ally buttons,” The Verge reached out to Valve designer Lawrence Yang for clarification. Yang then confirmed that the company is indeed working on “adding support for additional handhelds to SteamOS.” However, Yang also explained that it might take a while, as SteamOS isn’t quite ready to run on third-party devices “out of the box.”

Valve will release SteamOS on third-party devices, but there’s a catch

Rumors of a full version of SteamOS have been around for a long time, and while it will take longer than some may have expected, Valve’s recent confirmation is still an encouraging development. However, it’s unlikely that Asus, MSI and Lenovo will sell their handhelds with SteamOS rather than Windows, as their chipsets have been validated by Microsoft for the latter and switching to an entirely different operating system would present logistical hurdles. Still, gamers who use the more powerful Windows-based handhelds but prefer the Steam Deck’s more user-friendly interface will have the best of both worlds at some point in the future.

While some see this as a way to give up one of the Steam Deck’s biggest assets to its competitors, the real purpose behind it is to expand the reach of Linux as an operating system. While the Steam Deck has done well to increase gaming on Linux, with Microsoft still maintaining its operating system monopoly with Windows, Valve probably wants a piece of the pie too.

Steam deck

brand

Steam (valve)

Operating system

SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)

storage

64GB eMMC / 256GB NVMe SSD / 512GB NVMe SSD / 1TB NVMe SSD

VR support

Technically possible, but not designed or optimized for it.

resolution

1200×800

AppStore

steam

Wi-Fi

Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E radio, 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz 2×2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax

Ports

USB-C with Power Delivery/DisplayPort

HDR support

NO

Original release date

25 February 2022

Original MSRP (USD)

$399–$649

Weight

Approx. 640 grams

Mass

298mm x 117mm x 49mm

processor

Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5 GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)

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