SteamOS Breaks Free: Official Support Arrives for More Handhelds
Remember when SteamOS was basically just the brain behind Valve's own Steam Deck. Well, times are changing. While plucky fans have been attempting to get bits of it running on other handhelds, official support was a Steam Deck sole preserve. No more.
Valve has been working hard, and what they've been doing is out now. Soon enough, you'll even be able to buy a Lenovo Legion Go with SteamOS pre-installed. More exciting for current owners, from today, you can finally install Valve's gaming-focused operating system onto your initial Lenovo Legion Go or your trusty Asus ROG Ally.
How This Is Happening: The Nitty-Gritty
This wonderful news comes via some significant updates from Valve:
- The latest SteamOS version, 3.7.8, officially supports the new Lenovo Legion Go S in particular. Notably, it also includes "better support for other AMD powered handhelds," stating the ROG Ally and the original-generation Legion Go specifically.
- Valve has included its SteamOS Recovery and Installation guides current. This now also includes clear instructions on how to change Secure Boot settings, which opens the doors to installing on these top-selling Asus and Lenovo systems.
And it looks like it's only the start. Valve themselves state they're "working on expanding support." That implies there are possibly more handhelds to join the official SteamOS family in the near future. They're also collaborating with "select partners on officially licensed Powered by SteamOS devices." Handheld diversity is looking up for the future.
Why This Matters: More Choice for Gamers
While third-party alternatives like Bazzite will always have their place, this official expansion is fantastic. If you've been on the fence about a handheld gaming PC but didn't care for Windows as an operating system, or perhaps were a little ambivalent about unsupported, unofficial Linux distributions, it's a changer. Now, you've got a Valve-sanctioned pathway to a more optimized, game-centric OS experience on something other than the Steam Deck.
What Is New in SteamOS 3.7.8. Plenty.
As well as supporting more hardware, this SteamOS upgrade is a large one. Here are some highlights:
- Internally, it's based on a newer version of Arch Linux.
- The Linux kernel is version 6.11.
- Expect graphics improvements thanks to an updated Mesa graphics driver.
- The desktop mode is now supported by Plasma 6.2.5.
- Enjoy more fluid visuals with more support for frame limiting on variable refresh rate (VRR) enabled displays, both internal and external.
- Have more control over your battery life with a new Battery Charge Limit setting. You can cap the charge (say, to 80%) if your device is often plugged in or rarely drained down to full.
- More granular controls for CPU performance are on their way with AMD P-state support.
- And, naturally, a whole slew of bug fixes to make it a better experience overall.
So, the wait is finally over. Official, Valve-designed SteamOS is leaving its home turf. It's not an open release to every PC in the world (sorry, desktop fans), but this is a huge step in getting a robust, game-oriented OS to more handheld warriors. If your AMD handheld with an NVME SSD has held out for this, your time is now.
