Valve’s launch of the Steam Deck unveiled the latent market potential for handheld gaming consoles, prompting manufacturers such as Lenovo and ASUS to introduce their own branded handheld gaming devices. However, these companies lacked a suitable operating system to match the seamless experience of SteamOS.
In response, Microsoft released a specialized version of Windows 11 tailored for handheld gaming consoles. Although this variant of Windows 11 falls considerably short of SteamOS in terms of user experience, it nevertheless permits the installation of Steam for gaming purposes.
Interestingly, Valve is concurrently developing an open version of SteamOS designed explicitly to support installation on third-party handheld consoles. Given the superior gaming experience SteamOS offers, it is inevitable that handheld gaming enthusiasts will eventually abandon Windows 11 in favor of Valve’s alternative. A stable release of SteamOS appears imminent; screenshots depicting its boot interface have already emerged on platforms such as X, suggesting that its arrival is close, though an exact release date remains uncertain.
It’s almost here pic.twitter.com/Ln9PNSRnKD
— SadlyItsDadley (@SadlyItsBradley) March 14, 2025
SteamOS is based on Linux yet incorporates certain proprietary components from Valve. The company has no plans to monetize the operating system itself, anticipating instead that users installing SteamOS will purchase games through the Steam platform, thereby generating revenue for Valve.
Considering Linux’s extensive compatibility, SteamOS theoretically can be installed on virtually any device, including traditional PCs, smartphones, Raspberry Pi devices, and even the Nintendo Switch.
Once the official release becomes available, an influx of developers will likely engage with the project, adapting and porting SteamOS to a diverse array of compatible hardware. Ultimately, this will make SteamOS far more appealing and versatile to gamers compared to Windows 11.
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