Valve adds official SteamOS support for non-Steam Deck handhelds in huge update
Planning on picking up a Lenovo Legion Go S and don't like Windows? Valve has a solution for you.
A big new update to SteamOS, the operating system powering handheld Steam Deck gaming devices around the world, dropped this week, and it brought with it the ability to install the specialized OS on competing devices. Valve notes on its support website that right now the only non-Steam Deck device with official support is the Legion Go S, launching later this month, but the company is "working on broadening support."
It's worth pointing out that you could technically install SteamOS on alternative devices before, but it required some awkward workarounds. This more than likely wouldn't have been a smooth, seamless experience like it should be now for Legion Go S users.
Interestingly, Valve pointed out in the patch notes that it has "improved support" for other AMD-powered handhelds, like the original Legion Go or the Asus ROG Ally. I am not able to properly test out the differences between "official support" and "improved support" right now, but one would have to assume that the Legion Go and ROG Ally may potentially run into some hiccups in the process of installing and using SteamOS that wouldn't exist on a Legion Go S. Of course, Valve can (and in all likelihood will) give the "official support" designation to those other two devices in the future.
If you're not a handheld gaming PC user, this is a big deal because, by default, most non-Steam Deck devices on the market just run Windows. SteamOS is a comparatively cleaner and easier-to-use experience that is designed specifically for gaming handhelds. To be sure, there are benefits to just running Windows instead (game compatibility can differ between operating systems), but SteamOS is a much less finicky platform for people who aren't used to or don't like the rigors of PC gaming.
Between all of this, the impending launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and the recent launch of the Backbone Pro mobile controller, there's arguably never been a better time to enjoy video games on the go.