SteamOS adds support for Lenovo Legion Go, Asus ROG Ally, and other AMD handheld PCs

[Daniel Sims]

In brief: Valve has moved forward with its long-teased plan to bring SteamOS to more devices beyond the Steam Deck. The stable build adds support for systems from Lenovo, Asus, and others, offering a more stable Windows alternative for handheld gaming PCs. It also introduces new features and bug fixes.

Now available for installation, SteamOS 3.7.8 introduces official support for the Lenovo Legion Go S and improves compatibility with other handheld gaming PCs, including the Asus ROG Ally. The release could dramatically alter the user experience on these devices.

SteamOS's gamepad-friendly interface is better suited to small screens than Windows 11, giving the Steam Deck a notable edge over more powerful portable PCs. Recent updates to the Linux-based system have gradually revealed Valve's broader release plans, with the latest patch opening it up for public testing. The operating system now uses a newer Arch Linux base, the Linux kernel has been upgraded to version 6.11, and desktop mode runs on Plasma 6.2.5.

Early adopters should download a SteamOS recovery image and follow Valve's setup instructions. Valve optimized 3.7.8 specifically for handheld devices, but it currently supports only PCs with AMD hardware and an NVMe SSD.

The system requirements likely cover devices built on similar AMD APUs, including the Ryzen 8840U, Ryzen AI HX 370, Ryzen Z1, and Ryzen Z2. Valve provides specific installation instructions for the original Lenovo Legion Go and the ROG Ally. However, the latest build should theoretically support handhelds such as the GPD Win, Ayaneo 3, and Zotac Zone. The Intel-powered MSI Claw remains the only unsupported portable PC, and whether Valve plans to add Intel support is still unclear.

Adventurous testers will likely explore whether "AMD hardware" extends to desktops or other Ryzen-based form factors. It remains unclear if SteamOS supports Radeon dedicated GPUs and alternative wireless chips.

The update has a useful new feature that lets users set a battery charge limit, with Valve recommending an 80 percent cap to extend battery life on frequently docked devices. It is functionally similar to the optional 90 percent cap Nintendo recently introduced for the upcoming Switch 2. SteamOS 3.7.8 also adds frame rate limits for internal and external VRR displays, while Bluetooth controllers can now wake the original LCD Steam Deck from sleep. As the first version 3.7 build to reach the stable channel, numerous features have also exited beta.

Lenovo plans to launch the Legion Go S with SteamOS pre-installed in the coming weeks, offering it at a significantly lower price than the Windows 11 version.

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SteamOS adds support for Lenovo Legion Go, Asus ROG Ally, and other AMD handheld PCs

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Now someone compare SteamOS to Windows 11 on the Ally X so I know if it is worth my time to switch.

(Windows 11 has honestly been fine on the Ally X after the initial turning all the BS off. I only use Windows to run the various update apps and launch Steam.)

 

[wiak]

Adventurous testers will likely explore whether "AMD hardware" extends to desktops or other Ryzen-based form factors. It remains unclear if SteamOS supports Radeon dedicated GPU <-well will do just fine valve is hopefully just using amdgpu driver that is built into the linux kernel

 

[Axeia]

Now someone compare SteamOS to Windows 11 on the Ally X so I know if it is worth my time to switch.

(Windows 11 has honestly been fine on the Ally X after the initial turning all the BS off. I only use Windows to run the various update apps and launch Steam.)

From seeing a video about Bazite on the Ally a while back the benefits should be:
* A few fps more in some titles, nothing crazy
* Quite a bit better battery life
* Quick resume of game after putting the device to sleep, like on consoles (and in general sleep mode being more reliable)

Don't know if it also means that it gets to skip compiling shaders and just downloaded them instead. Would be nice but I imagine Valve would need to host them per hardware config and has little incentive to do so

 

[jrtt0]

That's good news for the handheld community. But I already use Bazzite on the Ally Z1 and it works like a charm (and it has that great battery charge limit feature).
I don't plan to switch to SteamOS for now, but I'm really considering to switch my other Windows PCs to Bazzite instead.