SteamOS
A gaming operating system developed by Valve based on Linux, used on Valve hardware such as the Steam Deck. It supports the Steam game library while retaining the open characteristics of the Linux platform.
Timeline (last 90 days)
The Steam Deck is based on SteamOS, but Windows can be installed on it.
The Lenovo Legion Go S is among the first third-party handhelds to receive official authorization from Valve and come preinstalled with SteamOS.
SteamOS itself is free.
SteamOS is a handheld console operating system developed by Valve based on Arch Linux, optimized specifically for gaming scenarios, offering a console-like pick-up-and-play experience, a Proton compatibility layer, and a suspend/resume mechanism.
Steam Deck is a handheld gaming PC based on Linux (SteamOS), and its arrival has brought Linux gaming from the geek niche to the mass market.
SteamOS was born in 2013, prompted by Microsoft's threat to require Windows 8 applications to be distributed through the Microsoft Store, which threatened Valve's game sales business.
The original SteamOS lacked compatibility layer tools such as Proton and was nearly incapable of running Windows games, making its hollow game library the primary reason for the failure of the first-generation Steam Machines.
The origin of SteamOS can be traced back to Microsoft's push to create a closed ecosystem via the Windows Store during the Windows 8 era.
The latest beta version of the official SteamOS has added official driver support for NVIDIA graphics cards.
Before official SteamOS supported NVIDIA, users with NVIDIA cards needed to run the SteamOS experience through third-party derivative distributions such as Bazzite and CachyOS.
7 more timeline events
All Facts (18)
The Steam Machine runs SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system.
60%UnverifiedThe Steam Deck is based on SteamOS, but Windows can be installed on it.
50%UnverifiedSteamOS itself is free.
50%UnverifiedSteamOS is a handheld console operating system developed by Valve based on Arch Linux, optimized specifically for gaming scenarios, offering a console-like pick-up-and-play experience, a Proton compatibility layer, and a suspend/resume mechanism.
50%UnverifiedThe Lenovo Legion Go S is among the first third-party handhelds to receive official authorization from Valve and come preinstalled with SteamOS.
50%UnverifiedSteam Deck is a handheld gaming PC based on Linux (SteamOS), and its arrival has brought Linux gaming from the geek niche to the mass market.
50%UnverifiedSteamOS was born in 2013, prompted by Microsoft's threat to require Windows 8 applications to be distributed through the Microsoft Store, which threatened Valve's game sales business.
50%UnverifiedThe original SteamOS lacked compatibility layer tools such as Proton and was nearly incapable of running Windows games, making its hollow game library the primary reason for the failure of the first-generation Steam Machines.
50%UnverifiedBefore official SteamOS supported NVIDIA, users with NVIDIA cards needed to run the SteamOS experience through third-party derivative distributions such as Bazzite and CachyOS.
50%UnverifiedThe origin of SteamOS can be traced back to Microsoft's push to create a closed ecosystem via the Windows Store during the Windows 8 era.
50%UnverifiedValve is pushing SteamOS, an Arch-based distribution, and has developed the Proton compatibility layer to allow games that originally did not support Linux to run.
50%UnverifiedThe first-generation Steam Deck features an open SteamOS ecosystem, solid performance, and relatively affordable pricing.
50%UnverifiedValve has opened SteamOS to third-party manufacturers.
50%UnverifiedSteam Deck runs a full SteamOS based on Linux, and users can install Windows on their own, replace the SSD, and modify the underlying system.
50%UnverifiedThe Steam Deck handheld console released in 2022 runs SteamOS 3.0, a custom system based on Arch Linux, and relies on Proton to run most Steam games.
50%UnverifiedAn ARM-architecture version of SteamOS is now available for download, prepared for the Steam Frame VR device based on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.
50%UnverifiedThe latest beta version of the official SteamOS has added official driver support for NVIDIA graphics cards.
50%UnverifiedSteam Frame, launched by Valve, is a wireless VR headset running SteamOS.
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