SteamOS, the super-smooth integrated system that runs on the Steam Deck, is coming to third-party handheld gaming PCs. It’s a dream several years in the making, soon to be fulfilled in the upcoming SteamOS variant of the Legion Go S. But one YouTuber didn’t want to wait that long… so he shoved the latest version of SteamOS onto an Asus ROG Ally.
If you haven’t heard, Valve has been working to get SteamOS on the Ally for the better part of a year, at least according to a representative, and the newest 3.7 beta update explicitly includes at least some behind-the-scenes work to prepare for other handhelds.
YouTuber The Phawx took that to heart and coaxed a version of the Linux-based operating system onto the normally-powered-by-Windows ROG Ally. And I’m not talking about Bazzite, by the way, a popular SteamOS derivative that can do this to some extent already. This is unmodified SteamOS code, hot out of Valve’s open-source oven.
That being the case, there are still a lot of issues. It’s technically up and running on the Ally—which uses an AMD chip that’s different-but-similar to the Steam Deck’s Ryzen APU—but runs into problems and anomalies arising from its faster, higher-res screen, lack of touchpads, slightly different control layout, etc.
The Phawx says that SteamOS recognizes the Ally’s input as an “Atari Xbox 360” controller, presumably using some generic driver. The back keys aren’t working quite right, ditto for some of the extra control buttons. SteamOS recognizes the 120Hz refresh rate on the screen as well as its VRR capability, but the TDP setting (which is also fairly similar to the Steam Deck) is locked at 15 watts, which means it’ll burn through far more battery than it should on low-power 2D games.
But despite these problems, the performance for most games is about where you’d expect. Older and lower-power games work great, easily hitting 120Hz, though some newer games like Cyberpunk 2077 are obviously struggling with a lack of optimization. The Ally with its more powerful Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU seems to have measurably more power than the equivalent Steam Deck, though perhaps not with a performance delta that you might hope for on the same OS.
Overall, it’s a promising preview of how SteamOS is going to perform on non-Steam Deck devices, especially considering that the release version for the Legion Go S should end up being a lot more polished. Since Valve is working directly with Lenovo here, I’d expect to see even better results, especially with the more expensive Z1 Extreme version of that handheld. It’s scheduled to go on sale in May, though we still don’t have confirmation of when (or if) a SteamOS build will be available for Asus’ gaming handhelds.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.