The Future of SteamOS and Dual Booting on Non-Steam Deck Portables

Valve’s plans to make SteamOS available on other gaming devices, such as rival handhelds, are becoming more concrete. The recent beta update that mentioned adding support for the Asus ROG Ally’s inputs is a clear indication of this direction. Valve has confirmed to The Verge that they are actively working on extending SteamOS support to non-Steam Deck portables. Lawrence Yang, a Valve engineer, mentioned that the team is focused on adding support for additional handhelds on SteamOS. This move opens up the possibility for other gaming devices like the ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and Lenovo Legion Go to experience the high-performance capabilities of SteamOS without being limited to Windows 11.

Challenges with Dual Booting

While the idea of dual-booting SteamOS and Windows on the Steam Deck sounds appealing, it seems that this feature is still a long way from being fully realized. Despite initial discussions about the possibility of dual booting when the Deck first launched, Valve has yet to provide a concrete timeline for its implementation. According to Yang, the team is currently focused on making the remaining Windows drivers for Steam Deck OLED available, with dual boot support still being a priority but not yet a reality. This leaves Steam Deck owners and admirers with limited options for dual-booting, such as installing Windows on a microSD card for now.

Workarounds and Alternatives

As Valve continues to work on expanding SteamOS support to non-Steam Deck portables and improving the dual booting experience, users can explore alternative options to enhance their gaming experience. While third-party device support for SteamOS is still in progress, users can take advantage of existing workarounds such as streaming games from the cloud or manually installing non-Steam launchers to access a wider range of PC games. Although these solutions may not be as seamless as dual booting, they provide a way for users to enjoy their favorite games on a variety of devices.

The future of SteamOS and dual booting on non-Steam Deck portables is evolving, with Valve actively working on expanding support for other handheld devices and improving the dual booting experience. While challenges and limitations persist, the gaming community can look forward to a more diverse and customizable gaming experience on a variety of handheld devices in the near future.