Windows might be soon replaced by Steam OS on gaming handhelds and here's why

Steam recently announced their partnership with Lenovo, so their new Legion Go S handheld that will be released in May will feature Steam OS.

With Lenovo’s announcement at CES 2025 of the Lenovo Legion Go S, we are pleased to share that their “Powered by SteamOS” model is the first handheld officially licensed to ship with Valve’s SteamOS. We built this operating system to provide a seamless user experience optimized for gaming, while retaining access to the power and flexibility of a PC. SteamOS is the same operating system we run on Steam Deck, and the team is making updates to ensure it fully supports the Lenovo Legion Go S and provides the same seamless experience customers expect. Source: Steam press release

What is Steam OS and why is it a threat for Windows 11?

If you’re not familiar with the OS, SteamOS is a Debian 8 distribution of Linux code named Debian Jessie by Valve. Of course, being based on Linux it’s open source and you have the flexibility of installing or customizing it based on your own requirements.

Moreover, Steam has a dedicated page on how to create your own Steam OS machine and how to install the OS on any device. This move started with Steam Deck and it was a natural evolution based on the fact that Windows 11 is not really customized to run on handhelds. It’s to resource demanding and you still have to run a launcher on top of it to enjoy your games anyway.

Now, in Steam’s press release, Valve also encourages installing the new beta version of Steam OS on other handhelds to improve your gaming experience:

In addition, the same work that we are doing to support the Lenovo Legion Go S will improve compatibility with other handhelds. Ahead of Legion Go S shipping, we will be shipping a beta of SteamOS which should improve the experience on other handhelds, and users can download and test this themselves. And of course we’ll continue adding support and improving the experience with future releases.

Thanks to Valve’s Proton compatibility layer, the majority of the games in the Steam library run on Steam OS. That also means that the developers won’t need to port their titles to Linux. Also, on the Legion Go S website, Lenovo advertises a 3-month Xbox Game Pass free subscription if you buy the console. Even Halo 5 makes a mysterious appearance on the console’s screen, which might also have to do with Steam OS as well.

However, the golden words in the phrase above are majority of, so not all the games will be compatible with the platform. At least not immediately.

Users are demanding a Windows Gaming OS

In the meantime, on a Microsoft community forum, users are requesting a dedicated Windows gaming customized OS to overcome the present hurdles. One user clearly points out the baseline of the operating system, but the answer from the Microsoft representative on the forum is vague and formal, pointing the user to Microsoft’s suggestion box, the Feedback Hub.

As far as we know, according to the rumors about Nintendo Switch 2, the new gaming console will still run Windows 11, but Nintendo has plenty of time to change their minds until the alleged release from late April. Anyway, the fact that you can install Steam OS on any device also means that the users will be able to customize their Nintendo console as well. However, that may lead to a warranty void for their device.

We’re a long way to go with Steam OS. The gamers will see the difference on Lenovo Legion Go S and Steam Deck and decide the future of this Linux-based OS. What do you think about Steam OS and the move from Lenovo? Let us know in the comments below.