When it comes to PC gaming, Valve’s Steam and SteamOS are always part of the conversation, especially when talking about handheld gaming PCs. While SteamOS started with the Steam Deck, Valve has slowly been working to expand the operating system to more hardware beyond its own devices. That effort continues with the latest SteamOS Beta and Preview update (SteamOS 3.8.25 Beta), which includes several improvements aimed specifically at third-party handheld PCs.
The biggest addition is initial gamepad support for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, alongside broader improvements for MSI Claw and OneXPlayer device variants. What makes the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ particularly interesting is that it’s powered by Intel hardware rather than AMD, which is what we see in most handheld gaming PCs currently on the market. Valve adding support for an Intel-powered handheld is another encouraging sign that SteamOS could eventually become a viable option across a much wider range of devices.
That doesn’t mean the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ suddenly has full SteamOS support. Valve specifically lists this as initial gamepad support, so there’s still work to be done before the device could be considered fully supported. Still, it shows that Valve is actively working on compatibility beyond the AMD-powered handhelds we’ve mostly seen SteamOS associated with. The update also adds initial gamepad support for the Konkr FIT and AYANEO Pocket S2, while updating support for the OneXPlayer Apex with its latest firmware.
Outside of handheld-specific changes, the SteamOS update includes fixes for Wi-Fi connections, HDMI displays, HDMI audio dropouts, Bluetooth audio latency, system stability, and several Steam Controller-related improvements. Valve has also updated the Linux kernel to version 6.18.42. You an check out the entire patch notes here.
There is currently one notable issue with the Beta and Preview release. Valve says performance can be degraded in some situations where composition is required, including when FSR is enabled. That issue is already fixed in the current SteamOS stable release, version 3.8.16.
Over the past few months, I’ve also made the jump from Bazzite to Valve’s official SteamOS on my Legion Go 2. While it definitely still has some issues, such as the brightness slider not working and the sound being lower than I’d like, support has continued to make progress. I’m looking forward to the day when my device has 100% support, and everything works as it should.
