The Steam Deck might be joined by other hardware running SteamOS if Valve's updated brand guidelines are anything to go by — Could the ROG Ally be one of them?

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Valve's latest brand guidelines give a clear indication that third-party hardware running SteamOS could be on the horizon.

An image showing a Steam Deck, Switch Lite, Switch, Switch OLED, G Cloud, ROG Ally, and AYANEO 2S next to each other.
At long last, SteamOS might not be exclusively found on the Steam Deck. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Currently, Valve's Linux-based SteamOS is only officially available on the company's Steam Deck.
  • Updated branding which has been seen indicates this could be changing in the future, with "Powered by SteamOS" suggesting third-party hardware may be planned.
  • There have been mentions of the ROG Ally in past changelogs for SteamOS, could a version of this without Windows 11 be planned?

I love the Steam Deck. I may have just picked up an ROG Ally in the Black Friday sale, but the Steam Deck is still the one I'd recommend to most people. A big part of that is the SteamOS software that runs on it, because it's far more optimized and easier to use on a handheld than Windows 11. It feels properly like a handheld games console rather than a tiny PC.

This latest development suggests more than just the Steam Deck could be benefitting from SteamOS soon, though. Spotted by Brad Lynch on X, Valve's latest brand guidelines drop a big hint of future third-party hardware being powered by the company's OS.

Alongside the logos, Valve has also detailed how said branding will be used:

"The Powered by SteamOS logo indicates that a hardware device will run the SteamOS and boot into SteamOS upon powering on the device. Partners / manufacturers will ship hardware with a Steam image in the form provided by and / or developed in close collaboration with Valve. Physical alterations should not be made to the logo and it should not be combined with any other branding elements."

Of course, this doesn't mean for sure that there is something imminent, nor does it mean necessarily that we could be looking at handhelds. However, the ROG Ally has been spotted in previous changelogs for SteamOS, and as the most popular non-Valve handheld PC, it would be an obvious collaboration.

Could one of these running SteamOS and not Windows 11 be in our future? (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

SteamOS on something like an ROG Ally would be a great move. For one, you'd expect a SteamOS variant to cost less than one running Windows 11. It would also be much less frustrating to use, because let's face it, Windows 11 DESPERATELY needs a UI overhaul for handhelds.

The tradeoffs would be the same as they are right now. You'd lose access to non-cloud Xbox Game Pass titles, and anticheat software that only works on Windows would render games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Valorant, and Fortnite, unplayable.

It could, of course, also be something completely different. Valve previously dabbled with Steam Machines, which were a complete flop, but with all the goodwill built up by the Steam Deck, would a small PC with SteamOS on it be such a bad thing?

This is definitely something to keep an eye on...

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Richard Devine
Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • GraniteStateColin
    Microsoft have brought this on themselves. The one place where they still commanded some consumer loyalty was in gaming, but they've squandered it to the point that Valve may provide a consumer OS that's more appealing than Windows.

    Make no mistake: as I've said since the launch of the Steam Deck, it's a direct attack on Microsoft's home PC market. Worse, Valve basically pirated Microsoft's APIs so the software could run on Linux (yeah, it was legal because you can't patent software no matter how much unique work you put into it, but it was still unethical). But in Valve's defense, Microsoft has done nothing to avoid this inevitable next step. When you see a competitor stealing your code and taking your customers, maybe you should react. Do something, anything, to show your customers you are still leading and innovating in the space and care about them. Leverage your strengths for the other things only you can provide (like application software or music or movies), keep pushing the envelope, add new API's to help with graphical and AI features faster than Valve can steal them, SOMETHING. Instead, MS cancelled their music service and has largely abandoned everything else entertainment-related that would pair with interests of gamers (I do still buy movies from the Microsoft Store when I can't find them on a streaming service). They have the strength in AI, but provided NOTHING for game developers. (e.g., imagine if in Starfield, instead of the static ~50-100 repeating bases if AI generated new ones dynamically so there were no repeats, saving the hand-crafted content for the actual storyline quests, or if secondary NPCs could be more interactive thanks to LLM AI).

    So, I don't want to root for Valve on this, because they're success is based largely on quasi-legal piracy as far as I'm concerned, but they may win over even me if Microsoft continues to piss on its userbase and fans.
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