Valve’s recent announcement of a partnership with Lenovo to bring SteamOS to the new Legion Go S handheld gaming PC marks a significant shift in the portable gaming landscape. While seemingly counterintuitive for Valve to empower a competitor’s device with its own operating system, the move aligns with Valve’s long-term strategy of fostering a robust PC gaming ecosystem beyond the confines of Windows. This collaboration benefits both companies: Lenovo gains access to a streamlined gaming OS optimized for handheld devices, while Valve expands the reach of SteamOS and further solidifies its position within the PC gaming market.
The Legion Go S, a refined version of its 2023 predecessor, is designed to be a more direct competitor to Valve’s own Steam Deck. It’s slimmer, lighter, and boasts impressive specifications, including up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Interestingly, Lenovo will offer two versions of the Go S: one running Windows 11 and the other running SteamOS. This dual-OS approach provides consumers with a choice, catering to those familiar with the Windows environment and those seeking a tailored gaming experience with SteamOS. The identical hardware across both versions underscores the versatility of the device and highlights the growing viability of SteamOS as a compelling alternative to Windows for gaming.
While the Steam Deck has enjoyed considerable success, it faces stiff competition from other handheld gaming PCs like the ASUS ROG Ally, the GPD Win 4, and the Ayaneo Air, each vying for a share of the burgeoning portable gaming market. These competitors often boast superior hardware specifications, such as more powerful processors or longer battery life. However, the Steam Deck maintains its appeal due to its lower price point and competitive performance. By offering SteamOS to other manufacturers, Valve strategically broadens its influence within the portable PC gaming space, potentially attracting users who might otherwise opt for devices with superior hardware but running Windows.
Valve’s decision to share SteamOS isn’t as surprising when considering the company’s dominance in the PC gaming market. Steam, Valve’s digital distribution platform, commands a significant portion of PC game sales, estimated to be at least 75%. Given this market share, most portable gaming PCs already utilize Steam for game access, making the operating system itself less of a differentiating factor. By making SteamOS available to competitors, Valve reinforces Steam’s ubiquity and strengthens its ecosystem, potentially drawing more users into its fold. It’s a pragmatic approach that prioritizes expanding the overall market for Steam rather than guarding the OS as a competitive advantage.
Beyond immediate market gains, this move reflects Valve’s longstanding ambition to challenge Microsoft’s dominance in PC gaming. Valve CEO Gabe Newell has been a vocal critic of Windows for years, and past initiatives like the Steam Machines demonstrate Valve’s commitment to exploring alternatives. By promoting SteamOS adoption on other hardware, Valve continues its push for a Linux-based gaming future. This strategy aligns with Valve’s broader philosophy of open platforms and user choice, aiming to create a more diverse and competitive gaming landscape.
The timing of this move coincides with the impending sunsetting of Windows 10 and the mixed reception of Windows 11. User concerns regarding intrusive ads and mandatory AI integration in Windows 11 might create an opportune moment for SteamOS to gain traction. While Valve hasn’t explicitly promoted its Linux-centric vision, this underlying strategy has quietly shaped many of the company’s decisions over the past decade. The partnership with Lenovo represents a significant step forward in this quiet revolution, potentially paving the way for a more open and competitive PC gaming ecosystem less reliant on Windows. By empowering other manufacturers with SteamOS, Valve aims to establish a stronger foothold in the portable gaming market and further its long-term goal of diversifying the PC gaming landscape.
