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Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99View Essential Hardware PC Gaming Show Dune: Awakening Recommended reading Handheld Gaming PCs I've swapped Windows for the latest SteamOS build on my Legion Go S and I'm not going back Handheld Gaming PCs Linux enjoys a small usage uptick with Steam users, though at 2.69% it still has a long way to go to topple Windows I built a real SteamOS Steam Machine out of the guts of an old laptop so Gabe doesn't have to go through that whole sad dance again Handheld Gaming PCs Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS review Steam turbo-charges its performance overlay, shows you how many real and framegen frames you're getting and, oh, Proton is enabled on Linux by default now Handheld Gaming PCs Xbox is no longer a console, it's a platform, and it's already entered a battle for control over your handheld gaming PC The SteamOS era is imminent: Valve adds a new compatibility rating for games that’ll run on ‘any device that’s not a Steam Deck’ The first true 1:1 test we have shows Steam OS getting better performance than Windows in 10 big games, tying in 2 more, and it's got me salivating for a desktop version of Valve's OS Ted Litchfield Contributions from 28 June 2025 Liberate me from this prison. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Valve) A new report by Ars Technica shows SteamOS matching or outright beating Windows gaming performance in a suite of five recent games on the Lenovo Legion Go S, while testing by YouTuber Dave2D showed an additional four games where SteamOS either handily beats Windows, or trails by just one frame. PC Gamer hardware writer Jacob Fox's review of the Go S adds yet another three games where SteamOS comes out on top, bringing us to a record of 10 wins, zero losses, and two ties for Valve. The Legion Go S is the first device with official drivers and support for both operating systems, allowing for an apples to apples comparison we just couldn't swing before. We gave the Windows version a 72%, while the SteamOS variant nabbed an Editor's Pick 91% score from Jacob. Related Articles I've swapped Windows for the latest SteamOS build on my Legion Go S and I'm not going back Linux enjoys a small usage uptick with Steam users, though at 2.69% it still has a long way to go to topple Windows I built a real SteamOS Steam Machine out of the guts of an old laptop so Gabe doesn't have to go through that whole sad dance again The upshot, aside from "don't buy the Windows version of the Go S," is that increased hardware support for SteamOS, particularly if Valve releases a version for users to install on desktop, could finally supply a genuine desktop OS contender against Windows for gamers. Ars Technica tested five games: Returnal, Borderlands 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Homeworld 3, and Doom: The Dark Ages. At both 1200p high and 800p low settings, SteamOS was only beaten by Windows in Borderlands 3, and by about one frame at both graphics settings. Returnal presented the biggest blowout for SteamOS: A nine-frame lead at 1200p, and 17 at 800p. Windows Was The Problem All Along - YouTube This echoes Dave2D's excellent video from last month, "Windows Was The Problem All Along." Dave2D's tests showed SteamOS beating Windows by notable margins in Cyberpunk, Helldivers 2, Doom Eternal, and The Witcher 3, with only Spider-Man 2 granting a one-frame lead to Windows. That brings us to a significant performance lead in seven games for SteamOS, with it only losing by a margin of error in two more. Dave2D harped on a particular hobby horse of mine, how stepped-on and unwieldy Windows feels on handheld PCs, but as Ars Technica concluded and both parties' testing shows, SteamOS might be a contender. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Jacob's review of the SteamOS Legion Go S included performance tests for Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth Wukong, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Hitman 3. SteamOS took the top spot in all four, giving three more points to Valve and confirming its lead in Cyberpunk for a third time. 10-0-2. Between Microsoft now including AI bloat on top of Windows' already-aggravating endemic bloat⁠—why does the search bar pull up web links?? Search my damn PC!!—and this stunning turnout by SteamOS, becoming a Linux Guy is evolving from an idle threat I'll make whenever Windows annoys me into a genuine plan for my next build, three to five years from now. SteamOS' biggest hurdles, to my eye, are its current lack of hardware support, and game compatibility. You can use the Steam Deck recovery image to smuggle SteamOS onto a PC, but this isn't really a practical solution, and likely won't carry the performance uplift we've seen here. Then, of course, there are still games that won't run on SteamOS, many due to their anticheat solutions. But those are both issues that Valve has already improved on over time: It's finally brought SteamOS to a non-Deck device, and is constantly adding games to its compatible list. Microsoft has promised to minimize Windows bloat in its "Xbox Experience for Handhelds," but has a much less impressive track record⁠—I'll believe it when I see it. I still remember Games For Windows Live. I can forgive much, but I will never forget. 2025 games: This year's upcoming releases Best PC games: Our all-time favorites Free PC games: Freebie fest Best FPS games: Finest gunplay Best RPGs: Grand adventures Best co-op games: Better together microsoft windows Ted Litchfield Social Links Navigation Associate Editor Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister's copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he's not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch. With contributions from Jacob FoxHardware Writer You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. I've swapped Windows for the latest SteamOS build on my Legion Go S and I'm not going back Linux enjoys a small usage uptick with Steam users, though at 2.69% it still has a long way to go to topple Windows I built a real SteamOS Steam Machine out of the guts of an old laptop so Gabe doesn't have to go through that whole sad dance again Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS review Steam turbo-charges its performance overlay, shows you how many real and framegen frames you're getting and, oh, Proton is enabled on Linux by default now Xbox is no longer a console, it's a platform, and it's already entered a battle for control over your handheld gaming PC Latest in Hardware Razer Joro & Basilisk Mobile review Glorious Model O Eternal review Call me Victor Kermit Kiam, cos I liked this mobo so much I built my new gaming PC around it LaCie Rugged Pro 5 SSD review Graphics researchers have created a GPU-run procedural algorithm for creating an equivalent 35.6 GB worth of trees, leaves, and brushes from just 52 kB of data The new version of Logitech's glorious MX Master makes an appearance in the EU Intellectual Property Office database, pointing to an imminent release Latest in News Despite always preferring turn-based combat in RPGs, Pillars of Eternity designer Josh Sawyer thinks a lack of experience and opportunity meant the studio couldn't pull off a similar swing to Larian taking Baldur's Gate turn-based MrBeast scraps AI YouTube thumbnail generator days after announcing it: 'If creators don't want the tools, no worries' This new 'roguelike deckbuilding typing game' is like Mavis Beacon Teaches Balatro, and I'm here for it New Vegas lead Josh Sawyer thinks turn-based combat fell off in the 2000s due to a lack of 'tactical variation': Even Fallout 1 would 'get to the point where you're always doing nut shots and eye shots' Dave the Diver In the Jungle DLC is delayed, but the free Godzilla Content Pack is back and Ichiban Kasuga has extended his vacation until the end of 2026 I asked the man in charge of a major live service game if ugly crossover skins are a problem, and I didn't care for his answer HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I'd want in my next gaming laptop Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most Best 14-inch gaming laptop in 2025: The top compact gaming laptops I've held in these hands Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I've tested Razer Joro & Basilisk Mobile review Glorious Model O Eternal review LaCie Rugged Pro 5 SSD review Seagate Ultra Compact review Nacon Revolution X Unlimited review PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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