Chris Kerr, News EditorJanuary 8, 20252 Min ReadImages via Lenovo / ValveSteamOS is officially expanding beyond the Steam Deck with the arrival of the Lenovo Legion Go S.The Legion Go S was unveiled at CES 2025 and will become the first officially licensed third-party handheld to leverage Valve's operating system.Notably, Valve has pledged to fully support the device to "improve compatibility with other handhelds." It will ship a beta version of SteamOS that can be used on other handheld devices before the Legion Go S launches in May 2025.That's big news for anybody who wants to start tinkering with the operating system on third-party hardware. "The same work that we are doing to support the Lenovo Legion Go S will improve compatibility with other handhelds," said Valve."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."Valve pitches a 'seamless experiences' across third-party devicesValve explained it wants SteamOS to "provide the same seamless experience customers expect" across an array of hardware. As it stands, the OS only officially ships on Steam Deck, but Valve is committed to expanding support.The operating system is Linux based and according to Valve "runs the vast majority of the Steam library" thanks to a Proton compatibility layer. "This allows developers to ship games for Windows without worrying about porting to Linux, and games will seamlessly work on SteamOS," added the company.Titles that run well on SteamOS are handed a 'Deck Verified' seal of approval by Valve so Steam Deck owners know what sort of experience they're likely to have before splashing the cash.The Steam Deck had sold "multiple millions" of units as of November 2023.That vague metric was dished out by Valve, which hasn't provided precise sales figures but has boasted about increasing production over the years. It has also expanded the Steam Deck lineup with the launch of an OLED model.About the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like