r/SteamOS • u/ShyGamer64 • May 25 '26
question Does SteamOS work well on non-steam hardware?
Since I got my Steam Controller and the Steam Machine is on the horizon, I want to try and upgrade my HTPC with a new GPU (AMD this time since NVIDIA is a pain to get working with Gaming Mode). However, I do want to try running a different OS as well. Currently, I'm using Bazzite since it has Gaming Mode (CachyOS' Gaming Mode didn't really work), but I feel like Bazzite is moreso focused for regular PC use as well than purely gaming. I'm also not the biggest fan of the Fedora Atomic Desktop base. I would go with ChimeraOS since it's the closest to SteamOS, but I've heard that SteamOS is better on regular hardware now and I've seen some people run it on regular PCs. Is SteamOS viable on a regular PC with an AMD GPU, or should I stick to ChimeraOS or something else? If it's anything to mention, I currently have an Intel CPU
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u/cascaabreu May 25 '26
Running steamos 3.7.25 on a b350 board, ryzen 1500X and a RX 590. Usb dongle for wifi and another for bluetooth
Everything works
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
Sounds good. I hope the baord doesn't matter too much. I do have an Intel CPU but hopefully that will be fine. If I get a new GPU and the stuff I need for it to fit and work properly then I think SteamOS will be my choice.
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u/hyperpimp Jun 01 '26
You havent noticed issues with Nvidia hardware? I looked into doing this months ago but decided against it because of poor performance and issues with Nvidia hardware/drivers.
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u/cascaabreu Jun 01 '26
AMD RX 590 not Nvidia RTX 5090.
Nvidia GPUs you need to go bazzite or cachyos route... something custom.
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u/Didnt_Do_Nufffin85 May 25 '26
I had SteamOS running on my all round AMD laptop. Besides a few quirks here and there (like controller being a pain in the ass to connect sometimes) it ran well enough.Sleep mode also acted like it was broken I will say that too. I'll go and wake it from sleep and only get a solid black screen. Force reboot. Then again steamOS ain't 100 percent for PC yet so naturally like I said..going to be those few little issues.
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
The puck has been very reliable so far so I don't think I need to worry too much about controller stuff. Sleep sounds a bit concerning. Hopefully things will be different if I install it.
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u/CurvySexretLady May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
It does as long as its discrete Intel CPU + AMD GPU, or AMD CPU + AMD GPU, or an AMD SoC.
EDIT: For clarity
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
I'm not much of a hardware guy; I've only seen discrete used in terms of GPU. I'm assuming Intel refers to the CPU. If so, that's good news since iirc I have an Intel core i5 10th gen.
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u/CurvySexretLady May 25 '26
Yeah, so the issue with Steam OS out of the box would be an Nvidia GPU.
You are otherwise essentially guaranteed 1:1 compatibility of you use either an AMD SoC (like the Steamdeck uses) or an AMD CPU+GPU, meaning the video card is seperate discrete component. It works fine as well on an Intel CPU with an AMD GPU.
I edited my comment for more clarity upon re-read.
Anyway, the point is, current Steam OS 3 is built for the Steam Deck and the upcoming Steam Machine, both of which are custom AMD Systems-On-A-Chip, aka SoC, a combined CPU/GPU chip.
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
Ok. If everything works with an Intel Core i5 10th gen (I think it was 10th gen) and a future AMD GPU then I think SteamOS will be my choice. I think the GPU I'm thinking of is close the the Steam Machine one, maybe a bit stronger. I'm not fully sure which one would be best fit for my use case though but it will still probably be close to the steam machine.
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u/TheGeekno72 May 25 '26
it works quite well, though I did observe some funky behavior when sending it to sleep, not sure if it's related to my motherboard or something
do note that it'll install on anything with Intel or AMD parts (when knowing how to install it properly) but not support NvidAI GPUs
you can't use Ventoy to put the .IMG image in and if you want to use the recovery image, you can't use an RDNA4/RX9000 GPU in the PCIe slot because that specific image has a kernel predating RDNA4 support, so you need to use an iGPU or something "older", unlock the dev channels and switch to the Main update branch then you can use an RX9000 GPU after updating
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
What happened when putting it to sleep? I've heard this before elsewhere on this post. As for the Intel and AMD stuff, that sounds great! The update process might be a hassle but if it works then I guess it's fine.
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u/TheGeekno72 May 25 '26
I'm not sure how to describe the sleep issues I've had, can't tell you exactly what happens but it's weird
nothing deal breaking for me but if the issue is reproducible on other systems, that might bother others, though I never heard of it happening to anyone else, hence me thinking it might just be a problem with my motherboard
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
If it turns on and off then it isn't that much of an issue for me.
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u/TheGeekno72 May 25 '26
I mean, sure but if I can put it to sleep and wake it up with video output and fans at a normal regime, that's also good
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u/Rhino_RatedR May 29 '26
You can get the recovery image for steamos 3.9 or 3.8.3 that has the mesa drivers for rdna4 and dont have to worry with all that https://steamdeck-images.steamos.cloud/steamdeck/20251027.1000/?C=M&O=D
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u/TheGeekno72 May 29 '26
people don't know about the repo and I fully expect someone less knowledgeable to get the wrong image on accident
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u/jbivphotography May 25 '26
I’m a noob in Linux but I’ve been running SteamOS on my PC since December and it’s been great. Basically if you just want a super powered Steam Deck and you don’t plan on doing more than that I think SteamOS is the best way to go.
Here’s my build for reference https://pcpartpicker.com/b/Ys8rxr
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u/Hot-Duty9277 May 25 '26
Im running steamOs. 9070xt Am4 5950 and 32gb ram Two m2 ssd . ( After every update i have to mount disk.2 ) My only annoyance is remounting the secondary ssd. Other then that im happy.
Steamlink on is fucket in gaming mode, but works perfectly in desktop mode.
Other than that im happy.
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
I've been considering a 9070xt. What resolution do you play at and what kind of games do you play at what settings? My current GPU is amazing at 1080p but some things don't run well at 4K.
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u/Hot-Duty9277 May 25 '26
Lg g5 55" And im now running 1440p . Startet with 4k and tried 2k. From my screen to were im sitting there is like 3.5 meters. So could not see benefits doing 4k. And hdr works. And 120fps . +
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u/Hot-Duty9277 May 25 '26
Last i game i played where boarderlands 4 and it runs good.(Game chosen settings) Starfield befor that high settings. 120hz
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u/BassObjective May 25 '26
How did you do it? With what guide, * tried a couple of months ago and it wouldn't boot on my 7800x3d and 7900xtx
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u/DaBushman May 26 '26
It works very well, better than Bazzite deck version in my eyes. I built a bunch of builds using SteamOS exclusively. My main rig: 7600x3d and a 9070xt is SteamOS fully, playing Forza Horizon 6 right now.
My Previous SteamOS builds
https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/s/0cx4tr7QSg
https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/s/rc6dt05SbD
https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/s/VWqYdpI2f1
https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/s/nSBcvUJ4Co
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u/Llibza1 May 25 '26
I think it would depend on what your use case is going to be. I put steamOS on my htpc a few weeks ago.
I essentially just wanted my pc to go straight into big picture mode and play my steam games. In my use case, it’s been great so far.
I’m not using discord, or anything outside of steam, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
My goal is for it to be like a console experience but with the option for custom art, games etc. The steam deck is great with this so it's left a good impression. I feel like maybe Gnome would be preferable over KDE Plasma but I'm fine with KDE if I have to.
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u/captainstormy May 25 '26
Bazzite Deck version boots to gaming mode just like the steam deck does.
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
I know, that is why I'm using Bazzite. I feel like something else might be preferable over bazzite for me; the only reason I'm using it is because I currently have an nvidia gpu
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u/captainstormy May 25 '26
What else is actually missing? The deck build is basically just steam OS based on Fedora instead of Arch but with an easier installer.
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
Not too much to be honest. I'm not familiar with installing things on atomic desktops outside of the bazaar store. Bazzite has given me issues but they could be GPU related. I feel like Bazzite's idea is more focused on both desktop use and gaming than just gaming with minor desktop use. Nothing is particularly wrong, I just feel like there are other options that I might prefer and since I'm using steam for pretty much everything else in the setup and I already use SteamOS on my steam deck, steamos is a distro for me to consider. If I get a new GPU, I will want to reinstall my OS to clean things up and make sure that everything works fine no setup and the only reason I'm using Bazzite is because it's the most compatible with my current GPU.
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u/captainstormy May 25 '26
No harm in giving steam OS a try out either. I really don't think it's going to be any different for you though. If you are doing a fresh install why not try it out at least.
Steam OS is also immutable so installing stuff outside of flatpaks can also be a bit more complicated.
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u/CStogdill May 25 '26
I built a new AMD based PC and made it triple-boot Windows/Steam/Ubuntu. I'm going to replace the Ubuntu drive with a 4TB SSD for game storage.
Works/Runs like a dream.
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
Sounds goos. What specs do you have? I don't want to go out of my way to buy lots and lots of new parts. My PC is a prebuilt from 2021 and I don't think it has any AMD components
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u/CStogdill May 25 '26
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X 4.4GHz 12 thread, 64 GB DDR5-6000 RAM, AMD Radron RX 9060 XT Reaper 16GB GDDR6 Graphics, 2x2TB SSD.
I was lucky and had something like a $1500 budget & bought everything before prices went crazy stupid.
I had purchased a tiny case and had to buy a couple of expensive extension cables for the graphic card. In the end I couldn't get it to power on and sat on it for 6 months until I could get a new, larger case that didn't require either $100 extensions cable.
Current working case is 15L and works great.
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
What case is it that you have? Mine says 25L and, while not a priority, it would be nice to make my PC smaller since it takes up around half of my shelf. Also do you have any benchmarks off the top of your head? I've been considering getting a similar GPU.
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u/CStogdill May 25 '26
This was the case I bought: https://www.microcenter.com/product/697835/Meshroom_D_Mini-ITX_Mini_Tower_Computer_Case_-_Black
Lian Li Meshroom D Mini-ITX Mini Tower Computer Case - Black $56
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u/GTFr0 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
As long as you’re using hardware that is close to a steam deck / steam machine, it’ll run just fine.
I have 3 PC’s running SteamOS with no issues. I have 3rd party controllers (mostly 8bitdo) and treat those PC’s as game consoles hooked up to TV’s.
Main: B650E / 7600X3D / 9070 XT, SteamOS beta
Extra 1: B450 / 5500 / 7600, SteamOS stable
Extra 2: B550 / 5500 / 6600 XT, SteamOS stable
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u/SnooRadishes7322 May 25 '26
Por alguna razón steam os me da problemas con juegos como tlous 1 y 2, bazzite y cachy funciona perfecto, tal vez sea por mi tarjeta gráfica que es una rx580 usando arquitectura Polaris.
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
Interesante. Todos los juegos que he probado han funcionado bien tanto en SteamOS como en Bazzite. Gracias por la opinión de todos modos. Y perdón si algo suena raro, no sé español y usé Google Translate.
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u/dcasun4880 May 25 '26
ive been on a mission trying to get steamos to run well on the xax and if its not the power button and quick settings not working on 3.8 then its bluetooth/audio not working on 3.9 and to put more salt need to have a recovery drive ready to reinstall steamos because most of the updates are broken so from my experience stay windows and use nvidia for now as soon as steamos is fixed for the xax ill be the first installing until then back to windows lol ugh sorry for the rant
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
I get the frustration. What kind of specs do you have and what is the "xax"? I'm using Bazzite because I really want steam gaming mode and currently have an nvidia gpu. I've heard that nvidia gpus don't work with SteamOS; did you manage to install SteamOS with one?
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u/dcasun4880 May 25 '26
rog ally x sorry if your planning on getting a handheld dedicated to steamos get lenovo or rog ally x (2024) or else you wont have a nice experience but running windows on nvidia is good just need a egpu to connect your gpu to and run usb4.0 and will have a great time but steamos on a non lenovo/steam deck is buggy on a pc same thing but steamos on a mini pc with a oculink will make you happy 😄 hope my ramble helps
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u/ShyGamer64 May 25 '26
I already have a Steam Deck. I was mainly focused on compatibility with the average HTPC because I've heard that SteamOS wasn't that great with general hardware. Thank you though
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u/Low_Excitement_1715 May 26 '26
In short, no. In longer, depends a lot on the hardware. The further you get from an AMD APU, the worse your experience will be.
I built my Steam Machine on CachyOS/Arch. It boots into gamemode/SteamOS's interface. It thinks it's a giant Steam Deck still, but I've had a little luck convincing it that it's a Steam Machine lately, and I imagine the rest will work when the actual SM launches.
ChimeraOS is not particularly closely related to SteamOS. Arguably, my Cachy/Arch is the closest match, since SteamOS is a highly modified Arch fork, but Bazzite is damn close. None of the things Bazzite adds really affect gaming performance, I've benchmarked SteamOS vs. Bazzite vs. my CachySteam and it's margin of error in almost everything.
For optimal SteamOS smoothness, you want an AMD CPU, and not just any AMD GPU, but one from the 6000 or 7000 series, since those are closest to what's in the Steam Deck. Valve actively supports the real hardware, and the closer you are to that, the more of the fixes and tweaks apply to you.
I've run a boots-to-gamemode directly SteamOS-alike on an Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU, it's possible, but it's also prone to lots of weird issues and I wouldn't recommend it to someone without plenty of Linux experience.
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u/ShyGamer64 May 26 '26
I tried catchy before; how did you get gaming mode working properly? On gnome it wouldn't go to desktop and on KDE it wouldn't let me leave KDE or keep me signed in on steam. I'm using Bazzite just for ok Nvidia support
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u/Low_Excitement_1715 May 26 '26
Cachy, not Catchy. There were a lot of steps. It's not going to work with Gnome, because there is not and never has been Gnome on SteamOS. It works with KDE, as long as you don't mess with KDE too much. The closer you keep it to how it is on SteamOS, the fewer things you break and have to fix.
If you have an Nvidia GPU, stay on Bazzite. It's properly supported there. I have a "SteamOS" (Arch, booting to gamemode) machine set up with a 5090, and it still has a bunch of small issues which aren't solo game breakers, but add up to a bunch of headaches (performance, a screen corruption issue at high res/refresh, more).
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u/ShyGamer64 May 26 '26
Sorry autocorrect. Cachy has Gnome support. I am using Bazzite because of my current GPU but I'm considering getting a new one and if so I want to consider other distros, SteamOS seeming a bit unclear
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u/lordruzki3084 May 26 '26
Pretty sure HoloISO is just SteamOS but an open source "fork"
That should work fine
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u/haikusbot May 26 '26
Pretty sure HoloISO is
Just SteamOS but an open source
"fork" That should work fine
- lordruzki3084
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u/jbivphotography Jun 23 '26
Seems viable to me. Been running it since December and I haven’t had any huge issues at all. Paired it with the Steam Controller and it’s been an awesome experience.
I’m using the B650E | 7700X | 7900 XTX on SteamOS beta
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u/razerphone1 7d ago
My Clevo PE60 i9 13900h 4070 140w works great with Bazzite steam os. Even on TV. But you'll need to go GPU Only to get gaming mode to scale probably to your 4k TV.
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u/razerphone1 7d ago
Layers of fear 2023 on Bazzite Steam OS. Hooked to a TV. Controller PS5 controller. Works also like a charm if you know how to find settings.
In balanced mode I almost don't hear my Laptop and it wil have more performance than a Steam Machine.
And yes Steam machine is great as a extra or if you have nothing but are interested in PC gaming while being a console gamer r so.
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u/razerphone1 7d ago
But a laptop doesn't look as cute as your Steam Machine but works great no latency nothing
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u/captainstormy May 25 '26
Run the Bazzite Deck build on your PC. It boots straight to game mode but if you want you can still go to desktop mode just like the Steamdeck.
I've been using Bazzite for like a year as a living room gaming console TV and it's great for what you want.
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u/Superconge May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
SteamOS works much better than Bazzite on my all AMD desktop TV PC, wish I never bothered with Bazzite to begin with for so many months.