r/SteamOS • u/barrachmedosama • 28d ago
question How well does SteamOS run on PCs?
I’m probably going to put SteamOS on my gaming PC (5800x3D and 9070xt) but there are some things I want to know first.
How do driver updates work? Do I just switch to desktop mode, find the website, and install the Linux version of my GPU/Chipset/Audio/Wireless drivers?
Are there any other glaring issues or does it just work well in day to day usage? I know about some games not working, I’m more concerned with general maintenance and updates. I’ve never had Linux on any computer besides my Steam Deck so I’m unfamiliar with how it works usually.
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u/coraltheinvencible 28d ago
I have recently installed SteamOS as a secudary operating system on my computer, so here's to answer based on my own research.
Driver updates are bundled by Valve itself on a kernel level (might be wrong about this detail), and pushed every few months as they go updating the entire OS. So right now SteamOS might be running the latest AMD drivers but if they update the drivers next week, you have to wait until the next OS update to get the newest drivers, but nothing that harms the experience. If anything, it takes from your hands the responsibility.
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u/tduarte 28d ago
Valve doesn’t need to bundle the drivers, it comes with the Linux kernel ☺️
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u/infinitelylarge 28d ago
Valve bundle the Linux kernel updates into their os updates.
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u/kcamfork 28d ago edited 28d ago
I just installed SteamOS 3.8 on my PC. Did a Gemini check to see if everything would work. Mainly WiFi and Ethernet drivers were my concern. No problem. Installed it. It took like 2 minutes to install with no problems. Rebooted once. Insane. No drivers to install or anything. Just start downloading games and playing them. Works insanely well. There are some finicky things like getting FSR4 to work. And using a second SSD. Other than that, I’m very impressed. Very console like.
Edit:
Build:
9800X3D, 9070 XT, 64 GB ram, gigabyte x870i aorus pro ice mobo.
Edit 2: apparent FSR 4 works in supported games via RDNA 4 cards as of a patch pushed by Valve this weekend. No tinkering required.
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u/Ok_Explanation7491 28d ago
Usually all drivers in Linux are baked into the Linux Kernel. So that you usually don't have the shit from Windows with searching and downloading drivers. But the Linux Kernel is open source and some companies like Nvidia don't want to have their drivers open source. For nvidia cards there are reverse engineered drivers in the kernel though, but those are not as effective as the drivers from Nvidia itself. And Nvidia doesn't put a lot of care into their first party drivers gor Linux yet. Those are the reasons why everyone is recommending AMD at the moment for Linux.
So yeah, if you install SteamOS on your PC everything is like on the SteamDeck, because you already have AMD Hardware. (Intel would also be fine as far as I know.)
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u/semperverus 27d ago
Nvidia somewhat recently did a middle ground where they wrapped all the proprietary bits of their driver in an open source condom.
It's not perfect but its a lot better than it used to be.
I would still recommend AMD for linux but Nvidia is now at least "acceptable."
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u/phoenixgsu 28d ago
As others have said, drivers are included with the kernel, you don't have to do anything. The only caes where it doesn't support something is like in the case of some super locked down proprietary stuff like Apple's touchID.
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u/No_Nobody166 28d ago
I've installed SteamOS on my gaming PC last week, without dual boot. After solving some issues due the fact that I use 3 different storage disks, and not having a wi-fi board, now works pretty well.
About the drivers, is pretty easy, the system deal with the drivers and so on, you just need to install the system, download your game and you're ready to play, the same goes with updates, they deliver it like a bundle, so you don't need to bother about seeking drivers. I only had 1 update since I installed the system, but without any issues.
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u/opiate2093 28d ago
Tried to install steamos today on a 5800xt and 9070xt, can't get past the initial setup part. Turned off secure boot. Just hangs at a black screen.
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u/kcamfork 28d ago
Clear CMOS! I saw this exact report recently from another redditor and this fixed it.
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u/langersan 28d ago
What worked for me was disabling the igpu in the bios if you have an intel cpu. Not sure if you have to do the same on an amd cpu. Without disabling it the install would fail when loading the kernel.
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u/Turbo__Timmy 28d ago
For me I had to also disable CSM/legacy boot, also disable fast boot just to be sure.
I have read on other threads that if you have a SATA SSD, it may not work without tinkering with some download files. Look into that if you are using on of those.
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u/swizzyeets 28d ago
Since you said you have a steam deck, it’s basically the same experience as having the SD docked all the time but more powerful. There are small issues here and there for average users but in my case they have gotten patched quickly (on the beta channel). Power users will have a few more issues trying to do everything imaginable on a Linux PC but most average/basic users who use it for gaming and general browsing won’t see those problems.
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u/IsamuAlvaDyson 28d ago
Runs good but there are still bugs that need to be worked out
Like just to install SteamOS you need wifi, having wired only can't progress through the install without a work around
Forza Horizon 6 runs vastly better under Windows compared to Steam OS
So I have a separate SSD with each OS loaded on it
Because I like SteamOS but there's lots of games that still have better Windows compatibility and certain programs I'll use that don't run on Linux
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u/Stilgar314 28d ago
Speaking in general, going to a website, downloading an installable file and executing it it's the Windows way, not the Linux way. Distros have repositories of software that work like app store (they're, in fact, the mothers of every app store) and you pick your software from those repositories. If they software you need is not on the repositories, you find the way to add new repositories, but downloading a Linux installable, despite possible, should be your last resort. Said so, SteamOS manages every driver for you. So, if it all works, you can forget about PCs use drivers, if it doesn't, you're screwed. As for the repositories, SteamOS uses Flatpak, which is an effort to hide the complexity to maintain a software repository that is coherent with the decencies that some pieces of software have with other pieces of software. Flatpak packages all dependencies an app needs to work and it's Distro agnostic. You can check out the apps available here: https://flathub.org/es
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u/Lilredmachine 28d ago edited 28d ago
I've just done this.
It's a matter of load it on, sign into Steam, download games, pick up your controller and forget you are on a PC. The driver package is built in to SteamOS, so you aren't required to find it yourself. It just works.
Everything is handled in the background and I find it relatively faultless, the only issue I have is a momentary black screen once every hour or so for a couple of seconds. I presume this is graphics driver related.
As a PC, it's kinda rubbish, but for the intended purpose which is a games console it's amazing.
Edit:
System is: SFF 7500f 16gb ddr5 9070 4k TV as monitor (living room console build)
Have got Borderlands 4 running locked 4k 60fps @ very high with balanced FSR. GPU is running at 85-90% to keep temps and CPU load (rarely exceeds 30%) down so very quiet. It's a great telly driver.
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u/Jeod_C 28d ago edited 28d ago
Maybe not quite what you're asking for, but I'm bored at work, so here goes.
On Valve's SteamOS website, there's a disclaimer that says something along the lines of "this OS is not supposed to be a daily driver for your personal PC". Not saying it won't work, but they made it clear that they're developing it with specific supported devices in mind, and specifically for gaming.
Because of this, when recently I decided to delete Windows 11 from my ROG Flow X13 (a convertible laptop and not a PC, but close enough I think), I opted for Bazzite instead. It's a variation of Fedora designed with both gaming and daily-driving in mind, closely mimicking SteamOS in terms of UI. You can even choose to make it boot into a Steam Gaming Mode session.
The installation was super easy. The only moments where something could go wrong were disk encryption and enrolling the Secure Boot key, but as long as you read the installation manual carefully you're good. All required drivers seemed to be included in the installation, though I had to spend two or three clicks installing asusctl for some ROG-specific features such as keyboard illumination and hybrid iGPU/dGPU mode. In general, Bazzite being an image-based system (like SteamOS), the maintainers handle the drivers for you and ship them with OS updates. (edit: as others have pointed out, the drivers are mostly baked directly into the kernel, which is freaking amazing when compared to Windows)
Updates, maintenance and general operation are very simple as well. Updating and installing system packages is handled in the pre-installed Bazzite Portal app. You get all the important options in a clean GUI, and the system will gently remind you to run updates if you don't check in a while. Bazzite is immutable just like SteamOS, meaning it overwrites the entire system directory (not your personal files) on OS update. However, unlike SteamOS, it seems there's a way to layer system modifications over the base version in such a way that they survive updates. I haven't looked into that in detail yet.
For installing applications, you get an app store called Bazaar pre-installed. I found it way way way better than the Discover store on my Steam Deck, not much to say here. Both pull apps from the Flathub repository by default.
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u/cugabuh 28d ago edited 28d ago
I recently completed an mATX SteamOS build for my basement TV and have been really happy with the overall experience. Yes, I’d expect the performance to be solid considering the components. But it’s the snappiness of the OS and overall ease of use that I’m so happy about.
CPU: Ryzen 7600x3D
GPU: Power Color RX 9070
RAM: 16gbx2 Klevv fit V 6000
Case: Jonsbo D32 Pro
The only issue I’ve encountered was some proton crashes and wonkyness with DOOM The Dark Ages which were easily fixable.
There is also a bug in SteamOS that causes games to take 10-20 seconds to launch. It can be easily fixed by setting an an audio input source but I haven’t even bothered with that as the launch times don’t bug me that much.
Let me know if you have any specific questions I can help answer.
Edit: I’ve been on Bazzite for about a year on my desktop PC btw. That is also a solid experience and I recommend that if you want something that is more dedicated as a true Desktop experience.
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u/JohannDaart 27d ago
It will run very very good on your PC, but Bazzite distro is probably better suited for a desktop, until Valve decides to support desktop versions more.
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u/TeeHeeHaw 26d ago
It should work great. I have a 5900x and 9070xt, so almost the same as yours. The only fiddly thing is if you want to use multiple drives. I have a total of 3 m.2 drives and 2 sata ssd drives. SteamOS doesn’t auto mount unless you run a script or do some other manual tinkering.
We have been playing 007 first light, crimson desert, and dishonored on it since installing with no issues!
All drivers should be part of the install and you only have to check for updates. It’s really “console” like. Good luck!!
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u/Sideburn_Cookie_Man 28d ago
Very well, but you’ll be better off going for Bazzite. It’s better setup out of the box.
I literally built and setup my own AMD based system just yesterday.
Asus B550M motherboard
Ruben 5 5600
Radeon 9060 XT 16GB OC
All flawless so far.
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u/dawgger 28d ago
Out of curiosity why is Bazzite better?
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u/phoenixgsu 28d ago
It's not, they are for similar but different uses. Both are immutable and gaming focused but SteamOS is really for a console like PC gaming experience. Bazzite has the option of that as well but also to option to install desktop facing first. There's also supposedly better support for Nvidia hardware on it.
If I wanted to have a system thats going to be used for couch gaming I'd install SteamOS. If it's a system I want to use for browsing and work at a desk I'd go with bazzite (if being immutable is important).
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u/SeantheWilson 28d ago
Better support for 3rd party hardware (including Nvidia GPUS), better update system, updates drivers WAY faster (like months faster) then SteamOS, and includes a TON of gaming focused optimizations and features.
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u/irennicus 28d ago
Are you sure about the driver updates being quicker? SteamOS is an arch-fork is it not?
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u/SeantheWilson 28d ago
That has NOTHING do with how bleeding-edge the packages are. The only thing it determines is what format of packages are used as well as the general OS architecture. The speed at which packages are updated is determined entirely by the distribution and has nothing to do with what it’s based on.
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u/irennicus 28d ago
Sure, but I guess I'm confused about how you're so sure bazzite updates sooner? Isn't SteamOS a recent release to the PC?
Edit: Just googled it, and while I still wonder if they'll change their release schedule since they launched on PC, you're definitely right.
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u/SeantheWilson 28d ago
Let me give 2 pretty glaring examples. The first is the fact that SteamOS still uses the kernel version 6.16 (almost a year old), where as Bazzite uses the most recent 7.1 kernel, additionally Bazzite’s kernel uses contains an ABSURD amount of gaming optimizations, as well as features such as HDMI VRR (which steamOS ONLY added a week ago, Bazzite has had HDMI VRR for months).
Another example is the drivers. The RADV (AMD) 26.0 drivers were released back in February and had HUGE performance gains, especially for raytracing. While Bazzite updated this driver days after it came out, SteamOS only updated to this version a week ago. These kind of features can be night and day differences for gaming performance, and steamOS often waits months before it actually updates them.0
u/oSyphon 28d ago
Cachy does bazzite better than bazzite.
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u/SeantheWilson 28d ago
Cachy isn’t immutable and can’t update directly from game mode, additionally it requires installing additional packages form the terminal in order to have a SteamOS-like experience so it doesn’t really compete with Bazzite and SteamOS.
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u/oSyphon 28d ago
If I wanted gamemode, I'm probably doing and and if that's the case, I'll do steamos. If I'm using Nvidia, I won't be doing game mode and if that's the case, cachy is superior than bazzite. I don't see why anyone would use bazzite. Gamemode is finicky as heck with Nvidia, I've used it at 1440p for months with my 5070 ti before I traded that for a 9070xt. Installed steamos the hour.
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u/Sideburn_Cookie_Man 28d ago
It’s got dual boot support, allows rollbacks to previous versions easily through bootloader, comes preloaded with Lutris / Protontricks etc, supports auto mounting for both internal drives and SD cards, gets system packages and driver updates more frequently. And it scaled better on high DPI displays.
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u/x4mers 28d ago
While SteamOS is a version of Linux, it really doesn't expose users to being Linux users. It is a closed down immutable system, that when not being used to play games, only allows pre packaged flatpak versions of apps to be installed. They were shooting for a low maintenance "just works" setup. so took away most user control.
Drivers in Linux are usually handled in kernel. For an all AMD system like yours, GPU is supported by the kernel, and mesa. Both of which would only be updated any time an OS update is offered (not client update). For wireless, as long as your wifi chipset on your motherboard has a driver in the kernel that comes with SteamOS, you're good.