The long-awaited update for Valve’s SteamOS is finally here, bringing with it enhanced support for competitors of the Steam Deck, including Lenovo’s Legion Go and the Asus ROG Ally series. The SteamOS 3.7.8 update improves compatibility with these third-party devices and other AMD-powered handhelds, addresses a bug that previously hindered app installations on the Legion Go S, and introduces a “Steam OS Compatible” library tab specifically for these devices. Additionally, Valve has made improvements to the SteamOS recovery image, facilitating system repairs on both the Steam Deck and Legion Go S.
Valve highlights two essential requirements for third-party devices, not explicitly mentioned in the update, to ensure they can run SteamOS: they must be AMD-powered and equipped with an NVMe SSD. Updated instructions for installing the operating system are available here.
Prior to this significant update, players had to rely on alternatives like Bazzite to mimic the SteamOS experience on their devices. The new update also follows Valve’s expansion of the Steam Deck Verified categorization system to include “any device running SteamOS that isn’t a Steam Deck” as of mid-May. To add to the excitement, a SteamOS-powered version of the Lenovo Legion Go S is set to launch on May 25.
The update also brings significant enhancements to the Steam Deck, including a new battery-saving feature called battery charge limit. This option can be found in the power submenu within the Deck’s settings. Similar to a feature expected in the Nintendo Switch 2, this allows users to set a maximum charge level for the Steam Deck, with patch notes recommending an 80% limit to help extend the device’s battery life.
Additionally, the SteamOS update has enhanced the Steam Deck’s Linux foundation, improved the Mesa graphics driver, updated the desktop feature to Plasma 6.2.5 from 5.27.10, along with a variety of other minor bug fixes.
For the complete details of the SteamOS 3.7.8 update, click here.
