The Steam Deck might be joined by other hardware running SteamOS if Valve's updated brand guidelines are anything to go by — Could the ROG Ally be one of them?

An image showing a Steam Deck, Switch Lite, Switch, Switch OLED, G Cloud, ROG Ally, and AYANEO 2S next to each other. .

What you need to know

• Currently, Valve's Linux-based SteamOS is only officially available on the company's Steam Deck.
• Updated branding which has been seen indicates this could be changing in the future, with "Powered by SteamOS" suggesting third-party hardware may be planned.
• There have been mentions of the ROG Ally in past changelogs for SteamOS, could a version of this without Windows 11 be planned?

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I love the Steam Deck. I may have just picked up an ROG Ally in the Black Friday sale, but the Steam Deck is still the one I'd recommend to most people. A big part of that is the SteamOS software that runs on it, because it's far more optimized and easier to use on a handheld than Windows 11. It feels properly like a handheld games console rather than a tiny PC.

This latest development suggests more than just the Steam Deck could be benefitting from SteamOS soon, though. Spotted by Brad Lynch on X, Valve's latest brand guidelines drop a big hint of future third-party hardware being powered by the company's OS.

Valve added new third-party hardware branding logos/guidelines:▫️ Powered by SteamOS▫️ Steam Compatible (Valve approved controller Inputs)▫️ Steam Included (Steam Client installed)▫️ Steam Play Here (PC Cafes using Steam)▫️ Steam Link Compatible (for VR headsets) pic.twitter.com/bo8ELkXXJaDecember 4, 2024

Alongside the logos, Valve has also detailed how said branding will be used:

"The Powered by SteamOS logo indicates that a hardware device will run the SteamOS and boot into SteamOS upon powering on the device. Partners / manufacturers will ship hardware with a Steam image in the form provided by and / or developed in close collaboration with Valve. Physical alterations should not be made to the logo and it should not be combined with any other branding elements."

Of course, this doesn't mean for sure that there is something imminent, nor does it mean necessarily that we could be looking at handhelds. However, the ROG Ally has been spotted in previous changelogs for SteamOS, and as the most popular non-Valve handheld PC, it would be an obvious collaboration.

Could one of these running SteamOS and not Windows 11 be in our future? (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

SteamOS on something like an ROG Ally would be a great move. For one, you'd expect a SteamOS variant to cost less than one running Windows 11. It would also be much less frustrating to use, because let's face it, Windows 11 DESPERATELY needs a UI overhaul for handhelds.

The tradeoffs would be the same as they are right now. You'd lose access to non-cloud Xbox Game Pass titles, and anticheat software that only works on Windows would render games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Valorant, and Fortnite, unplayable.

It could, of course, also be something completely different. Valve previously dabbled with Steam Machines, which were a complete flop, but with all the goodwill built up by the Steam Deck, would a small PC with SteamOS on it be such a bad thing?

This is definitely something to keep an eye on...