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Valve Announces General Availability of SteamOS for Custom-Built PCs

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Valve Releases SteamOS 3.8, Enabling Custom "Steam Machines"

Valve has released SteamOS 3.8, enabling users to assemble and operate a custom "Steam Machine" using standard PC components. The company is also developing support for NVIDIA graphics drivers, though this feature is not expected to arrive this year.

Custom PC Compatibility

With the release of SteamOS 3.8, users can build a Steam Machine using any PC components. According to Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais, the operating system offers a "good experience" on console-like PC setups connected to a television with a single hard drive.

"The operating system offers a good experience on console-like PC setups connected to a television with a single hard drive."

Hardware Support

SteamOS 3.8.10, released last week, includes compatibility updates for recent Intel and AMD platforms. Valve is currently collaborating with NVIDIA to develop graphics driver support, though Griffais indicated this would not be ready within the current year.

Installation Limitations

The current SteamOS installation process is intended for a fresh installation on a new PC and is not yet designed for dual-booting with other operating systems. Griffais stated that "the core SteamOS experience, including graphics driver and shader precompilation, is available on suitable hardware."

"The core SteamOS experience, including graphics driver and shader precompilation, is available on suitable hardware."

Background and Context

  • Previous Limitations: Prior to this release, running SteamOS on non-AMD hardware was difficult, often requiring a Steam Deck recovery image.
  • Alternative Options: Users who prefer to wait for broader SteamOS support may consider alternative gaming Linux distributions, such as Bazzite and Nobara.
  • Missing Features: The SteamOS installer currently lacks support for HDMI-CEC. Valve has noted that the current version is designed for single-drive configurations.