Update 11/01/24 10:18 AM UTC - AYANEO replied to my email to give a tiny bit more info on their Linux OS use:
The SteamOS pre-installed on NEXT LITE is adapted and optimized by AYANEO based on HoloISO. Users also can install Windows system by themselves after purchasing NEXT LITE, and download Windows driver from AYANEO official website.
HoloISO is not actually SteamOS, but very close. So this is not in any way a partnership being done with Valve. HoloISO for those not aware can be found on GitHub and anyone can use it. I've asked if they can share what changes they've made.
Original article below:
Finally we're seeing another handheld vendor jump in with Linux. The AYANEO NEXT LITE was announced today and much like the Steam Deck, they plan to ship it with SteamOS! AYANEO are one of the top brands when it comes to PC handhelds, so it's really interesting to see them be one of the first to jump in like this. If Linux is a success for them, no doubt they will do more and other vendors will follow along.
Don't go expecting some next-gen power-house though, this is a "value-for-money option" but with various great sounding features like Hall Effect Joysticks, a 7-inch 800p display, a 47Wh battery, X-axis linear motors "and other features".
Now, this forward-looking flagship handheld, AYANEO NEXT, returns in full force with the rejuvenated AYANEO NEXT LITE. Building upon the foundation of top-tier flagship design and texture, AYANEO NEXT LITE comes pre-installed with the SteamOS gaming system for the first time. AYANEO NEXT LITE integrates outstanding cost-effectiveness, lowering the entry barrier while further popularizing numerous flagship features, offering an upgraded experience to more players, and allowing them to enjoy the endless fun and convenience of gaming handhelds.
AYANEO
AYANEO say "subscriptions" will open 9:30 PM EST on January 11th EST / 2:30 AM January 12th UTC. They haven't revealed specifications or the pricing yet, so we assume that will be revealed then. The announcement post also showed off two different colour variations with a white shell and orange shoulder buttons like above, plus a black shell with grey shoulder buttons.
Currently it's not clear how they're using SteamOS. As Valve have not announced any kind of partnership, and there's no official public SteamOS 3 release yet. We know Valve wanted to get SteamOS on other devices, and all those discussions would have of course been behind closed doors until an announcement. So maybe Valve will say something soon. I've reached out to both Valve and AYANEO for an answer anyway.
Interestingly, they were previously working on their Linux-based AYANEO OS that was due in 2023, but perhaps that was shelved in favour of SteamOS directly to prevent fragmentation.
What do we think, AMD still like most others or Intel this time like the MSI Claw?
See the announcement here.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Ayaneo has been in this game for quite a while, and it's nice to see them not pitching a hissy-fit like GPD did.I'll be interested in seeing how they price it. If this does well, we could end up seeing further disruption* of the marketplace, with any luck.
*Disruption in the Blue Ocean Strategy sense, for anyone who's familiar with that.
So AYANEO OS...whatever was called, what happened with it?They must have realised it's better to go with SteamOS, than fragment things further.
nebadon2025 Jan 10
However, I hope the experience of putting Linux on their hardware was smooth, and I hope it pays off for them.
Is this an official partnership with valve for SteamOS or are they just making their own image and calling it SteamOS? I feel like if there is no official partnering with Valve on this that its probably not going to go as well as it could.Well I keep thinking: if the device runs on a similar (or almost the same) hardware, would not SteamOS "just run" on it?
If the answer is "yes", then they might not even need to create their own modified image version, right?
legluondunet Jan 10
Also, if Valve is charging little to nothing to use the OS, what benefit would there be to Ayaneo to spend money on their own OS? The point of skipping Windows is that it saves money and allows a more tailored hand-held experience. If they can get both without spending a bunch of money on Linux OS maintainers, that'd be a huge win.So AYANEO OS...whatever was called, what happened with it?They must have realised it's better to go with SteamOS, than fragment things further.
It would be interesting to know if they pay a fee to Valve to use Steam OS on their device. in this case, the cost of the royalties must be lower than if they used the Windows operating system and they would save the costs of creating their own gaming-oriented operating system, which would explain this surprising decision.
Why would they pay a fee?
Valve will be happy about this, as it increases the marketshare for SteamOS.
I'm ignorant about these things but I would think so. I mean, it would probably need a couple of different drivers, and there might be a tiny bit of input remapping to deal with the different controls, but that doesn't sound like a big deal.Is this an official partnership with valve for SteamOS or are they just making their own image and calling it SteamOS? I feel like if there is no official partnering with Valve on this that its probably not going to go as well as it could.Well I keep thinking: if the device runs on a similar (or almost the same) hardware, would not SteamOS "just run" on it?
If the answer is "yes", then they might not even need to create their own modified image version, right?
It would be interesting to know if they pay a fee to Valve to use Steam OS on their device. in this case, the cost of the royalties must be lower than if they used the Windows operating system and they would save the costs of creating their own gaming-oriented operating system, which would explain this surprising decision.They might pay Valve to help them with it, but fundamentally they shouldn't have to pay anything to just use it. I mean, that's the GPL, right? They can use the source code which Valve has I'm sure made available in compliance with the license. I suppose if Valve really wanted they could refuse to let them call it SteamOS since presumably Valve has that trademarked, but that seems like a stupid and petty and self-foot-shooting thing to do that one might expect of, I dunno, Nintendo but not Valve.
fenglengshun Jan 10
Gives me hope we'll see more Linux desktop releases. Wouldn't be a surprise for some SKUs for less economic country to put Linux to save money - in Indonesia, there was a time they shipped Linux by default to save money with expectation user will go to a shop to install Windows or have someone to do it for them.
nebadon2025 Jan 10
Is this an official partnership with valve for SteamOS or are they just making their own image and calling it SteamOS? I feel like if there is no official partnering with Valve on this that its probably not going to go as well as it could.Well I keep thinking: if the device runs on a similar (or almost the same) hardware, would not SteamOS "just run" on it?
If the answer is "yes", then they might not even need to create their own modified image version, right?
Well the steamdeck is a custom SOC with custom power tables that are not the same as off the shelf AMD hardware, so I am not sure its that simple, there are likely many other differences as well, so its probably not going to just boot up properly as stuff like firmware will also be very different. Since the source code has never been released yet its hard to say what exactly valve is doing that would only be specific/relevant to the Steam Deck hardware.
Last edited by sonic2kk on 10 January 2024 at 7:16 pm UTC
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