If you look at nearly all reviews of handheld gaming PCs that run Windows, the major problem is Windows itself. So with Valve opening up the door to SteamOS Linux for more devices, it seems HP are interested in jumping in too.
Windows simply isn't designed for the use-case of being on a gaming handheld. Forcing you through a terrible setup experience, and just a generally poor experience when using it in this form factor. A few vendors have tried doing their own UI on top of Windows, but it all feels rather disconnected.
A point made by HP's SVP and Division President of Gaming Solutions Josephine Tan when talking to XDA Developers, Tan mentioned "If you look at Windows, I struggle with the experience myself. If I don't like it, I don't know how to do a product for it.". Tan continued "If I'm buying a handheld, I want a very simple setup. The minute I turn on my handheld, it will remember the last game I played. In the Windows environment, it doesn't".
When XDA asked Tan if they're interested in doing a SteamOS handheld the answer was simply "Yes".
We just need Valve to get going on that upcoming public SteamOS 3 beta. Still, it's going to take a lot to dethrone the Steam Deck, with Valve mentioning how it saw 330 million hours played in 2024 which is a big increase from 2023.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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_Mars 11 hours ago
With a Windows handheld you need to develop some frontend/overlay to make the experience bearable.
While the likes of Asus already had a codebase to develop this interface from, not every company is willing to invest that much money into it. Especially since the handheld market is already fairly crowded with competitors.
SteamOS does have the advantage here that it's pretty much ready to go, allowing companies to focus on hardware. Will be interesting to see if more companies that don't develop their own in-house gaming software will release SteamOS based devices as a result.
Also I wonder if Valve will promote those devices on Steam. Would be an easy way to further incentivize SteamOS adoption.
While the likes of Asus already had a codebase to develop this interface from, not every company is willing to invest that much money into it. Especially since the handheld market is already fairly crowded with competitors.
SteamOS does have the advantage here that it's pretty much ready to go, allowing companies to focus on hardware. Will be interesting to see if more companies that don't develop their own in-house gaming software will release SteamOS based devices as a result.
Also I wonder if Valve will promote those devices on Steam. Would be an easy way to further incentivize SteamOS adoption.
3 Likes
Mohandevir 10 hours ago
Since OEMs can't compete with Valve, when it comes to prices, I thought it would become something like Valve's Steam Decks for entry level gaming and OEMs for what we may call "Steam Deck Pro". I thought it would be easier to justify premium prices thus... But LeNovo just started with the Z2 Go chip which is pretty entry level and not a significant upgrade over the Steam Deck chip, from what I understand. Z2 Go figure...
Last edited by Mohandevir on 25 Mar 2025 at 2:01 pm UTC
Last edited by Mohandevir on 25 Mar 2025 at 2:01 pm UTC
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Liam Dawe 10 hours ago
Lenovo are also doing the Z1 Extreme model too as I covered recently: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/03/lenovo-legion-go-s-with-steamos-now-on-best-buy-for-pre-order-with-ryzen-z1-extreme-or-ryzen-z2-go/
I very much think if we can get more vendors on board with SteamOS, we can leave the "standard" model iteration up to Valve, with the more expensive special premium stuff to all the other vendors. Would work well I think.
I very much think if we can get more vendors on board with SteamOS, we can leave the "standard" model iteration up to Valve, with the more expensive special premium stuff to all the other vendors. Would work well I think.
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The latest SteamOS beta 3.8 has already been tested by YouTubers on devices like the RoG Ally and Legion GO S(Z2 go) and it works almost flawlessly. Features like screen refresh rate adjustment, VRR, and default gamepad button functionality are all supported. While TDP control isn't available yet, this is still a significant leap forward—especially considering it’s achieved by simply installing the Deck recovery image and updating to the beta channel version. A remarkable step for compatibility and performance!
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Mohandevir 10 hours ago
Lenovo are also doing the Z1 Extreme model too as I covered recently
Yep. I'm totally aware of that and I'm really happy to learn that SteamOS is not exclusive to the Z2 Go chip, like some seemed to think, a couple of weeks back. The LeNovo SteamOS adventure would have been DOA.
Last edited by Mohandevir on 25 Mar 2025 at 2:16 pm UTC
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StalePopcorn 9 hours ago
Considering their anti-consumer printer business model…
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questioner9 9 hours ago
Glad to see HP getting on top of the latest tech trends https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ntPxdWAWq8
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Bumadar 9 hours ago
Looking at my HP printer which gets firmware "security" updates so I can't install none HP cartridges because we all know that none HP cartridges contain spyware.... remembering how many times I needed to print and the cartridges did not work... knowing for sure my next printer won't be an HP.
So I see a valve steamdeck and an HP steamdeck..... no thank you HP, not in this lifetime
So I see a valve steamdeck and an HP steamdeck..... no thank you HP, not in this lifetime
1 Likes
CatKiller 7 hours ago
Windows simply isn't designed for the use-case of being on a gaming handheld. Forcing you through a terrible setup experience, and just a generally poor experience when using it in this form factor.
Which is exacerbated by the fact that they don't generally come with even one trackpad. They might not be able to master Valve-style haptics, but just the standard trackpads these manufacturers already put in their laptops would be a huge boon for navigating a WIMP interface.
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F.Ultra 7 hours ago
Considering their anti-consumer printer business model…Which is a valid point if you want to punish HP the company for their unethical behaviour. If it however comes to "if they do this with printers what if they do this also with the deck" then consider that HP is a massive corporation with 58k employees so things like a handheld deck and their printers are done by completely different independent divisions (just like how Sony the movie studio, Sony the amplifier company, Sony the television company and Sony the playstation company are completely different divisions).
3 Likes
StalePopcorn 5 hours ago
Unless there's hp-sourced information stating that their "handheld gaming division—a separate entity entirely from our printer division (including employees and management working on hardware and software)" will be working on this, I'll pass. Plus, you imply some sort of "collective punishment" from one person when that would fall under the powers of a government agency, not an end user consumer who wants to give his couple of hundred earned, personal dollars to a company known to be anti-consumer, not based on what division within the company it's from.
Based on a preliminary search (used Brave search FWIW, but who cares), "HP Inc.: Focuses on personal computing devices and printing solutions.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE): Provides enterprise technology infrastructure, software, and services." I can only assume that a handheld gaming device would fall under the same division responsible for their printers. Either way, no thank you.
Based on a preliminary search (used Brave search FWIW, but who cares), "HP Inc.: Focuses on personal computing devices and printing solutions.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE): Provides enterprise technology infrastructure, software, and services." I can only assume that a handheld gaming device would fall under the same division responsible for their printers. Either way, no thank you.
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Mountain Man 4 hours ago
One wonders what would happen if Microsoft ever wised up and created a version of Windows that was specifically designed for handheld PCs.
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It better print my achievements as badges and stickers if they want my money cause I hardly trust their printers right now.
Still a good sign to see more variants of the handhelds but I'm very happy with the Steam Deck's everything.
Hopefully we see more replicas of the Steam Deck controls and featires istead of the standard ugly Switch layout, hurts my palms.
Thiugh if HP could do something different and unique I'd be happy to see it.
Maybe serious about the printing heh.
They could try OLED trackpads anf more grip buttons, dual stage triggers, a pen or a second screen maybe.
Heh who am I kidding they'll make the buttons out of paper and force ya to sign uo for a subscription to get new ones.
Still a good sign to see more variants of the handhelds but I'm very happy with the Steam Deck's everything.
Hopefully we see more replicas of the Steam Deck controls and featires istead of the standard ugly Switch layout, hurts my palms.
Thiugh if HP could do something different and unique I'd be happy to see it.
Maybe serious about the printing heh.
They could try OLED trackpads anf more grip buttons, dual stage triggers, a pen or a second screen maybe.
Heh who am I kidding they'll make the buttons out of paper and force ya to sign uo for a subscription to get new ones.
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Mountain Man 1 hour ago
Ah, yes, the good ol' days of HP where you could buy a printer for $20, but The ink cartridges cost $50 and were designed to register as empty after a specified period whether they were actually empty or not.
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One wonders what would happen if Microsoft ever wised up and created a version of Windows that was specifically designed for handheld PCs.Nothing much for quite a while, I would imagine. When was the last time Microsoft developed anything significant? Between the decision to do it and something usable emerging would be quite a long story I expect.
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