… Sign in to your XDA account Linux has never been so good. The Steam Deck put a polished Linux gaming handheld in millions of living rooms. Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Bazzite and Fedora have never been easier to install and live with. …
… Proton was responsible for translating Windows games to Linux, but Vulkan was what made it possible without running into terrible performance. The consequent surge in development of Mesa drivers benefited not just SteamOS, but the entire Linux gaming ecosystem. …
… Valve's new Steam Machine doesn't fix that with hardware. It fixes it with a label. Steam Machine Verified is a very important shift in this ecosystem. …
… Sign in to your XDA account Linux is having its mainstream moment, pushed by mindshare from SteamOS , and the improvements to gaming on Linux that it brought. But the good thing about Linux is that you're not locked to any one version. …
… In February 2022, the month the Steam Deck launched, Steam's hardware survey showed that only 1.02% of players were using Linux. In April 2026, that percentage is at 4.52%, the second-highest record ever for Linux, after peaking at 5.33% the previous month. …
… Related How to install Windows on your Steam Deck The Steam Deck is powered by SteamOS, but you can install Windows on it with the proper installation media Once SteamOS is better supported, it'll be hard to beat Couch gaming without ever needing to leave the Steam ecosystem Valve does plan to rele… …
… Even now, the progress we see in Linux gaming has been achieved by translating Windows games on Linux through Proton , not by running them natively on Linux as much. Gaming on Linux will never be as seamless as on Windows unless the entire PC gaming ecosystem decides to move camp to Linux. …
… SteamOS feels like proof that desktop Linux gets dramatically better when the experience is treated as a product rather than an ongoing negotiation. SteamOS SteamOS is amazing for much more than just gaming on Linux. See at Steam
… Related Linux is slowly taking over my life as a PC gamer It's been happening right under my nose. This might make 8GB VRAM feel enough The Steam Machine's biggest criticism loses a little weight This is where things clearly get interesting for the upcoming Steam Machine . …
… Developers who once said Linux is too small to care about have been forced to enable Proton support just to keep their Steam Deck player counts high enough. We're seeing more developers choose Vulkan over DirectX 12 natively because it ensures the smoothest pass to t he Steam Deck's SteamOS . …