Valve’s Steam Machine desktop finds itself in a state of involuntary limbo, a situation driven by historically poor pricing and availability for memory and storage chips. AI data centers are consuming a significant portion of what memory manufacturers produce, leaving limited supplies for enthusiast and hobbyist hardware such as the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame VR headset. Even the older Steam Deck is currently out of stock due to component shortages.
Despite these hardware uncertainties, Valve continues to advance its software offerings. The company has released a major update this week: the SteamOS 3.8.0 preview. This release includes a lengthy list of changes for the Steam Deck, third-party gaming handhelds, and other PC hardware. It also introduces “initial support for upcoming Steam Machine hardware.”
Many of the improvements in this update stem from various upstream Linux components. Valve reports that the update incorporates a new Arch Linux base, an updated graphics driver, version 6.16 of the Linux kernel, and a new version of the KDE Plasma desktop environment for Desktop Mode, which now uses Wayland instead of X11.
These updates collectively enhance SteamOS 3.8’s “improved compatibility with recent Intel and AMD platforms.” They also boost the operating system’s compatibility with third-party controller accessories, newer AMD chips like the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, and third-party gaming handhelds such as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, various versions of the Lenovo Legion Go, and the MSI Claw. Notably, the MSI Claw is one of the rare Intel-powered gaming handhelds, while the Steam Deck and most others primarily use AMD processors.
