Valve reveals new SteamOS Compatibility system for Non-Steam Decks like Legion Go S SteamOS — 18,000+ titles expected “out of the gate”

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On May 25, 2025, the Lenovo Legion Go S is scheduled to debut, marking a historic moment as it becomes the initial non-Valve product to hit the market with SteamOS pre-installed.

Before the launch of the handheld gaming device, Valve has unveiled a fresh Compatibility system on the Steam Community page for SteamOS-operated devices such as Lenovo’s, excluding the Steam Deck, to utilize.

You might consider it similar to the Steam Deck Verification process, designed specifically for SteamOS hardware. Its purpose is to help gamers identify which games are likely to perform optimally on their matching SteamOS gaming devices.

To illustrate, Valve shared a screenshot with the text “Our tests show that Portal 2 can run on devices using SteamOS, in line with compatibility results from the Steam Deck. Keep in mind that your experience might differ in terms of speed and control due to hardware variations.”

Underneath this, you’ll find a blue check mark along with the statement “Operates smoothly on SteamOS.

Based on what Valve states, a game receives SteamOS Compatibility if both the main game and all its required software (middleware) work on SteamOS. If not, it is labeled as “Not Supported on SteamOS.

According to Valve, they intend to revamp the Steam User Interface (UI) and Steam Store, making it clear which games are compatible with SteamOS. This update is expected to be released within the coming weeks.

The Steam Community announcement reads:

Greetings! We’re excited to share that we’re launching a fresh rating system for SteamOS devices coming soon. This system is an expansion of the Steam Deck Verified process, which has been valuable for players in deciding which games to buy and enjoy on their Steam Decks. As the Legion Go S – Powered by SteamOS starts shipping, we’re taking Deck Verified a step further and introducing SteamOS Compatibility ratings. Over the next few weeks, these new ratings will be gradually introduced.

As a fan excited about SteamOS, I’d like to share that the compatibility system applies to any device running this operating system, excluding the Steam Deck (currently, only the Legion Go S fits into this group). The SteamOS Compatibility ratings are derived from a segment of the Steam Deck Compatibility testing results and serve as a quick reference to determine if a game, along with all its middleware, is playable on SteamOS. This evaluation covers essential aspects like game functionality, launcher functionality, and anti-cheat support.

If a game, along with its necessary software, can operate on SteamOS, we’ll label it as SteamOS Compatible. On the other hand, if it’s not supported, we’ll tag it as SteamOS Unsupported. However, this rating doesn’t account for performance and input testing results, as we won’t know in advance how every game will perform on various hardware. We anticipate around 18,000 titles on Steam to be initially marked as SteamOS Compatible.

Developers working with Steam don’t need to do anything extra. If your game already has a Steam Deck Compatibility rating, it will automatically receive a SteamOS Compatibility rating through an automated process. For games that haven’t been tested for Steam Deck compatibility yet, the same testing queue system is in place, and we’ll continue evaluating both new and existing titles based on community demand. Once a game has been tested for Steam Deck compatibility, both ratings for Steam Deck and SteamOS will be generated at the same time. When this feature is implemented, you’ll find the SteamOS Compatibility results displayed alongside the Steam Deck Compatibility results in your partner dashboard.

This is great news for all PC gaming handheld owners, but expect some issues

Indeed, although Steam Deck Verification provides useful insights, it doesn’t guarantee that a game will perform optimally on Valve’s handheld device. Similarly, I assume that SteamOS Compatibility might not always accurately predict if a game runs smoothly on the operating system as well.

According to Valve’s explanation, at present, the Legion Go S SteamOS is the sole officially supported device not made by Valve that operates on SteamOS. However, this will alter once SteamOS becomes available for a wider range of devices in its official release.

Given this situation, it’s important to note that Valve can’t promise seamless performance for every game compatible with SteamOS on your specific hardware.

Discussing the potential advantages and disadvantages when considering SteamOS expansion to various devices: One key advantage is that you might be able to run SteamOS on an existing computer (like a laptop, desktop, or handheld device) rather than buying new equipment.

A SteamOS handheld that keeps getting more expensive before launch

It appears that the cost of the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS has risen once more this morning, possibly as a result of the ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions.

Initially announced in January, Lenovo’s gaming handheld, specifically the Z2 Go model with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, had an initial Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $499.99. However, as of now, you can find it at Best Buy for $599.99, which is $100 more expensive than the original price.

Currently, the more robust Z1 Extreme model featuring 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD has increased by $80 from its original price of $749.99, now selling for $829.99 on Best Buy.

Given the situation, it’s clear that the Legion Go S SteamOS is priced higher than both the 256GB Steam Deck LCD ($399) and the 512GB Steam Deck OLED ($549).

On the other hand, Lenovo’s latest handheld boasts some attractive aspects such as improved hand grips, increased storage capacity, an additional USB-C port, and others that could potentially be more alluring for certain users.

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2025-05-13 02:50