BUILD A STEAM DECK

John Knight tries one of several SteamOS imitations, and is overwhelmed by the future possibilities for Linux PC gaming

THE LINUX-BASED Steam Deck has revolutionized PC gaming with a console-like experience in handheld form. Valve has been promising to release SteamOS for general PCs—beyond just the Deck—for ages now, but some folks have got tired of waiting, and decided to take matters into their own hands. Whether you can’t afford a Steam Deck or just want SteamOS on another device, maybe one of these SteamOS imitators is just what you’re looking for. There are a number of competing gaming distros, several of which are SteamOS imitations. Right now, your choices are HoloISO, ChimeraOS, and Bazzite. All three are worthy of your attention, but we have chosen Bazzite because it supports the broadest range of hardware and form factors. Unlike HoloISO and ChimeraOS, which attempt to replicate the Steam Deck’s Arch-based…

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Maximum PC (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025

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