Valve continues its gradual push to bring SteamOS beyond the Steam Deck, now extending official support to Intel-powered gaming handhelds for the first time.
The move comes as more manufacturers begin releasing devices built around Intel's newer chips, giving those handhelds an alternative to Windows without relying on unofficial workarounds.
Valve Expands SteamOS to Intel-Based Hardware
The change arrived through the SteamOS 3.8.25 beta update, which Valve described in its release notes as bringing "improved compatibility with recent Intel and AMD platforms" alongside "initial firmware for upcoming Intel handhelds."
Until now, SteamOS support had largely been limited to AMD-powered devices like the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, since Valve's own Steam Deck also runs on AMD hardware.
Content creator ETA Prime tested the update on an Intel Lunar Lake-based MSI Claw 8 AI+, finding that SteamOS ran smoothly across a range of power settings, including at just 15 watts. Games like "Cyberpunk 2077," "Spider-Man 2," "Forza Horizon 6," "Left 4 Dead 2," and "The Witcher 3" all ran under SteamOS, with the MSI handheld generally outperforming the Steam Deck, aside from "Cyberpunk 2077," which ran better under Windows.
The beta update also added controller support for multiple MSI Claw variants and Valve's own Bluetooth fix specifically targeting Intel-based handhelds.
Intel-Based Gaming Handhelds on the Rise
This expansion arrives just as more manufacturers introduce handhelds built around Intel's newer Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme chips, based on the company's Panther Lake architecture.
MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ pairs the Arc G3 Extreme chip with an 8-inch, 120Hz VRR display, while Acer's Predator Atlas 8 is also confirmed to use the same processor, giving Intel a growing footprint in a handheld market long dominated by AMD.
According to Intel's own product materials, the Arc G-Series was specifically designed with handheld gaming performance in mind, positioning the chip line as a direct answer to AMD's long-standing hold on the category.
OneXPlayer has also released devices built around Intel silicon, adding to a growing list of manufacturers betting on Intel as a viable alternative for portable gaming hardware.
Third-Party Availability of SteamOS
Valve has famously opened up SteamOS to non-Steam Deck consoles, with the company working on it for years now. First, AMD-powered and Windows-based devices were the first to receive it, and then Valve is also working on delivering it to Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered devices in the future.
Even with this progress, Valve's own language around the update remains cautious, describing the support as "initial" rather than fully finished. MSI reportedly told PC Gamer that its own internal testing on the Claw 8 EX AI+ ran into technical barriers, meaning the newest Panther Lake-based handheld may still need further SteamOS updates before running as smoothly as older Intel models.
Valve's broader device compatibility list under the SteamOS 3.8 beta branch now spans hardware from ASUS, Lenovo, GPD, OneXPlayer, Zotac, Anbernic, OrangePi, and MSI. This reflects a deliberate shift away from a Steam Deck exclusive operating system toward a more general-purpose Linux gaming platform.
As Intel continues refining its handheld-focused chips and driver support, Valve's steady expansion into Intel hardware suggests SteamOS is positioning itself as a genuine cross-platform alternative to Windows, rather than software built solely for Valve's own devices.
