Expanding the Horizons of SteamOS Beyond Steam Deck: A Potential Challenge for Bazzite
This week, Valve took another significant step towards achieving the SteamOS endgame. With Lenovo unveiling the Legion Go S Powered by SteamOS, it's clear that Valve is intent on extending SteamOS beyond the Steam Deck and Legion Go to other PC handhelds. This news is both exciting and raises an uncomfortable yet inevitable question: What's in store for Bazzite now?
As some may or may not know, Bazzite is a beloved Linux favorite in the handheld gaming realm. While SteamOS delivers a smooth, responsive, and elegant experience on the Steam Deck, Bazzite brings that same quality to numerous other devices. From GPD and OneXPlayer units, to the Legion Go and ROG Ally X.
Referring to Bazzite as a SteamOS clone wouldn't do justice to its true nature. Instead, it effectively merges the best aspects of projects like Fedora, GloriousEggroll's Nobara (with gaming and performance enhancements), Chimera (Gamescope implementation), and other gaming-centric Linux distributions. This creates a powerful symbiotic relationship, where Bazzite also contributes its improvements back to the broader Linux community.
Don't let the Steam Deck's allure make you forget that Bazzite was instrumental in demonstrating the magnificent potential of devices like the Legion Go and ROG Ally when Windows 11 is replaced with a user-friendly UI, optimized for gaming.
Recognized in the tech world for its performance, sites like The Verge, Ars Technica, and Eurogamer have praised Bazzite, and popular YouTube channels like Linus Tech Tips and Digital Foundry have showcased its intuitive, console-like user experience.
The Future of Bazzite in a Post-SteamOS Scenario
Following Valve and Lenovo's announcements about SteamOS expansion, there have been concerns about Bazzite's future. Bazzite's creator, Kyle Gospodnetich, addressed these concerns in a Public Service Announcement (PSA). He assured users that Bazzite would continue to exist.
In the PSA, Gospodnetich emphasized:
“The Bazzite team is thrilled about the upcoming expansion of Steam OS. We couldn’t be here without Valve paving the way. That being said, we strongly believe Bazzite has a continued role to play in a post-Steam OS future. A full desktop release of Steam OS seems to still be far away, and handheld support will likely be focused on partnered devices, not the wide range of devices we currently support.”
This is a valid point. We are all aware of Valve's development methodology, which can be painstakingly slow. It may never officially support the vast array of SKUs from brands like GPD, OneXPlayer, and Ayaneo, or even more obscure models, such as the Ayn Loki. However, Bazzite currently supports many of these devices.
In the PSA, Gospodnetich also stated:
“Bazzite was birthed from addressing user needs in the Steam Deck Discord, including some of Steam OS’s shortcomings, such as immutability preventing package installs when needed, lack of printing, lack of secure boot, lack of drive encryption, and so on. We also provide various utilities and additional packages to make non-Steam gaming easier and faster to set up, offering a more agile approach to enhancements compared to Steam OS.”
Today, you might find out that Steam OS doesn't include printer support, meaning that Bazzite still holds an extra appeal for power users seeking more options for daily drivers.
In summary, while Valve's expansion of SteamOS to more devices is a great development, Bazzite is set to continue playing a vital role in the gaming-oriented Linux distribution realm due to its increased customization possibilities, wider device support, and unmatched agility in addressing user needs.
Despite Valve's expansion of SteamOS to other PC handhelds, including the Legion Go S and potential future devices, Bazzite remains a crucial option for power users seeking enhanced customization possibilities and wider device support. As Gospodnetich emphasized in a Public Service Announcement, Bazzite was designed to address specific user needs in the Steam Deck Discord, offering features like printer support, drive encryption, and a more agile approach to enhancements that Steam OS may not include.
