Valve has begun extending SteamOS support beyond its own AMD-powered hardware, adding preliminary gamepad compatibility for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, the Ayaneo Pocket S2 and the Konkr Fit in its latest weekly update. This matters because it signals Valve is following through on promises to broaden SteamOS to non-AMD chipsets, including Intel-based handhelds and, for the first time, Android-based devices, potentially making the operating system a viable alternative to Windows across a much wider range of gaming handhelds.

The update follows roughly a month of frequent SteamOS releases since the Steam Machine launched, and comes after Valve's FAQ encouraged users unable to buy a Steam Machine to install SteamOS on their own hardware. While the Claw 8 EX AI+ support is notable mainly for bringing Intel chipsets into the fold, the Pocket S2 and Konkr Fit would mark SteamOS's first appearance on Android handhelds. The author notes that Nvidia graphics cards, which power 72% of gaming PCs per the latest Steam Hardware Survey, remain unsupported, and Valve has only hinted at future compatibility, leaving that as the biggest barrier to wider SteamOS adoption.