SteamOS is moving beyond AMD systems
Not just AMD (and Intel).
Valve is preparing SteamOS for more desktop hardware, including systems with NVIDIA graphics. In an interview with The Verge, Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais said the company has been improving SteamOS compatibility for desktop PCs while work continues on NVIDIA driver support.
According to Griffais, Valve now has “a growing team” focused on NVIDIA support for SteamOS. He added: “ We’re collaborating with Nvidia very closely. ” He said NVIDIA support may not arrive this year, which is not great news, but given the pace of Steam Hardware 2026 releases, that shouldn’t come as suprise.
“We’re collaborating with Nvidia very closely” […] “it’s certainly something that we’re working on in the background.”
— The Verge/Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais
SteamOS 3.8
For SteamOS 3.8, Valve already lists better compatibility with recent Intel and AMD platforms, improved video memory management on discrete GPU systems and fixes for desktop systems with newer UEFI firmware.
SteamOS remains better suited for AMD-based systems and console-like PCs connected to a TV. Griffais said the current desktop experience should be good on Steam Machine-style setups, but there are still caveats. HDMI-CEC support is one missing feature mentioned by The Verge, and Valve is not yet offering a full installer built for painless dual-booting with Windows.
NVIDIA involvement in SteamOS support is great news for gamers. There is a chance that Linux support will be even better. Currently, AMD and Intel Linux graphics drivers are largely open-source and integrated through the Linux kernel and Mesa. NVIDIA, on the other hand, provides open kernel modules for newer GPUs, but its main Linux driver stack still depends on proprietary user-space components. There is also the open Nouveau/NVK stack, but it is separate from NVIDIA’s production driver and is not yet a full replacement for gaming.
Source: The Verge
