SteamOS 3.8.25 Beta Expands Handheld Support

Valve has released SteamOS 3.8.25 beta, expanding support for several third-party handhelds and introducing initial gamepad support for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, Konkr FIT, and Ayaneo Pocket S2. The update also updates gamepad support for the OneXPlayer Apex when running its newer firmware.

The SteamOS 3.8.25 beta expands support for third-party handhelds, bringing another handful of machines closer to working properly with Valve's gaming-focused operating system. This update is a significant step forward for SteamOS, which is an Arch Linux-based Linux distribution with all base operating system components being open source.

In addition to the updates for handhelds, Valve has also improved support for MSI Claw and OneXPlayer device variants, along with handhelds that use external Wi-Fi adapters or have no Wi-Fi adapter at all. An occasional issue that could cause inputs to be ignored when holding certain third-party handhelds has also been fixed.

Epic Games Store is being ported to Linux, which will be beneficial for Steam Deck owners and Linux gamers. The native Linux version of the Epic Games Store will allow for a more convenient way of playing games from the store for Linux gamers, including SteamOS users.

Nvidia's GeForce NOW app for Linux has officially graduated out of beta, supporting Ubuntu 24.04 and later, and can also run on other Linux distributions via Flatpak.

## What it means The expansion of SteamOS support for third-party handhelds and the introduction of Epic Games Store on Linux are significant developments for the gaming community. SteamOS provides access to the full Steam ecosystem, including the Steam Library, Steam Cloud, and Steam Chat, and the user interface is optimized for controller use. The update will allow for a more seamless gaming experience for users of third-party handhelds and Linux gamers.

## Why it matters The update is a significant step forward for SteamOS, which is designed to provide a seamless user experience that's optimized for gaming. The expansion of support for third-party handhelds and the introduction of Epic Games Store on Linux will increase the accessibility of SteamOS and provide more options for gamers. As SteamOS is an open Linux platform, users can install new software or content as they wish, making it a versatile and customizable operating system.