r/SteamOS • u/Lucradive-Reddit • Jul 06 '26

help wanted Steam OS

I just got my first pc

It’s a cyberpower gamer xtreme, the one from Costco last year.

32gb ddr5 6400mhz, 2tb 4.0 ssd, 5060 8gb, (ASUS?) intel b860 chipset motherboard, intel core ultra 5 225F 3.3ghz

I bought it to basically be a pc/console hybrid, leaning more on the console side. I don’t plan to stream on it, i don’t talk to anyone on discord really, I just wanted a better steam machine for less, which I got (bought this used for 660 bucks, awesome shape and great deal)

Anyway:

From what I’ve seen, steam OS is only optimized for amd.

Will steam os be better than windows 11 for my purposes?

Pros and cons?

If so, how do I go about installing steam os? Some videos say I need a flash drive, I don’t have anything like that, nor access to a separate computer/laptop.

If I install Steam os, will I need to rebuy windows if I change my mind?

I’m not tech savvy at all, I don’t even know how to open task manager lol! So please, help me out if possible. Thanks:)

10 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

8

u/DynoMenace Jul 06 '26

SteamOS does not support nvidia GPUs right now. We only just got an announcement that Valve is working with nvidia to change that.

In the mean time, run Bazzite. https://bazzite.gg

For all intents and purposes here, it's a drop in substitute. You can still make it boot to Big Picture mode (if you want) and you'd get the exact same front-end and compatibility as SteamOS, probably more.

But most importantly, Bazzite does have nvidia support. On the downloads page, you'll select from some dropdowns to pick the exact version you want.

2

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 06 '26

F, looks like I’ll be using windows til nvidia support, thanks for your help

3

u/DynoMenace Jul 06 '26

I have to ask... why not just run Bazzite?

1

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 06 '26

Never heard of it, I don’t really deal in things unless I know what they are for sure, so between windows and steam os, is steam os isn’t compatible, then windows it is for me

5

u/Accomplished-Low2131 Jul 06 '26

I’m sure you also hadn’t heard of SteamOs until recently also…Bazzite is arguably one of the most popular versions of Linux. It’s worth looking into if you were considering steam OS

0

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 06 '26

I’ve heard of steam os when my buddy was explaining it to me after I came over to his house checking out the valve index

I then got a steam deck and used that as a pc, which worked out great for my purposes, just ran slow cause it’s steam deck hardware

1

u/infinitelylarge Jul 07 '26

I’ve run Bazzite and SteamOS on multiple devices for a couple of years. Both are reliable. Bazzite is easier to install. SteamOS is good for a pure console. Bazzite is just as good for a pure console, but also better than SteamOS for a PC you might also want to use as a desktop. You don’t have to use Bazzite if you don’t want to, but it’s a good fir for what you want (better than SteamOS) and it’s extremely popular. If you want to wait for SteamOS to support NVidia, you should expect to be waiting 1 to 3 years. Bazzite has supported Nvidia for years already.

2

u/Ecks30 Jul 06 '26

Bazzite is like SteamOS just it is using Fedora instead of Arch Linux.

2

u/what595654 Jul 08 '26

You don't know anything for sure until you do.

Just use Bazzite. Hell, you may like it better than windows and steamos.

You won't know until you try it.

Operating systems are all basically the same thing. They run your programs.

0

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 08 '26

You ever seen Jules in Pulp Fiction talk about pigs being filthy animals?

I ain’t eatin sewer rat

1

u/what595654 Jul 09 '26

You cant be a real person.

1

u/DynoMenace Jul 06 '26

Seems reductive, but you do you. 👍

0

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 06 '26

It is, but it keeps things simple for the simple minded like myself. As said, thanks for your input!

0

u/DynoMenace Jul 06 '26

Totally fair. Good luck on the build either way!

1

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 06 '26

Thank you

😎

-4

u/myfranco Jul 06 '26

For such a powerful machine, using Bazzite is a waste. Bazzite is never the replacement of SteamOS and as i said, it's not useful to use with powerful PC. Good for old ones for emulation.

2

u/DynoMenace Jul 06 '26

I would love to hear you expand on why this is.

-4

u/myfranco Jul 06 '26

Performance issues with new games, not quite compatible. Can't be compared to SteamOS. I want to say again, good for emulation in a mid PC.

3

u/DynoMenace Jul 06 '26

Yeah, this is utter nonsense.

-2

u/myfranco Jul 06 '26

That's what i experienced with Bazzite and no issue with SteamOS. More advanced as well. If you don't have any, good for you.

3

u/DynoMenace Jul 07 '26

Sure, but "I had a bad experience with Bazzite" is not the same as "Bazzite is not useful with powerful PCs" or "only good for older ones or emulation."

The former is the truth. The latter is the advice you're telling others, and it's objectively false.

0

u/myfranco Jul 07 '26

And i made my research and saw people having issues with newer games. In SteamOS, there are no issues. Don't know what kind of games you play.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/TheGeekno72 Jul 06 '26

SteamOS isn't "optimized for AMD" per se, it's just that there's no NvidAI support in it for a couple reasons

the open source driver is just not good enough, Valve can't just put that one in and expect people to not immediately start complaining about things not working as good as it does on the proprietary driver

the proprietary driver comes with a whole slew of licensing questions that are a massive headache to deal with, Valve doesn't want to bother with that

BUT apparently Valve is in talks with NvidAI to get proper support by next year? TBD as situation is developing slowly in that regard

if you want to switch off Windows, CachyOS is a very comfortable, user-friendly distro to pick and it has a "handheld" version that emulates SteamOS' experience, Bazzite does that too but like SteamOS, it's also immutable so there's limitations to what you can do/install on it (but it's still very much a valid option to go with)

1

u/tj818 Jul 06 '26

Check out bazzite they have pretty good support for nvidia cards.

0

u/nightryder21 Jul 06 '26

Stay with windows 11. That's your best best right now.

1) your hardware is not currently supported for Steam OS.

2) Windows is your best best to play all games. SteamOS or other Linux based off shots do not have support for games that require anticheats like COD or other multiplayer games

3) Windows is best suited for for Nvidia hardware and support

4) Windows is the best OS to run multiple storefronts concurrently (Steam, GOG, XBOX, Epic, EA, etc)

5) Windows does have annoying things. Here are two guides to get you going.

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-disable-annoying-ads-on-windows-11

https://youtu.be/pUSEZuzqGaQ?is=BipNXH8l1DcAeTBE

1

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 06 '26

Ibasically only play single player games, I don’t play Fortnite or cod or such and don’t plan to, but will stick with windows until nvidia is supported with Steam os.. fluently
Hopefully that changes soon, cause steam os is apparently 10-15% better for gaming than windows 11 on amd stuff

I only own games on steam, I don’t plan to play any of my Xbox library off this pc, as anything I own on my Xbox I either already own on ps5 pro or steam as is

Thanks for your help!

1

u/nightryder21 Jul 06 '26

Yea, multiplayer is still a weak point of steamos if you play. But performance uplift is dependent on the game and windows is better on some. Take a look on YouTube comparing the latest release of steamos vs Windows 11. Interesting stuff.

1

u/infinitelylarge Jul 07 '26

Windows caught up and SteamOS is now similar FPS to Windows. SteamOS/Bazzite are waaaay more pleasant to use that windows, but similar FPS

0

u/goldenoptic Jul 06 '26

https://youtu.be/VCoCIQGk89Q?is=l_5B_Ra1KTRAkShk

1

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 06 '26

I don’t have amd, it’s an intel gpu and cpu

1

u/Ecks30 Jul 06 '26

You have an Intel CPU and an Nvidia GPU.

2

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 06 '26

Shows you how tech savvy I am lol

1

u/goldenoptic Jul 06 '26

Oh sorry thought you had AMD GPU

1

u/Lucradive-Reddit Jul 06 '26

All good, useful video still