When we talk about Steam Deck then this is not the first attempt by Valve at piece of gaming hardware. If you do not remember the steam machine then it is the first attempt made by valve at a games console which is able to run custom software known as SteamOS. But, what if you want to install it on a non-valve hardware device such as the Asus Rog Ally? SteamOS 3 ISO Download allows you to exactly do that and it only comes in at a 2.7 GB of size.
For those who are new or in the learning phase then steam machines were systems that ran on different OS. Steam Deck is a system that runs Linux specifically. It is able to ship with an Arch-based Linux distro with a KDE Plasma desktop environment. If this means nothing to you then let it go and just keep in mind the Linux part.
Coming to Proton, well it is a compatibility layer that lives within Steam and for some time it has been around. If you run this on Linux at the moment then you need to access Proton. To put a long story short, Proton allows you to run Windows-only games on Linux gaming systems.
To keep it clear it is not an emulator. Such games run via the proton compatibility layer which is designed to translate APIs from Windows like DirectX into something that Linux is able to understand like Vulkan. It comes in free and carries a WINE, which is not an emulator. This is a compatibility layer to run Windows software on Linux.
Valve carries an official list of games, which is supported by Proton but it can also be enabled for any game in your library and roll it out. Now, the chances are that it may or may not work but Proton itself has come a long way and for many games that work well you would never know you were not playing on Windows.
Despite all this you are still not limited to a single Proton version; there are older versions as well, which can stick around as newer builds sometimes break particular games and features.
SteamOS 3 Games Compatibility with Deck and Rog Ally
If you do not keep in mind the hardware limitations set by Steam Deck then you shall not be blocked from playing many games or else games won’t be able to try. Proton can do wonders, but again, it can’t do certain things.
By using it you can play Spider-Man Remastered on Steam on high frames and great graphics settings with the controller or a keyboard or mouse as you were playing on Windows with all this. There is some minor performance hits but if the hardware is good to go then you shall not know.
Just like Destiny 2, you cannot play multi-player games not because it is not up to it but because these tiles carry anti-cheat software and for now, this is the bane of Linux Gamer. Steam Deck and Valve continued to push with Linux may give prod to the developers but we will put our belief in this by the time it happens.
Then again it is not cut-and-dry, even when turning it on for all the games. Linux gaming crown is a bunch full of commitment and there is a community database that shall be important yet valuable to owners of Steam Deck.
ProtonDB crowdsources performance results from the entire community of Linux, including all the detailed experience with various Proton versions on various hardware, and other distros along with unique tricks which can be used to make the game perform better.
As it’s Linux, you may have luck installing other distros including Elementary OS once compatibility and drivers are released. If you look at SteamOS it is a Linux distro geared towards gaming.
How To Download SteamOS ISO (Easy Steps)
As the SteamOS ISO is not natively available from Valve for other handhelds it is by a third-party developer. It has a nickname called (HoloISO).
For further details on this release, see the table below:
| Author: | Valve / theVakhovskeIsTaken |
|---|---|
| Category: | Handheld Operating System |
| Architecture: | 64-bit / x86 |
| File type: | .ISO image |
| File size: | 2.7 GB |
| Version: | 4.0 Latest |
| Price: | Free |
To Download SteamOS 3 ISO follow the steps below:
- Visit the HoloISO GitHub repository page.
- Now head to the “Releases” page and scroll to the bottom.
- Here you will see the two links to download it.
SEE ALSO: Download Chrome OS Flex 64-Bit ISO (Clean Image).
How To Install SteamOS 3 on Asus Rog Ally and SteamDeck
Though this is not the official version, it will feel like a real operating system. You first need to have the following to begin:
- A HololSO ZIP file.
- Archive tools.
- Storage device that is either blank or you are not worried about the data being overwritten by this installation process.
- Gaming system with AMD graphics for a great experience.
- USB Thumb drive which is around 8 GB+.
- For now, only balenaEtcher, ROSA ImageWriter, Fedora Media Writer, DD with 4 MB block size, or Rufus with DD mode shall create a proper image that can be booted.
Once the file has been downloaded all you need to do is unzip the file in Linux, open the media writer you desire and then choose the file (the ISO file which shall be extracted from that ZIP you have downloaded.
Make sure that you have selected the correct USB device to write the ISO file to then hit “next” and see the results.
Once the process is completed restart your system, when the machine moves beyond the post hit “F12”. After this select UEFI USB drive and hit “enter”.
For the small boot menu which appears you need to highlight “SteamOS” and hit “enter” from the keyboard.
You shall now be presented with its “Live CD”. Give the operating system a try before deciding to install it permanently.
As you get ready, choose the wifi icon on your desktop, select “SSID” and enter passcode.
Note: If somehow you are connected with Ethernet, then make sure you are connected to the Internet.
After this select “Install SteamOS”. Do not miss this step.
At this point, the installer shall ask you where you would like the new home for it to be.
The Konsole terminal shall pop up where the process of installation unfolds. During this time you shall have to enter the credentials you select during the initial installation prompts.
You are now at the Arch Linux with the KDE desktop environment. There is special software that makes the Steam magic happen. As the process continues you shall be prompted to choose the kind of graphics card so that the installer can apply drivers and tools in order to suit your card.
Once the process gets completed you shall need to perform a system reboot. Hit “F12” to choose your SteamOS install’s storage location.
If you carry a controller just like Xbox One model then it shall recognize it right out of the plate. It will soon prompt you to update a few settings and enter your credentials.
SEE ALSO: Chrome OS ISO File 64-Bit (Download).
Should you Install SteamOS on a Non-SteamDeck device?
If you are a beginner of Linux gamer, the best thing is to try it yourself.
When you want to connect the system to your big screen then install SteamOS 3 on your system as this is a good option, rather than using Steam Deck you would need to connect the dock when connecting to an external screen.
For Steam Deck, if you are on the waitlist, you can test out the Steam OS experience on your system. You can also ensure that your kids who love to play games in your house are restricted to games filtered based on their age group.
For the Asus Rog Ally, you can wait and see the results before jumping to conclusions as drivers catch up. This is currently the biggest setback.
So this was the SteamOS ISO Download for SteamDeck and Rog Ally. Do let us know if you have installed this operating system on your gaming handheld and what was the overall stability and performance. In our experience of just using on SteamDeck over the past 6 months, we can confidently say that it has improved and become more performant.
