An individual stumbled upon information in the new feature document of SteamOS 3.6.9 Beta that stated “Added support for extra ROG Ally keys.” This led to questions about its significance, as the gaming laptop ASUS ROG Ally runs on Windows OS, unrelated to Valve’s SteamOS.
The Verge website directly contacted Valve, where Lawrence Yang from Valve’s design team confirmed the company’s intention to expand SteamOS for use with hardware from other companies. In other words, SteamOS could potentially work with ROG Ally (unofficially) without relying on ASUS.
Yang mentioned that the development process to make SteamOS compatible with other company’s hardware would be gradual, and currently, SteamOS is not ready for ROG Ally at all. Valve’s long-term vision is to open up SteamOS for use on any hardware (meaning we could also install SteamOS on regular PCs if drivers are available).
On another note, Yang also discussed Windows OS support on the Steam Deck, hinting at hardware drivers for certain components in the OLED version of the Steam Deck in the future, but no specific timeline was mentioned.
Source – The Verge, Image from ASUS
TLDR: SteamOS 3.6.9 Beta may extend support to ROG Ally keys, signaling Valve’s plan to broaden SteamOS compatibility with hardware from various companies. Additionally, discussions around potential Windows OS support on the Steam Deck were hinted, but details on timing remain unknown.
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