- Valve’s latest SteamOS beta offers improved support for Intel platforms
- Initial firmware is also added for incoming handhelds powered by Intel G3 Extreme.
- Performance on SteamOS with Intel hardware should improve further with future updates
Portable gaming will reach new heights in 2026 and beyond, with Intel’s latest Panther Lake mobile processors delivering more power for high-end performance, and Valve just made life better for Intel-based portable devices.
Valve’s SteamOS 3.8.8 beta includes improved hardware support for Intel platforms, additional driver support for MSI Claw devices, and initial firmware for upcoming Intel handhelds. That includes portable devices like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, OneXPlayer 3, and Acer Predator Atlas 8, all of which will use the Intel G3 Extreme processor.
Intel-based handhelds running SteamOS (or Bazzite) are nothing new. However, performance with Intel hardware on the OS hasn’t been great, with devices like the MSI Claw 8 AI+ offering worse gaming performance than Windows 11, but it’s the complete opposite for AMD-powered handhelds on SteamOS compared to Windows 11.
The appeal of SteamOS, aside from its ease of use and console-like UI, is its optimization for gaming in terms of memory usage, something Windows 11 lacks (and still lags behind Valve’s SteamOS even with Xbox mode).
With this in mind, switching from Windows 11 to SteamOS for worse performance doesn’t make much sense, and that’s what has kept some owners of Intel-powered portable devices away from the Linux-based operating system.
All Steam ahead for Intel chips
Fortunately, it’s now evident that Valve is addressing this, as highlighted by laptop enthusiast ETA Prime with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and its smooth performance in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon.
Features like sleep mode work as expected, which is great, but navigation and menu options still need updating, and TDP (power consumption) can only be controlled using a Decky Loader plugin; Additionally, you need to add Steam menu button settings on Intel laptops.
Regardless, this is a step in the right direction for these laptops, and with more updates from Valve ahead of the launch of the new Intel-powered laptops, this is definitely something that will excite those who don’t have AMD-powered hardware.
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