Ayaneo recently announced their new portable gaming system, the Next Lite, which features a 7-inch 800p screen, Hall-effect joysticks, and was initially reported to be running SteamOS. It turns out it’s not actually running SteamOS.
Initially, Ayaneo claimed that their upcoming portable gaming console has SteamOS pre-installed, but later confirmed to Gaming on Linux that it uses HoloISO which is essentially a repackaged version of SteamOS for use with systems other than Valve’s Steam Deck.
It’s unclear why Ayaneo didn’t make the distinction immediately, as offering SteamOS suggests some kind of official partnership.
Ayaneo has not revealed any information about the CPU or other specifications, but the Next Lite is expected to be open for ‘subscriptions’ today at 9:30pm EST.
What’s stopping Valve from having SteamOS installable on other devices?
Valve has suggested that they want to make SteamOS work with other portable gaming devices besides the Steam Deck, although the current SteamOS is tailored to work with Valve’s hardware. This is where HoloISO and ChimeraOS come in for others to use. Valve has hinted that it will eventually make SteamOS more widely available, but has not provided a date.
HoloOS may still have bugs and minor issues depending on the device it’s installed on. To ensure that SteamOS can be installed on other devices, Valve will need to ensure driver support and will likely start by making it available to other portable devices with similar gamepad-style controls.
Portable gaming is becoming more interesting and competitive this year. Just this week, we’ve seen the MSI Claw, which uses an Intel Core Ultra CPU, as well as the OneXFly from OneXPlayer. Ayaneo is not new to the business, but still relies on Kickstarter funds and has to compete with larger players like Lenovo, Asus, and Valve itself.
SteamOS is perhaps the biggest competitive advantage that the Steam Deck has over portable competitors, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see it arrive on other portables. After all, games purchased through Steam give Valve a cut of the sales. Once Valve officially releases SteamOS for third-party devices, we may reach a point where a good operating system designed for portable devices becomes a choice: Windows, SteamOS, ChimeraOS, or something else. For now, ChimeraOS and HoloISO bring you a little closer to a SteamOS-like experience – but Ayaneo should have been clearer about this.