Investigate the Linux engine beneath the Steam Deck's glossy chassis
Explore!
The Steam Deck game console runs on SteamOS, a variant of Arch Linux. While you typically use the Steam Deck like any other dedicated game machine, you can freely drop into a Linux Desktop mode of surprising and powerful potential.
The Steam Deck, the versatile game console that Valve began selling in 2022, is hardly the first consumer-oriented technology that runs Linux under the hood. Readers of this magazine might have fond memories of the original TiVo boxes, for example, or have noticed a full copy of the GPL lurking in the deepest recesses of their cars' dashboard UI.
However, the Steam Deck stands apart in the level of transparency it offers regarding its Linux underpinnings. While its primary user interface is optimized for non-windowed displays and game-controller navigation, the Steam Deck explicitly invites users to alternatively use the device as a self-contained Linux machine running a KDE Plasma desktop. Bolder Steam Deck owners can use the power of its underlying operating system to extend and enhance their gaming experience.
This article presents an introductory guide through the user-explorable parts of SteamOS. I aim to empower you to playfully investigate this less obvious Steam Deck mode while still maintaining the core intent of the device: playing video games on a healthy and up-to-date SteamOS. More radical hacks of the Steam Deck hardware are certainly possible – as with any PC, you can wipe it and install your own Linux on it, if you want – but that is beyond the scope of this article.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• How the Fediverse Found Parts for Its Platforms
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of other European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.
-
Linux May Soon Work on Snapdragon X2-Based PCs
If you're thinking about buying a Snapdragon X2-based desktop or laptop, Linux may soon be an option.
-
KDE for People Initiative Calls for AI Ban in Plasma
A new community of KDE wants the project to adopt a strict no-AI policy for KDE Plasma.
-
KDE Sets Ambitious Goals for 2026 and Beyond
KDE Connect reveals the goals for the Linux desktop darling, with one of those goals long overdue.
-
It’s Time to Test Fedora 45 Beta
Fedora 45 beta has been released with updated Gnome, KDE Plasma, and kernel.
-
Ubuntu Stonking Stingray Gets Even Rustier
Ubuntu 26.10 has completed its migration to the Rust-based coreutils.
-
AI Fixes Linux Bottlenecks Using “Hideous” Code
A Linux developer used AI to fix bottlenecks that caused problems when building the kernel. The resulting AI-generated code needed a lot of work.