--- title: SteamOS 3.8 Review: Everything You Need To Know | daily.dev description: SteamOS 3.8 now supports installation on traditional desktop PCs, not just the Steam Deck. Built on Arch Linux with KDE Plasma, it offers a gamepad-navigable... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/steamos-3-8-review-everything-you-need-to-know-110axqh9y twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: SteamOS 3.8 Review: Everything You Need To Know | daily.dev og:description: SteamOS 3.8 now supports installation on traditional desktop PCs, not just the Steam Deck. Built on Arch Linux with KDE Plasma, it offers a gamepad-navigable... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/steamos-3-8-review-everything-you-need-to-know-110axqh9y og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/110aXqH9y.png og:image:alt: SteamOS 3.8 Review: Everything You Need To Know og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # SteamOS 3.8 Review: Everything You Need To Know **[Learn Linux TV](https://daily.dev/sources/learnlinuxtv)** · 18 min read · 2 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary SteamOS 3.8 now supports installation on traditional desktop PCs, not just the Steam Deck. Built on Arch Linux with KDE Plasma, it offers a gamepad-navigable interface for purchasing, installing, and playing games. Proton handles Windows game compatibility, though support is not 100% — anti-cheat systems can be problematic. A key hardware limitation: only AMD GPUs are officially supported; Nvidia is not. Desktop mode exposes a full KDE Plasma environment for general computing. The installation process involves creating a bootable USB and following prompts, with the installer wiping the target drive. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### Can SteamOS be installed on a regular desktop PC instead of just the Steam Deck? Yes, SteamOS 3.8 added support for installing the same operating system used on the Steam Deck onto traditional desktop hardware, released alongside Valve's new Steam Machine device. The installation process involves creating a bootable USB drive, booting from it, and following prompts; the installer wipes the computer and turns it into a console-style gaming system. _For anyone repurposing an old PC into a SteamOS console, daily.dev surfaces the latest setup guides and compatibility updates._ ### Does SteamOS 3.8 desktop installation support Nvidia GPUs? No, official support is limited to AMD graphics cards; systems with Nvidia GPUs are not officially supported for desktop SteamOS installation. Some community members have managed to get it running on Nvidia hardware unofficially, requiring extra work, and Valve has indicated plans to expand hardware support to include Nvidia in the future. _Gamers choosing hardware for a SteamOS build can follow daily.dev for updates on expanding GPU compatibility._ ### What Linux distribution is SteamOS based on and what desktop environment does it use? SteamOS is built on Arch Linux and uses the KDE Plasma desktop environment, accessible via a built-in desktop mode that functions as a real Linux desktop for browsing, installing applications, and general computing. Valve moved SteamOS from its original Debian base to Arch Linux when it rebuilt the system for the Steam Deck. _Developers curious about the Linux internals behind gaming devices can track SteamOS and Arch developments on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [SteamOS has landed on desktop PCs](https://daily.dev/posts/steamos-has-landed-on-desktop-pcs-aqs3ckkts) · All Things Open · 46 upvotes · 8 comments - [SteamOS 3.9 Preview Moves To Linux 7.2, KDE Plasma 6.7 Desktop](https://daily.dev/posts/steamos-3-9-preview-moves-to-linux-7-2-kde-plasma-6-7-desktop-ux9uaabjz) · Phoronix · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [SteamOS 3.8.10 Stable Released With Updated Arch, Steam Machine Support & Wayland Desktop Default](https://daily.dev/posts/steamos-3-8-10-stable-released-with-updated-arch-steam-machine-support-wayland-desktop-default-mf1px3ytf) · Phoronix · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#linux](https://daily.dev/tags/linux), [#gaming](https://daily.dev/tags/gaming), [#steam-deck](https://daily.dev/tags/steam-deck), [#steamos](https://daily.dev/tags/steamos) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/steamos-3-8-review-everything-you-need-to-know-110axqh9y) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"SteamOS 3.8 Review: Everything You Need To Know","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/steamos-3-8-review-everything-you-need-to-know-110axqh9y","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/steamos-3-8-review-everything-you-need-to-know-110axqh9y"},"datePublished":"2026-08-10T22:23:27.897Z","dateModified":"2026-09-13T20:08:36.230Z","description":"SteamOS 3.8 now supports installation on traditional desktop PCs, not just the Steam Deck. 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