In the landscape of PC gaming, Windows has long been the uncontested dominant operating system, shaping the user experience and performance expectations for decades. However, recent evidence coming from multiple in-depth reviews and comparative benchmarks suggests that SteamOS, Valve’s Linux-based operating system, may be quietly but powerfully tipping the scales. The Lenovo Legion Go S—the first handheld device officially supporting both Windows and SteamOS with proper drivers—has provided an unprecedented platform for an honest, apples-to-apples comparison. What has emerged from these tests is nothing short of a revelation: SteamOS is not only matching Windows in gaming performance but in many cases outperforming it.
Detailed Benchmarks Paint a Clear Picture
Reports from Ars Technica, popular YouTuber Dave2D, and PC Gamer’s Jacob Fox converge to a compelling consensus. Across a combined set of nearly a dozen recent AAA titles, SteamOS maintains a measurably superior or at least equal performance compared to Windows. Ars Technica’s tests of demanding games like Returnal and Cyberpunk 2077 reveal frame rate advantages for SteamOS ranging from just barely edging out Windows to a decisive 17 frames per second lead at certain settings. Dave2D’s additional four-game comparisons echo this pattern, with SteamOS winning comfortably in most tests and losing by only a single frame in one.
Jacob Fox’s independent review seals the deal with an Editor’s Pick rating of 91% for the SteamOS build of the Legion Go S, compared to a 72% rating on Windows. His benchmarks show again that titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon Zero Dawn run more smoothly on SteamOS. Taken together, these findings reveal a significant and consistent edge, with Valve’s OS tallying an impressive record of 10 wins, 0 losses, and 2 ties against Windows on the same hardware.
Why Has SteamOS Outperformed Windows?
This turnaround flies in the face of conventional wisdom, where Windows’ broad application support and driver compatibility made it the automatic choice for gaming PCs. The key may lie in the leaner nature of SteamOS and the way it interacts with hardware. Unlike Windows, which has grown increasingly burdened with background processes, telemetry, forced updates, and now AI-powered features that add resource bloat, SteamOS offers a streamlined, gaming-centric environment designed around the Steam ecosystem and optimized drivers.
Windows’ notorious “bloat”—including integrated web searches that frustrate users by pulling unnecessary web results instead of native file searches—is more than an annoyance; it reflects a systemic drift away from a performance-first mindset toward an all-encompassing, consumer-friendly but processor-heavy interface. For handheld and portable gaming devices like the Legion Go S, where hardware resources and battery life are at a premium, this distinction is even more impactful.
The Growing Pains of SteamOS Adoption
Despite the promising benchmarks, SteamOS faces several hurdles before it can seriously challenge Windows’ dominance beyond Valve’s own hardware. Perhaps the most critical barrier is hardware compatibility. Because SteamOS is Linux-based, its driver ecosystem lags behind Windows, especially for cutting-edge GPUs, networking components, and peripherals. While Valve has made impressive strides in releasing SteamOS versions beyond the Steam Deck and continually building out hardware support, non-Valve devices have yet to experience the full benefits.
Another persistent challenge is game compatibility and anti-cheat software. Many popular multiplayer titles use anti-cheat mechanisms that are designed primarily for Windows, and some are incompatible or forbidden on Linux-based systems. This creates a practical limit on what games can be played under SteamOS, discouraging some users from fully switching.
Valve’s ongoing commitment to improving both hardware support and the Steam compatibility list is encouraging, but these issues underscore that SteamOS is not yet a full substitute for the ubiquity and flexibility of Windows gaming.
A Shift in Gamer Loyalty and Future Implications
The performance superiority of SteamOS on the Legion Go S should ignite renewed interest in alternative operating systems for gaming. For users frustrated by Windows’ increasing complexity, intrusive features, and sluggishness especially on portable devices, SteamOS represents a breath of fresh air—a distinctly purpose-built contender with tangible benefits.
From a strategic perspective, if Valve manages to push SteamOS further into the mainstream desktop market, providing an easy-to-install, well-supported version with robust game compatibility, Windows could finally face serious competition in the gaming OS space. Microsoft’s promises to reduce Windows bloat in its “Xbox Experience for Handhelds” remain unproven, and given historical trends, skepticism is warranted.
For the average gamer, the once theoretical idea of “going Linux” morphs from a niche experiment to an inviting prospect that could redefine how PC gaming systems are built and optimized in the near future. While it is early days, the synergy between tailored operating systems and gaming hardware visible in the Legion Go S tests hints at a broader shift that may soon reshape the industry from the ground up.