The topic The new SteamOS update finally adds controller support for some big handheld names is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
While people have settled on the desktop OS they want the most, the fight for the king of the handhelds still wages on. Right now, we have two major competitors in the world of portable PC devices: SteamOS and Windows 11. Microsoft had a headstart with non-Steam Deck devices, but Valve eventually began taking the fight outside of its territory by releasing SteamOS for people to use on whatever handheld they like. Now, Valve is working on making SteamOS work better on other devices, and the new update adds control support for some well-known handhelds.
Over on the official Steam Deck news feed, Valve has announced the release of SteamOS 3.8.6’s beta. Titled “Second Clutch,” the main highlight for this update is added controller support for several well-known handhelds: the MSI Claw (specifically the A1M, 7 AI+ A2VM, 8 AI+ A2VM, and A8 BZ2EM devices) and OneXPlayer (specifically the APEX and X1 series). Also, SteamOS should work better with AccelGyro3D devices (such as the Legion Go 1 or the Claw A1M), and international Asus ROG Xbox Ally models will now crash less when running SteamOS.
However, that’s just scratching the surface of what SteamOS 3.8.6 brings. There’s a ton listed in the patch notes, so if you want to take in every little detail, you should definitely give it a look for yourself. Some of the highlights I spotted among the huge wall of text include:
The update should arrive on the release branch soon, but you can check out the beta right now by going to Settings > system > system Update Channel on SteamOS.