Valve expands SteamOS support to several gaming handhelds

Valve continues to broaden SteamOS compatibility beyond its own Steam Deck hardware, with the latest 3.8.25 beta adding initial gamepad support for several third-party handhelds. These include the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, the Ayaneo Pocket S2 and Konkr Fit, while the OneXPlayer Apex receives updated controller support. The update also includes broader compatibility improvements for non-Valve devices.

The move is significant because Valve has been gradually turning SteamOS into a more broadly usable platform for handheld gaming PCs rather than keeping it tied to its own hardware. But the company still remains cautious in its approach, incrementally adding support instead of declaring every third-party device fully compatible.

Beyond handheld tweaks, the beta also delivers new firmware for Valve's own Steam Machine, addressing a rare bug where CPU performance would remain stunted after the device woke from sleep. Further fixes can be found here. Altogether, the update signals Valve's ongoing effort to make SteamOS a viable, more universal option across the fast-growing handheld gaming PC market.