PlaytronOS is a Linux-based operating system that claims to be optimized for it a new generation of handheld gaming machines and is designed as an alternative to SteamOS and Windows.

Portable consoles are enjoying a second youth thanks to the introduction of (among others) machines like Valve’s Steam Deck and the mobility capacity of the Nintendo Switch. There are plenty of models to choose from in hardware, but There isn’t that much variety in operating systems. PlaytronOS is proposed as an alternative.

It was created by a startup of the same name, founded by people with experience in multiple fields who worked for large companies such as Google, Amazon, Meta, SEGA. It has a funding of 10 million dollars and among its creators we see the person responsible for Cyanogen ROM and developers who participated in projects like Box86, ChimeraOS, Heroic Games Launcher and others.

The operating system is an evolution open source based on the Linux kernel. It supports ARM and X86 architectures and they say it can be used in personal computers, smart TVs, mixed reality headsets or cars. However, its main focus is on portable consoles and mobile gaming in general, which is already the majority of players and revenue.

The people behind this development are proposing an alternative and claim that SteamOS “is only compatible with Steam” and is blocked for what they define by ‘Valveverse’. In contrast, it is like Windows “a monolithic system for PC that is not optimized for mobile gaming”.

PlaytronOS says supports multiple game stores, including Steam and Epic Games Store. It’s unclear how this Linux-based system will run Windows games, but the most likely answer is Proton, the key to SteamOS compatibility.

Not much else is known, except that the developers will offer a preview of this system at GDC 2024. It is likely that it intends to expand by licensing companies that have entered the market of handheld gaming devices, such as ASUS, Lenovo or MSI, in addition to already established ones such as GPD or AYANEO.

It’s clear that Windows isn’t ready for these form factors, and while the latest machines that have arrived with Microsoft are really fast, they don’t offer the experience of a SteamOS-optimized system. This PlaytronOS aims to place itself in the middle of them, an attractive development on paper, but we will have to see it in practice recognize its potential. And we will see if he is able to convince the big manufacturers.