UMVA has learned that Intel is poised to shake up the handheld gaming market with its Arc G3 platform, potentially challenging Valve's dominance with the Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck may not have pioneered the handheld gaming form factor, but it's undoubtedly become a game-changer, with the vast majority of similar devices relying on AMD's integrated chips. However, Intel's aggressive push with Arc G3 could alter the landscape, and Valve appears to be taking notice.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that SteamOS builds are already available for other AMD-based hardware, including the Asus Ally and Lenovo Legion. Moreover, the MSI Claw, an Intel-based handheld, has received a beta build of SteamOS, although initial results show some teething issues with controller support and hardware controls.
Benchmarks on the MSI Claw 8 AI+ reveal performance lagging behind Windows 11 on the same hardware, a departure from the typical trend where SteamOS outperforms Windows on AMD-based devices. Nevertheless, the performance is still acceptable, especially considering the beta state of the SteamOS build.
Both Microsoft and Intel are vying to gain traction in the handheld market, competing with Valve and AMD, respectively. Intel's Arc G3 processor, a variant of the latest Core Ultra series, has shown promise in debuts at Computex, with handhelds from MSI, Acer, and OneXPlayer all running Windows 11.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Valve's strategy involves publishing free builds of SteamOS for competing hardware, a move that could give gamers a compelling reason to ditch Microsoft. With Steam already the de facto marketplace for PC games, it's possible that SteamOS could become the unofficial operating system of PC gaming.
However, SteamOS isn't without its limitations, particularly with games that require deep, kernel-level anti-cheat. Still, it's hard to find anyone who prefers running Windows on a handheld device solely dedicated to gaming. If Valve can deliver solid, stable builds of SteamOS for Arc G3 handhelds, it would be a significant win.
The stage is set for an intriguing showdown, with Valve's response to Nvidia's RTX Spark, an Arm-based processor setup, also eagerly anticipated. As the handheld gaming market continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the battle for dominance is heating up, and gamers stand to reap the benefits.
