SteamOS is slowly becoming an alternative to Windows for handheld gaming devices. After launching the Steam Deck with SteamOS, its own operating system, Valve is now partnering with third-party manufacturers so that they can release gaming handhelds with SteamOS support.

Lenovo Legion Go S pre-orders just went live at Best Buy, and you can now reserve the Windows 11 version for $729. There's no sign of the SteamOS model yet, which just so happens to the the handheld I'm most hyped for so far. However, if you'd rather embrace the versatility of Microsoft's PC operating system, this is the version for you.

The Lenovo Legion Go S with Windows or SteamOS also joins a prototype for the Lenovo Go 2, now with controllers you can comfortably hold.

The SteamOS Legion Go S model is the most interesting of the two since it's the first non-Steam Deck handheld that utilizes Valve’s operating system. If you’ve read any of our handheld reviews, then you know Windows 11 has been a major sore spot for these systems since Microsoft’s OS doesn’t work well on these systems.

Lenovo have lifted the lid on the world's first officially licensed handheld powered by SteamOS, the Lenovo Legion Go S, which should arrive in May.

Valve announced its new philosophy regarding SteamOS in a blog post today. Valve partnered with Lenovo for a “Powered By SteamOS” model of the upcoming handheld, and says that the company “is making updates to ensure [SteamOS] fully supports the Lenovo Legion Go S and provides the same seamless experience customers expect.”

The Windows version of the Legion Go S is up for preorder ahead of its imminent release, while the SteamOS version is expected to arrive in May.

Following months of rumors, the new Lenovo Legion Go S has finally arrived, and I'm pretty hyped to see there's a SteamOS version. While I wouldn't go as far to call the laptop maker's new handheld a Steam Deck, it should help normalize PC operating systems that are actually build for portable play.

The Steam Deck is no longer the only SteamOS-based gaming handheld on the market. A more expensive Windows version of the Legion Go S will be available first.

As a loyal Steam Deck player, I’d be heartbroken if the news came out that Valve never makes a second generation. But at the AMD and Lenovo event named “The Future of Gaming Handhelds,” I got a chance to talk to Valve’s SteamOS designer Pierre-Loup Griffais (on the left) about it and the answers