Alt text: Trojan Horse meme, Steam Deck bringing Linux to Windows gamers
this post was submitted on 30 Apr 2025
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For new users that were otherwise scared of changing their daily driver, it does provide a nice little path for them.
Flip it into Desktop mode some times to get a feel for how different the DE is, play around with some command line stuff. Easy to factory reset, so mess it up if you want.
Then install something like CachyOS Handheld edition after a while to get a less restricted Linux experience, while maintaining game mode et all.
Hell, for the price, it's a great device to use as a dev machine if you do Cachy or similar. I use mine as my daily use "laptop" since my other laptop died, and was less powerful any way.
Woah, Cachy sounds sick! How does the gaming mode perform in your experience? Is it effectively the same as the deck's vanilla game mode? π€ very tempted to give it a shot myself!
Admittedly, I don't use game mode as often as most. I do gamedev on this, so it's almost always in Desktop mode, even when I'm actually playing games.
Having said that, the handful of times I have used it on Cachy felt no different at all to SteamOS. The UI is identical. They did a great job recreating the Valve-specific parts of SteamOS that aren't just part of KDE or Arch.
The only downside, and it's just a minor inconvenience for me, is that Cachy doesn't have the option to boot into Desktop mode by default (yet). It always boots up into game mode first.
EDIT: I was wrong, the game mode on CachyOS is actually one in the same as SteamOS game mode. That is something built into a special release of the Steam client for Steam Decks, and Cachy just uses that instead of reinventing the wheel. It should be a direct 1:1 experience when it comes to game mode.
I just wish it had better IO. Either 2 USB C ports, or even better USB 4 and I'd own one by now.
Just get a small USBC dock, I got one with an HDMI, USBC and USB connection so I can connect it to a monitor, its power cord and a wireless keyboard/mouse dongle... It's super compact so it doesn't bother me at all.
I already have a bunch of those, but I want more than just a monitor. I'd like to connect it to my dock and have both of my 4k displays connected and running at the full 60hz.
Also the ability to add an eGPU would be killer. Great portable gaming experience, and a "real" at home gaming experience with the eGPU.
Then you just need a bigger dock, the USB plug is able to handle a lot of data... With the eGPU you won't need the HDMI input on the dock though.
Dear god, yes. One more USB C would solve a lot of problems.
SteamOS desktop mode is just KDE, so you could just make a Live USB of Kubuntu or whatever to try it out on your actual desktop or laptop PC.
Exactly, that's my point. New Linux people don't have to think about installing a new OS or even using a live USB, just flip to Desktop mode to demo it.
What advantages does Cachy have?
They give you a lot more control over the system in terms of the filesystem, its structure and format, use of pacman without being wiped on update, etc. It's more of a true Arch Linux experience, plus it isn't controlled by Valve.
Cachy also has their own Proton versions that seem to run a couple of games marginally better so far. Still, you have all the options when it comes to how you want to install and run games or anything else.
ETA: I think BazziteOS also has a handheld version that is tailored for the Deck's hardware that gives a similar experience
I haven't run into any limitations of the file system and I hardly even know what pacman is. And I haven't felt 'controlled' by Valve, certainly not to the extent of a console or even Windows/Mac. I can sudo whatever I want. I'm sure you have a use case, but I'm still just not seeing it.
Are their proton versions just proton GE? To what extent does it actually run better?
If you get into Linux more, you will start using something like pacman (short for Package Manager), which is where you install libraries and apps natively. Then with Arch, there's also the AURs (community repository).
The way you do it on SteamOS is usually through Discover Store (aka flatpak). That's all fine and good, but there are nuances to how it sandboxes the apps that may not be desirable for everything you install and do. Secondly, when you update to a new SteamOS version, anything installed via pacman or AUR gets wiped. Only your home directory remains untouched (i.e., game installs and saves, Discover apps). Some tools just aren't offered on flatpak, and some times what is there is behind a version or two.
For the average user, no real advantage. For developers and tinkerers, it opens all the doors. If you just want to have the same Steam Deck experience, but make sure everything that phones home is gone, then CachyOS also has something for you.
That's not what I mean. What I mean is that Valve controls and makes all the decisions on how the OS is designed. Some of it open source, some is not at all (telemetry stuffs, for example). Again, depends on how you use it whether or not it's an issue for you.
No, they are separately maintained Cachy Proton versions, based on GE. I haven't looked deep into it, but I gather they run better because they are tweaked to fit into how Cachy has things setup. And again, only marginally better. I just notice less stutters in some heftier games where I would see a bunch before, that kind of thing.
ETA: there was one game, don't remember which, that I couldn't get to run in Proton, GE or otherwise. It does run in Cachy's Proton, though
So are you lugging around a keyboard, screen and usb hub with it or what?
I switched to a MacBook Air + Steam Deck combo for work/gaming and it's fairing much better than my old gaming laptop ever did on both fronts
Sorta. I work from home, so while here it's docked on a desk.
When I travel, I'm usually in National Forests, so I don't really get on the computer much. If I do need to, though, I have one of those Logitech keyboard+trackpad that I use. Otherwise it's just a game/media machine when I'm traveling if I even pull it out.