The latest Steam Deck beta channel references in the Asus ROG Ally in what could be a hint that SteamOS is coming to other devices.
The Steam Deck is no stranger to regularly receiving regular updates. The last beta client update introduced a new way to let your friend list know you’re on your trusty Valve handheld on Steam.
Another brand-new beta channel update landed on the handheld on August 8. However, among the slew of bug fixes this time, the Asus ROG Ally was surprisingly referenced.
The SteamOS 3.6.9 “Megafixer” update name-drops the Windows-based competitor within the release notes, as officially shared by Valve.
As originally discovered by GamingOnLinux, below the list of input fixes, which includes added support for Asus’s own ROG Raikiri Pro controller, Valve states that it has “added support for extra ROG Ally keys.”
It’s not entirely known what this is referencing, as currently, SteamOS is only available on the Steam Deck.
Adding support to Asus ROG Ally keys could be an indicator that Valve is finally making plans to make SteamOS available on other handhelds, like Asus’s ROG Ally, or the ROG Ally X.
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With the beta channel update usually still in the testing phase, it’s more likely a general Steam input fix somehow made its way into the update. However, this is still usual, as Valve typically has dedicated posts for any changes and improvements to Steam overall.
Without any official announcement from Valve, or Asus for that matter, there’s no sign SteamOS is launching on other devices any time soon. It makes sense that, for now, Valve would prefer to keep SteamOS to itself.
While the meaning behind Asus’s inclusion is still up in the air, this latest beta channel update also brought with it improved recovery “from situations where the Steam installation could get corrupted” for the handheld.
This brand-new fix comes after the launch of the Jackbox Megapicker game launcher was reportedly bricking Steam Decks.
If you want to opt-in for the beta channel updates, go to Settings > System > System Update Channel on the Steam Deck. A full version of the official SteamOS 3.6.9 Beta: Megafixer patch notes, is available on the Steam website.