A Full-Fledged Windows Alternative: Valve Actively Working to Improve NVIDIA Graphics Card Support in SteamOS

A separate team has even been formed for this purpose.

As Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais told The Verge in an interview, a separate team has been formed within the company that is working closely with NVIDIA to improve GeForce graphics card support in SteamOS. However, users should not expect full support to appear soon: according to Griffais, it is unlikely to be available in 2026, and 2027 seems to be the most realistic timeframe.

The problem is that SteamOS, based on Linux, has historically worked much better with AMD and Intel graphics solutions. Their drivers are largely integrated into the Linux ecosystem and are developed as open-source projects. NVIDIA, on the other hand, continues to use a closed proprietary driver stack, which significantly complicates integration with Linux systems and requires additional optimization.

Until recently, this issue did not seem critical, as SteamOS was mainly associated with Steam Deck. However, the situation changed after the release of Steam Machine and the expansion of SteamOS 3.8 compatibility with desktop computers. Now Valve clearly aims to turn its operating system into a full-fledged Windows alternative for gaming PCs.

The main problem is that the market for discrete graphics cards for PCs is almost entirely controlled by NVIDIA. According to Steam user surveys, the share of GeForce graphics cards reaches about 94%. This means that most players who want to install SteamOS on their own computer or build a Steam Machine analog face various limitations and difficulties.