After using Bazzite (a SteamOS clone) on my Asus ROG Ally, with a plethora of features that are ideal for a console-like user interface (UI), I’m edging closer to installing it on my main desktop gaming PC.
If you’re wondering why, the answer is simple. Microsoft’s Windows 11 has been a frustrating operating system for gaming, in my experience, with numerous UI bugs and errors that have left me tempted to step away from my desktop setup entirely.
I’m fully aware of Microsoft’s new Xbox PC app and the upcoming ‘full-screen experience’, which is intended to improve game performance and portability for handheld users, with a streamlined console-like UI, similar to what Valve has going with SteamOS. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m excited to see how this works once the ROG Xbox Ally launches, but I’m not confident it will topple SteamOS – so I’ll likely use it on my handheld via a dual boot setup.
As for SteamOS, or more specifically, Bazzite in this case, this can easily be installed on most desktop gaming PCs, and will be highly beneficial for those with AMD hardware. However, it’s not exactly the same story for Nvidia hardware, since the ‘Steam Gaming Mode’ requirements has Nvidia GPU support, but in beta with ‘major caveats compared to AMD hardware‘.
It’s not just about Nvidia hardware either; I’ve tested Discord on my Asus ROG Ally running Bazzite, and while it functions well for voice chat and screen sharing in Game Mode, the latter isn’t exactly well polished. To put it simply, streams in servers can randomly end without reasoning or appear dark with nothing on screen.
Streaming to friends on Discord has easily become a fundamental part of my gaming enjoyment, and if I’m going to move away from Windows 11 as my main operating system on my desktop rig, full official Nvidia GPU support (or at the very least stepping out of beta on Bazzite) and Discord are an absolute must for me.
SteamOS Game Mode on a desktop PC with Discord and better GPU support is like a supercharged PS5 or Xbox Series X console
I’m sure that I’m not the only PC gamer who uses their home TV to dive into immersive titles, especially when you want to sit away from your desk after work. Sure, that’s what handheld gaming PCs are for, but I’d be lying to you if I said holding up any handheld for an extended period doesn’t get tiring.
While I own a PS5, it’s not my main source of gaming; to be transparent, I only still own one because of exclusive PlayStation titles, and because GTA 6 won’t be coming to PC day one. Fortunately, I have hardware powerful enough to run games at 4K on high graphics settings, so combining this with an operating system that has UI akin to a Nintendo Switch, PS5, or Xbox Series X console seems like a no-brainer to me.
It makes gaming so much easier, knowing you can hop in and out of games without worrying if it will crash or you randomly lose controller functionality, or worse, have your entire system lock up on you, essentially forcing you to restart. And that all goes without mentioning possibly the most impressive and important feature of Bazzite/SteamOS.
Quick Resume is a literal Godsend, allowing you to put your system to sleep and pick right back up from where you left off when you return. Now, I’ve not installed any version of SteamOS on my desktop rig yet, but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work in the exact same manner.
Without going off track, what I’m saying is the addition of Discord’s screen sharing capabilities (improved to work well on SteamOS) and greater official GPU support, with an already impressive console-like OS, is the stuff of dreams for easy and simple gaming.
It’s not like a desktop PC with an Nvidia GPU won’t work at all on Bazzite, I’d just much rather avoid any issues that might not have occurred on Windows 11 (excluding the recent driver hiccups from Nvidia itself), specifically regarding the GPU.
Once these matters are addressed through official integration as an app on Steam from Discord, and better Nvidia hardware functionality in SteamOS Game Mode, is the moment Windows 11 will become a secondary operating system, with Valve’s SteamOS easily replacing it.
