SteamOS 是什么？关于这款“游戏发行版”你所要知道的事
SteamOS
![](/data/attachment/album/202108/16/113402ass3smho7sbmo75b.jpg)


SteamOS 是一款基于 Linux 的操作系统，旨在提供来自 Steam 自己的游戏商店顺滑的游戏体验。


虽然它已经存在了许久，但有几件事你应该知道。


在这篇文章中，我们将回答许多 SteamOS 相关的常见问题。


### SteamOS 是什么？


SteamOS 是由游戏分发平台 Steam 开发的 Linux 发行版。它并是一款像 Debian、Linux Mint 或者 Ubuntu 那样的泛用型桌面操作系统，即便你确实可以使用桌面功能。默认情况下，SteamOS 的界面类似于游戏机，因为 SteamOS 旨在成为专为 Steam 游戏设备定制的操作系统，如 Steam Machine（已停产）和 Steam Deck。


![SteamOS 界面](/data/attachment/album/202108/16/113430kw1uk52we49ppkh0.jpg)


你确实也可以在任何 Linux 发行版和其他平台安装 Steam 客户端，但 SteamOS 更是为了提供类似游戏机的体验，方便你玩 Steam 上的游戏。


### SteamOS 基于哪个 Linux 发行版？


作为基于 Linux 的系统，SteamOS 最初基于 Debian 8 开发。随着 Valve 的全新 [Steam Deck](https://www.steamdeck.com/en/) 掌机发布，SteamOS 的最新版本（SteamOS 3.0）将基于 Arch Linux 开发，因为 Arch 支持滚动更新。


SteamOS 的开发团队也相信，SteamOS 基于 Arch Linux 更有利于快速推送更新和优化 Steam Deck。


![](/data/attachment/album/202108/16/113431b22qkeeuehbu28pu.jpg)


### SteamOS 的系统要求


理想情况下，符合以下最低要求的设备都应该可以正常运行 SteamOS：


* Intel / AMD 的 64 位 CPU
* 4GB 或更高的运行内存（RAM）
* 250GB 或更大的磁盘
* NVIDIA / Intel / AMD 的显卡
* 用于安装介质的 USB 或者 DVD


（LCTT 译注：本段内容仅针对 SteamOS 2.0。）


### SteamOS 能否在你的电脑上正常运作？


SteamOS（2.0 版本）内置了支持特定硬件的驱动程序。


理论上 SteamOS 可以在任何电脑上运行，但目前官方并没有支持最新的硬件。


### SteamOS 只是又一款 Linux 发行版吗？


SteamOS 严格来说已经是现有的 [适合游戏的 Linux 发行版](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-distributions/) 之一。但与其他发行版不同的是，SteamOS 并不是为了泛用型桌面而设计的。你确实可以安装 Linux 程序，但 SteamOS 支持的软件包极为有限。


总之，它并不适合替代普通 Linux 桌面系统。


### SteamOS 现在还在积极维护中吗？


**是**，但又**不是**。


SteamOS 基于 Debian 8 许久，目前没有任何更新。


如果你正期望将 SteamOS 安装到你的个人设备上，那么目前公开发布的版本（SteamOS 2.0）已经处于不再维护的状态。


不过，Valve 目前正在为 Steam Deck 维护 SteamOS 3.0。因此，可能不久 SteamOS 就可以用于你的桌面了。


### 你是否推荐使用 SteamOS 来玩电脑游戏吗？


**不推荐**。在 Windows 和其它 Linux 发行版面前，SteamOS 并不是你应该选择的替代品。


虽然 SteamOS 主要是为游戏定制的，但在拿它玩游戏之前，你还需要了解许多注意事项。


### 所有游戏都可以在 SteamOS 上玩吗？


**不**。SteamOS 需要依赖 Proton 兼容层才能让 Windows 平台的游戏正常运行。


当然，如今借助同样的底层技术，[在 Linux 里玩游戏](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-guide/) 已经成为了可能，但至少在我写这篇文章时，你并不能让 Steam 上架的所有游戏都可以在 Linux 中运行。


虽然大部分游戏都可以运行，但这并不意味着你游戏库里的所有游戏都能正常游玩。


如果你想玩 Steam 支持的游戏，以及仅限于 Linux 平台的游戏，那还是值得一试的。


### SteamOS 是否开源？


**是的**（SteamOS 2.0）。


SteamOS 操作系统是开源的，你可以在 [官方仓库](https://repo.steampowered.com/steamos/) 中找到源码。


不过，你用来玩游戏的 Steam 客户端是专有的。


值得注意的是，SteamOS 3.0 目前仍处于开发阶段，因此你无法获得它的源代码和任何公开进展。


### SteamOS 是否免费使用？


目前你暂时无法找到可供公众使用的最新版 SteamOS，但它基本上是免费的。基于 Debian 的旧版 SteamOS 可在其 [官方网站](https://store.steampowered.com/steamos/) 上获取。


### 我能找到内置 SteamOS 的游戏主机吗？


![Steam Machine 游戏机，已经停产](/data/attachment/album/202108/16/113431yzt3xa9eabtnbffc.jpg)


SteamOS 最初是为 Steam Machine 这款 Steam 自家的 PlayStation/Xbox 风格的游戏机定制的操作系统。2015 年 Steam Machine 发布后并没有在市场上获得成功，最终停产。


目前，唯一一款预装 SteamOS 的设备是备受瞩目的 Steam Deck。


待到 SteamOS 开放针对其它设备的下载后，你就可以看到有硬件厂商销售预装 SteamOS 的游戏设备了。


但，至少目前来看，你不应该相信任何不知名的制造商提供开箱即用的 SteamOS。


### 下一代 SteamOS 能否使 Linux 成为游戏的可行选择？


是的，绝对是的。


Linux 可能不是外界所推荐的游戏选择，但如果你乐意的话，你也可以查看 [我们所推荐的 Linux 游戏发行版](https://news.itsfoss.com/linux-for-gaming-opinion/)。最后，如果 SteamOS 下了狠心，让每款游戏都能在 Steam Deck 上运行，那么桌面 Linux 用户也将终于可以体验到所有曾经不支持的 Steam 游戏了。




---


via: <https://itsfoss.com/steamos/>


作者：[Ankush Das](https://itsfoss.com/author/ankush/) 选题：[lujun9972](https://github.com/lujun9972) 译者：[imgradeone](https://github.com/imgradeone) 校对：[wxy](https://github.com/wxy)


本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出


OK
![Warp Terminal](/assets/images/warp-terminal.webp)


![Warp Terminal](/assets/images/warp-terminal.webp)

SteamOS is a Linux-based operating system that aims to provide a seamless gaming experience from Valve's game store, Steam.

While it has been around for more than a decade now, there are a few things that you should know about it.

In this article, we try to address the most common questions regarding SteamOS.

## What is SteamOS?

SteamOS is a Linux distribution from the popular game distribution platform [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com). It is not a generic desktop operating system like Debian, Linux Mint or Ubuntu, though you could use its desktop features.

By default, SteamOS gives you a console like interface because SteamOS is intended to be the operating system on Steam devices like Steam Machine (discontinued) and Steam Deck.

While you can install the Steam game client on any Linux distribution and other platforms, **SteamOS was developed to provide a console-like experience** to play games from the Steam store.

## Which Linux distribution is SteamOS based on?

SteamOS is a Linux-based operating system, **originally based on Debian 8**. With Valve’s [Steam Deck](https://www.steamdeck.com/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) handheld gaming device,** SteamOS’s latest version (SteamOS 3.0) uses Arch Linux** as its base because of its [rolling-release](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/) update schedule.

The developers believe that **Arch Linux as a base for SteamOS is useful to push quick updates and optimize SteamOS for Steam Deck**.

![an illustration showcasing steam deck with a green background](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/12/Steam_Deck.png)

## System requirements for SteamOS

Ideally, any machine with the following minimum requirements should work:

- Intel or AMD 64-bit capable processor
- 4 GB or more memory
- 250 GB or larger disk
- NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD graphics card
- USB port or DVD drive for installation

## Will SteamOS Work on your PC?

SteamOS comes with drivers and chipsets that support a specific set of hardware.

It should theoretically work on every PC, but there’s no official support for the latest and greatest hardware — yet.

## Is SteamOS just another Linux distribution?

SteamOS is technically one of the [gaming Linux distributions](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-distributions/) available. But, unlike some others, it is not meant for a full-fledged desktop experience. While you can install Linux applications, it supports a limited number of packages.

In short, it is **not suitable to replace a desktop Linux OS**.

## Is Steam OS Actively Maintained?

**Yes** and **No**.

SteamOS used to be based on Debian 8 for a long time, and with the transition to Arch Linux, the developers have been pushing constant updates to improve the overall experience.

However, if you were looking to install it on your personal machine, the version available publicly (SteamOS 2.0) is not actively maintained anymore.

With a recent preview, many improvements were shown off for SteamOS 3.0. Things such as **a fix for a black screen issue** with some games on [Steam Deck OLED](https://www.steamdeck.com/en/oled), a fix for the USB compatibility issues, and more were among the highlights of it.

We do not have a release date for SteamOS 3.0, but Valve did mention that they will be making it available for everyone eventually.

## Should You Prefer SteamOS for PC Gaming?

**No**. SteamOS is not a proper replacement for Windows or other Linux distributions. The latest version is primarily meant for the Steam Deck, and while it was tailored to play games, there are many other caveats to know before you proceed.

## Do all games work on SteamOS?

**No**. SteamOS relies on the Proton compatibility layer to make most Windows-exclusive games work.

Of course, [Gaming on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-guide/) has been made possible with the same underlying tech, but at the time of writing this, you cannot make all the games available on Steam work with it.

Even though many games should work on it, that does not guarantee that all games you have in your library will work as expected.

If you are looking to play supported games and Linux-only games, you can refer to [ProtonDB](https://www.protondb.com), they list all the games on the Steam store and rank them according to the level of support for Linux.

## Is SteamOS open source?

**Yes**. (SteamOS 2.0)

The operating system is open-source, and you can find the source code in its [official repo](https://repo.steampowered.com). But, the Steam client that you will be using on it is proprietary.

It is worth noting that SteamOS 3.0 regularly receives new updates. But **you can't find the source code for it** because Valve hasn't made it public yet. We can only wait and see when they do.

However, you can get regular updates about SteamOS from its [Steam News](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1675200) page.

## Is SteamOS free to use?

You won’t find the latest SteamOS version available to the public yet, but it is essentially free to use.

## Can I find a gaming system with SteamOS built in?

![a steam machine](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/valves-steam-machine-800x441.jpg)

SteamOS was originally created to be the operating system on Steam’s very own PlayStation/Xbox styled console called [Steam Machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_Machine_(computer)). Released around 2015, Steam Machine did not see much success and was eventually discontinued.

Now the only device to feature SteamOS is the Steam Deck.

If SteamOS was to be made available for other hardware, you could see popular prebuilt PC brands offering SteamOS pre-installed on their gaming products.

But, for now, you should not believe in any claims by unknown manufacturers offering SteamOS out of the box.

## Will SteamOS Make Linux a Viable Choice for Gaming?

Absolutely!

Linux may not be the recommended choice for gamers out there. But, if SteamOS continues evolving to support every game for its Steam Deck hardware, desktop Linux users could also benefit from it, finally getting to experience all unsupported Steam games.

You can also explore one of our older articles on why [we recommend Linux for gaming](https://news.itsfoss.com/linux-for-gaming-opinion/) to gain further insights.