Playtron aims to take on Valve’s Steam Deck with its own Linux-powered handheld OS
Startup Playtron aims to take on Microsoft, Nintendo and, more specifically, Valve and its Steam Deck, with a new Linux-based handheld operating system.
The OS is powered by Linux and plays Windows games, similar to the Steam Deck, but it’s in no way connected to Steam, Valve’s digital game platform. That opens it up to third-party stores right out of the box. This means it’s more easily compatible with an alternative storefront like the Epic Games Store, according to the company.
What makes the handheld unique is that the company behind the project plans to work with several third-party manufacturers to build and release Playtron devices, with a manufacturer called Ayaneo releasing a device that supports the OS by the end of 2024. Playtron’s overarching, rather ambitious goal is to compete with Windows as the main operating system for handheld gaming systems.
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Playtron: the startup hoping to Steam Deck-ify the world
Handhelds are the future of gaming — but there are reasons the category hasn’t exploded yet. The Nintendo Switch is locked down, Windows can be cumbersome, and Valve’s pick-up-and-play SteamOS hasn’t yet escaped the Steam Deck.
What if there were an Android of gaming, an OS you could install on any capable hardware to get a controller-friendly PC experience? Imagine an “Epic Deck” that could actually play Fortnite, a “5G Deck” for cellular carriers, or maybe a “PlayStation Deck” for Sony’s growing PC ambitions.
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Playtron plan to launch PlaytronOS, a Linux-based system for gaming
Playtron have teased their PlaytronOS, taking aim at the gaming space to compete with SteamOS with a Linux-powered system. Could be exciting times ahead.
They've managed to pull in developers from ChimeraOS, Box64, Heroic Games Launcher and more so they have some people involved who certainly know their stuff when it comes to Linux gaming. Their CEO is also Kirt McMaster, a name some might recognise from Cyanogen. Many others are involved who have developer experience previously from the likes of Google, Amazon, Red Hat, Meta, Samsung, SEGA and more. So they've built up quite an experienced team overall.
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Playtron's Distro is an Upcoming SteamOS Challenger for Linux Gaming
Gaming on Linux just gets better every year, doesn't it? We are almost at the end of the first quarter of 2024, and we now have a new startup that aims to disrupt the Linux gaming space.
Playtron is a new venture led by Kirk McMaster of Cyanogen fame, that has teased PlaytronOS, a Linux distribution tailored for “powerful handheld gaming PCs… and beyond”; they also aim to ship 5G-equipped Playtron-native devices across the globe in 2025.
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Playtron’s Linux-based gaming OS aims to be a cheap, versatile option for handheld gaming PCs (and other systems)
Valve’s Steam Deck shook up the mobile gaming world in a big way when it launched a few years ago for a few reasons. It’s cheaper than most models that has been available up until that point, and comes from a company with much better brand recognition (and customer service) in the gaming space than the small Chinese brands that had been making handhelds up until then. And it also has a custom AMD chip designed just for the Steam Deck.
But it’s also the Steam Deck’s software that helps it stand out. It’s a Linux-based operating system that’s designed from the ground up for handheld gaming, which makes Windows-powered handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw feel clunky by comparison, since they’re running an operating system that was designed for laptop and desktop computers. Soon there may be another alternative to Windows and SteamOS though.
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Not a fan of Windows 11 gaming portables? Linux-powered alternative to Steam Deck might be the answer to your prayers
laytron is a name you might be hearing a lot more of before too long, as it’s a company with serious ambitions in the gaming handheld space, with an idea of how to better rival Valve’s impressive Steam Deck.
So far, the alternatives to the Steam Deck for gaming portables (outside of the Nintendo Switch) are Windows-based, and Windows 11 is not ideal or optimized for this purpose (a topic we’ll return to shortly).
Enter Playtron with a plan: the firm is concocting a lightweight Linux distro that can be installed on any handheld and plays Windows games (via Proton). It’s kind of like SteamOS freed from its shackles of being tied to the Steam Deck (for now).
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A new Steam Deck OS is coming, and it could transform Valve’s handheld
So many competitors are coming for Valve’s crown when it comes to gaming on the go, but one new startup is placing a big emphasis on its operating system, and it may cause the Steam Deck some real problems. Playtron has secured $10m in funding, and it’s really impressed us with an early demo of its Linux-based OS.
We consider the Steam Deck OLED to be the best handheld gaming PC that money can buy, with genuine contenders often beating it in terms of raw power, but not when it comes to the operating system. Both the Lenovo Legion GO and ROG Ally are great devices that are often let down by the Windows OS, which can sometimes make games trickier to play compared to Valve‘s approach with SteamOS.
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PlaytronOS: new Linux gaming OS aims to dethrone Windows, SteamOS with support for 'every store'
The new Linux-based OS for gaming handhelds throws shade at Windows and SteamOS for being closed platforms. Playtron aims to be a lightweight alternative to Windows and SteamOS, built on open-source software, to offer wide hardware and software compatibility for handheld gaming PCs.
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PlaytronOS is a new Linux-based gaming OS for handhelds
The Linux-based OS developed by Playtron is simple to use and doesn't include any unnecessary software, unlike Windows. Playtron's feature set may not be extremely advanced at present. However, it already supports games like Death Stranding, Dave the Diver, and Baltaro.
Playtron is seeking contracts with OEMs and mobile carriers who want to integrate PlaytronOS into portable devices. As per the company, Ayaneo seems to already be on board, as it plans to launch a native Playtron handheld in late 2024. Additionally, the start-up aims to go beyond handhelds and expand its adaptability to other devices (laptops, PCs, TVs, phones, cars, tablets, etc). The company's first public alpha is expected to be released within the next two months. This release will allow users to provide feedback, which could speed up the development of the new OS.
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'PlaytronOS', an OS for portable gaming PCs based on Arm-Linux that can also play x86 compatible games, has been released, and machines equipped with PlaytronOS are scheduled to be released within 2024
With the development of high-performance, compact chipsets, portable gaming PCs such as Valve's Steam Deck , ASUS' ROG Ally , and Lenovo's Legion Go have appeared, allowing you to play PC games anytime, anywhere. Masu. In addition, AAA-level PC game titles such as `` Resident Evil RE: 4 '' and `` DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT '' have been released for the iPhone 15 Pro, which is equipped with Apple's A17 Pro chip. The conventional wisdom that you can only play on a stationary, high-performance gaming PC has been overturned.
Steam Deck is equipped with SteamOS, which is developed based on Linux, and ROG Ally and Legion Go are equipped with Windows 11 as the OS, but ``SteamOS is almost exclusively an OS for Steam Deck, and Windows is ideal for portable gaming PCs.'' 'There is still no optimal OS solution for portable gaming PCs,' said Curt McMaster, CEO of Playtron.